A federal judge announced Monday that there could ultimately be up to 100,000 cases filed against the developer of the now defamed drug Vioxx.

It has been estimated that Merck & Co. potential liability could reach $18 billion.

Merck withdrew Vioxx from the market last September after a study showed it doubled risk of heart attacks and stroke in patients taking the drug longer than 18 months.

Plaintiff attorneys are demanding that Merck turn over records of their powerful sales force.

Lead plaintiff attorney, Russell Herman, commented that Merck had informed their sales force to "dodge" potentially awkward questions.

Plaintiffs cite an internal Merck document with instructions to the representatives, referred to as "Dodge Ball Vioxx" in a court filing.

"All we want to do is spread some disinfectant," said Herman.

However, the lead Merck lawyer, Phillip Wittmann, suggested it would be more reasonable to look at Merck employees on a case-by-case basis.

Plaintiffs are also trying to extract information from the Food and Drug Administration, which regulated the drug and has been blamed for lax oversight.