Despite Warnings, MerckTook Long Path to Vioxx Recall (CEO huge GOP donor)

[President Jesus]

In May 2000, executives at Merck, the pharmaceutical giant under siege for its handling of the multibillion-dollar drug Vioxx, made a fateful decision.

The company's top research and marketing executives met that month to consider whether to develop a study to directly test a disturbing possibility: that Vioxx, a painkiller, might pose a heart risk. Two months earlier, results from a clinical trial conducted for other reasons had suggested such concerns.

But the executives rejected pursuing a study focused on Vioxx's cardiovascular risks. According to company documents, the scientists wondered if such a study, which might require as many as 50,000 patients, was even possible. Merck's marketers, meanwhile, apparently feared it could send the wrong signal about the company's confidence in Vioxx, which already faced fierce competition from a rival drug, Celebrex.

"At present, there is no compelling marketing need for such a study," said a slide prepared for the meeting. "Data would not be available during the critical period. The implied message is not favorable."

continued...

Also, you have to check out Merck CEO Raymond Gilmartin's loooong list of campaign contributions, all of which went exclusively to the GOP (and yes, * in 2000 and 2004)!

[President Jesus]

1. I meant to say *almost* all went to the GOP.

sorry.

[Fridays Child]

2. And what a coincidence that B*sh doesn't think consumers...

...should have the right to sue drug companies.

[0007]

16. Who do you think was pushing tort reform? These murderers

knew what was going down.

This is what "LifeTimes" (Published by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas) had to say;

Merck pulls Vioxx; anti-inflammatory is heart, stoke risk.

After five years on the market as a popular anti-flammatory often prescribed for osteoarthritis, the drug Vioxx has been voluntarily withdrawn by manufacturer Merck & Co.

Clinical test indicate that patients taking Vioxx are twice as likely as placebo recipients to have a heart attack or stroke.

Merck said though the overall likelihood of heart attack or stroke complications tied to Vioxx us is small, it decided to yank the drug anyway.

There is more and can probably be found on line if one googles.

Insurance companies whoring for Merck, indeed pisses me off.

[colonel odis]

3. the fool. if he'd only contributed a little more, he wouldn't

have had to pull the drug.

that'll teach him.

[DeepModem Mom]

4. Page-one, NYT -- this is a scandal --

[BlueStatesForever]

5. Won't be trying out any new drugs

any time soon...

[hollowdweller]

6. Is this one of those dangerous drugs

that are coming across the border from Canada that Bush is protecting us from

[barb162]

7. drug companies and the FDA often do NOTHING when they

know dangerous drugs are on the market and the patients using these drugs are often either dying left and right or are becoming sicker. And then the pugs are trying to stop or limit the right to sue. What is wrong with this picture? The FDA should be the watchdog but it is in the pocket of the drug companies; a major overhaul of the FDA is needed,tighter regulations are needed, etc.

The system is broken and needs a top to bottom overhaul as this is happening too many times with too many drugs.There are good people in the FDA but it sure seems they are not the ones in power.

[reprobate]

12. The ancient Greeks had a definition for gov't corruption.

They defined gov't corruption as the support of special interests to the detriment of the population of citizens.

And the cause is the same: either the quest for money or power. they are often the saem.

In the case of the US of A it is directly traceable to the ownership of gov't by the corporations. And this, IMO, is due to only one thing: Our utter lack of the ability to curb campaign financing laws and provide public financing for all elections. If we don't remove the profit motive from politics we will never reclaim our nation without a very bloody revolution.

There are those who claim that it's arleady too late, and I would not argue with them. The one thing that cheers me somewhat is the fact that NOTHING is forever. the only constant is change, and perhaps soon we will se the pendulem swing back our way. Perhaps. Eventually.

[gratuitous]

8. Aw c'mon people, everyone knows that Vioxx is dangerous!

It's your own fault for taking it, not Merck's fault for relentlessly advertising it on the evening news, pushing it to doctors at all-expenses-paid seminars in Aspen or Las Vegas, or covering up its own internal research that indicated there might be a problem. Take responsibility for your own actions, folks!

Hmmmm. This ridiculous rationale sounds pretty stupid when we're not talking about tobacco. I wonder why that is?

[0007]

17. Read post #16

[PROGRESSIVE1]

9. .

[VegasWolf]

10. Can't let saftey stand in the waqy of corporate profits!

[Zorra]

11. Republicans consciencely kill and injure others for money. That is why

we need to begin boycotting all of their businesses.

They deliberately hurt people.

Campaign To Starve The Beast:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[President Jesus]

13. there's hella more money in 'treating' than curing.

or I think the new word they use is 'managing'

[daleo]

14. If you don't look for a problem, you won't find one

That seems to be the operating priciple here. That extra few years meant many more billions in profit.

[0007]

15. Merck is no better than Enron in fact they may be worse cuz

they're murderers.

[gulfcoastliberal]

18. My elderly father tried Vioxx for his severe osteoarthritis a few years

ago - fortunately he is a physician himself, so he knew what the drug was doing to his heart when his ankles started to swell up after taking it. I wonder how many people didn't recognize symptoms like that and just up and died because of Vioxx? Fuck Merck and fuck the FDA.

[Dem2theMax]

22. My aunt died in August. She had been on this drug.

Died of stroke. Now we are wondering if the med caused her death.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

19. the shit killed my mother-in-law 2 years ago! we areso fucking MAD!!!!

FUCK BUSH AND ALL HIS MINNIONS!

[ElsewheresDaughter]

20. bush*s SS plan = death of senoirs by VIOXX

[President Jesus]

21. '60 Minutes' ripping this shit wide open now

[madmax]

23. I have been taking Vioxx for 5 YEARS!!

Damn I must have a strong heart, thank Goddess. However, over the last few months my b.p. started to rise which alarmed me and the dr. so he took me off the Vioxx about 2 weeks before they pulled it. Now I take Mobic instead of Vioxx and have to take Benicar for ^b.p. Hope I don't have to stay on this shit forever.