BASED DRUGMAKER TO GO TO A JURY. THE CASES ARE BEING CLOSELY WATCHED TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH THE VIOXX ISSUE ULTIMATELY WILL COST THE COMPANY. MERCK WITHDREW THE $2.5 BILLION-A-YEAR DRUG FROM THE MARKET IN SEPTEMBER 2004 AFTER A STUDY SHOWED IT DOUBLED HEART ATTACK AND STROKE RISK FOR PATIENTS WHO TOOK IT 18 MONTHS OR MORE. GARZA FAMILY ATTORNEY JOE ESCOBEDO TOLD THE JURY THAT MERCK'S GREED KILLED GARZA BECAUSE THE COMPANY KNEW THE DANGERS OF VIOXX AS EARLY AS 2000 BUT DID NOT REVEAL THEM BECAUSE IT DID NOT WANT TO HURT SALES. --More 2347 Local Time 2047 GMT