keywords: vioxx merck profit earnings recall
text: Merck Profit Falls, Hurt by Vioxx Recall  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Merck   Co. &lt;A HREF="http://www.investor.reuters.com/FullQuote.aspx?ticker=MRK.N target=/stocks/quickinfo/fullquote"&gt;MRK.N&lt;/A&gt; on Thursday said  its quarterly profit fell 28 percent due to last month's recall  of its Vioxx arthritis drug, and the company predicted 2004  earnings will fall as much as 11 percent because of the recall.