Merck & Co, Inc has received a letter from the US Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts advising the company that it is a target of a previously-disclosed federal grand jury investigation. The investigation relates to activities in connection with Vioxx, a medicine that Merck voluntarily withdrew from the market in 2004. The company has previously disclosed the government's investigation, which has been ongoing since 2004, in various filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Merck has responded and is continuing to respond to requests from the US Attorney's Office for documents and information in connection with the ongoing investigation.