A balmy afternoon here in the nation’s medicine chest. If only we could arrange our meetings for outdoor venues. Nonetheless, here are a few items to help wind up your week….

A Florida jury took just two hours to decide that Vioxx wasn’t reponsible for a heart attack suffered by a 50-year-old man, and that the drugmaker didn’t conceal any of the cardiovascular risks associated with the painkiller. Refik Kozic used Vioxx for about nine weeks before suffering a heart attack in April 2001, when he was 50. Merck argued the attack was due to Kozic’s health, which a Merck lawyer described as “longstanding cardiovascular disease” and other risk factors, such as high cholesterol.

Medtronic’s new stent triggered more blood clots than one made by Abbott Labs. However, the clots caused by Endeavor didn’t lead to additional deaths or heart attacks, which were lower in patients getting Medtronic’s stent. The two device makers are in a race to release the first in a new generation of stents, according to an FDA review. An agency panel meets next week to determine whether Endeavor should be approved.