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April 24, 2012

Merck Fined $321 Million for Improper Vioxx Marketing 
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A federal judge has sentenced the pharmaceutical giant Merck to pay a
$321 million criminal fine for improperly marketing its Vioxx painkiller
a decade ago. The pill was approved in 1999 as a painkiller, but Merck
also illegally promoted Vioxx for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
before it was approved for that use. In a related settlement reached in
November, Merck agreed to pay more than $600 million to the federal
government, for a wider range of alleged improprieties. In January,
"Democracy Now! spoke with Dr. Steven
Nissen"http://www.democracynow.org/2012/1/23/medical_whistleblower_dr_st
even_nissen_on_escape, one of the nation’s leading cardiologists. His
research into Vioxx led to the drug being withdrawn due to fears of
increased risk of heart disease and stroke after prolonged use.

Steven Nissen: "Vioxx was made by Merck. And that data was concealed
from a manuscript that was published about the drug. We got access to
the data through the FDA website, again, through an unusual source;
published it; and there then ensued a three-year battle, public battle,
that ultimately led to the withdrawal of the drug from the market
completely, worldwide, in 2004."

 

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