Verified Document

Merck And Vioxx -- Research Data How Term Paper

Merck and Vioxx -- Research Data How did Merck misuse research data to support their decision for marketing the COX-2 Drug Vioxx?

In November of 1998 the pharmaceutical company Merck submitted Vioxx's application to the Food and Drug Administration seeking approval for the COX-2 inhibitor drug, as a treatment for osteoarthritis, on the basis of clinical trials involving 5,400 patients. Merck said the rates of cardiovascular risk were "similar" among patients taking Vioxx, placebo or other pain relievers. This, however, was not the case. In fact, Vioxx had a higher risk of cardiovascular problems among patients taking Vioxx vs. patients taking the pain reliever naproxen. (Steyer, 2004)

Merck excused this by stating that the pain killers Vioxx was being compared to such as naproxen, the...

But according to CNN Money, the Wall Street Journal reported later on that internal company e-mails indicate that Merck executives were worried as early as the mid-to-late 1990's that Vioxx would show greater heart risk than cheaper painkillers that were harsh on the stomach but were believed to reduce the risk of heart attacks. Thus, Merck deliberately ignored fears that Vioxx was harmful to the hearts of current and potential users of the painkillers, and misused the data that indicated that the risks were compensated by the heart protective effects of naproxen.
What were the results?

The results were that Vioxx takers showed a higher level of heart problems…

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited

"Merck's Vioxx emails scrutinized." (1 Nov 2004) CNN.com. CNN Money. Retrieved 22 Jun 2005 at http://money.cnn.com/2004/11/01/news/fortune500/merck/

Steyer, Robert. (18 Nov 2004) "The Murky history of Merck's Vioxx." The Street. Retrieved 22 Jun 2005 at http://www.thestreet.com/_googlen/stocks/biotech/10195104.html?cm_ven=GOOGLEN&; cm_cat=FREE& cm_ite=NA
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Merck Novartis Merck and Novartis Financial Statements
Words: 638 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Merck Novartis Merck and Novartis Financial Statements 2012 Balance Sheet • What components of stockholders' equity do each of the companies disclose? Merck & Co. provides a consolidated statement of stockholders equity on their balance sheet. They disclose the number of shares, share types, retained earnings, and some historical data (Merck & Co., 2013). Novartis provides a much more thorough and detailed report of their shareholders equity in their annual report. Not only do they

Merck and Corporate Social Responsibility
Words: 1169 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

Corporations have many stakeholders, of which the shareholders are just one group. There are also, for example, creditors, employees, suppliers and customers. In the case of pharmaceutical giants, society at large is also a stakeholder of a sort. The products a company like Merck develops improve the health and well-being of the population at large. Government can be said to be the stakeholder that represents this interest. In the case of

Merck's Medco the Acquisition of Medco by
Words: 1385 Length: 5 Document Type: Essay

Merck's Medco The acquisition of Medco (by Merck) is a sign of shifts that are taking place in the health care industry. What is happening is there has been an emphasis on providing total health care solutions to consumers. As they are demanding that they have access to: the best services and want to have their different needs combined into one plan. This has lead to changes in the way health

Merck Case Study -- Merck
Words: 941 Length: 2 Document Type: Research Paper

It is different than a criminal action, which involves a breach of duty owed to society at large. It is possible that actions are both tors and crimes; but only the state may prosecute a crime, but any injured party may bring a lawsuit against another as a tort ruling. There are a number of different torts; ranging from assault to negligence, all with foundations in the common law

Merck Tort the Merck Case
Words: 580 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

More than anything else, this case exemplifies a keen sense of legal risk management. The company made enormous profits from the drug while it was selling it; it was highly effective for its on-label purpose and had no known dangerous side effects. After finding that they could be responsible for causing heart problems in patients taking the drug, the company pulled it for ethical reasons and as a means of

Merck Blindness Merck & River Blindness: A
Words: 503 Length: 2 Document Type: Case Study

Merck Blindness Merck & River Blindness: A Case Study Analysis It has become increasingly common for large-scale international firms to dedicate some of their resources to the interests of Corporate Citizenship. This usually entails the use of the companies skills, resources and personnel to effect a positive change for a determined population. In this case of our present study, the highly reputable pharmaceutical company Merck is reported to have dedicated its resources

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now