Society, Issues, Business, Allegedly Unethical Firms, Merck
- Drugmaker recorded $14B in revenue since '99 that it never actually collected.
- Michael Belkin alleges scientific fraud of recommending administration of vaccines that have not been tested properly for safety.
- Activists claim that the study was done in Brazil for the relative ease in finding HIV-infected volunteers who were "treatment virgins."
- Merck, through its acquisitions of pharmaceutical benefits managers, could have potential antitrust violations.
- The companies fixed prices in the European market through a cartel that had a "formal structure and hierarchy," including a regular exchange of sales figures and pricing data.
- Campaigners say that the companies are picking a fight with local legislation to intimidate developing countries into buying medicines at prices set by them.
- The plaintiff suffered "dangerous, severe and life threatening" side effects that she attributed to taking Merck's arthritis painkiller, Vioxx. [Forbes.com]
- Allegations include participation in conspiracy to suppress and eliminate competition by fixing the price and allocating the volume of vitamin C manufactured and sold.
- As investors fret over company accounts, a unit of the US drug giant says it booked $12.4bn in revenue that was never collected. [BBC News]
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