Blockbuster Recall: A Case Study
Vioxx, a Blockbuster Recall
MBA 520- Ethics & Leadership in a Global Environment
Professor Joe Limas
Benedictine University
10/12/2014
AbstractVioxx became Merck’s most profitable drug in the early 2000’s. The drug was a blockbuster in terms of sales, profit and prescriptions issued. Vioxx also was recalled by Merck and taken off the market in 2004 due to adverse cardiac events CITATION Law14 \l 1033 (Lawerence & Weber, 2014). The drug recall has been studied and discussed as controversial due to the clinical data Merck had in its studies, the FDA quick approval, lobbyist efforts in Washington, and the enormous marketing effort by Merck. The system in place allowed thousands of individuals that where prescribed Vioxx to have …show more content…
The drug was a maintenance medication for painful conditions such as arthritis. Maintenance drugs became highly desired by pharmaceutical companies due too long term profitability resulting from no cure CITATION Law14 \l 1033 (Lawerence & Weber, 2014). Vioxx was prescribed to over twenty million people in the United States. Merck posted a seven billion dollar profit in a single year from Vioxx CITATION Law14 \l 1033 (Lawerence & Weber, 2014). Within six years from its release, Vioxx was recalled from the market due to adverse health defects. Merck voluntarily recalled the product resulting from post marketing safety …show more content…
Although Merck did voluntarily recall Vioxx after post marketing studies, Merck should have done so earlier in the process with the clinical data Merck obtained in its own studies. Initial questions over adverse cardiac events were report in early clinical trials in 1997 CITATION Law14 \l 1033 (Lawerence & Weber, 2014). The company was responsible for not investigating some unknown reasons of adverse cardiac problems. Instead, the company lobbied the government with lots of money for faster drug approvals and better drug coverage for Medicare recipients. The company spent over five hundred million dollars in promoting sales of the drug Vioxx with marketing representatives and television advertising staring Olympic figure staking medalist Dorothy Hamill CITATION Law14 \l 1033 (Lawerence & Weber, 2014). The success of the marketing efforts were record breaking
MBA 520- Ethics & Leadership in a Global Environment
Professor Joe Limas
Benedictine University
10/12/2014
AbstractVioxx became Merck’s most profitable drug in the early 2000’s. The drug was a blockbuster in terms of sales, profit and prescriptions issued. Vioxx also was recalled by Merck and taken off the market in 2004 due to adverse cardiac events CITATION Law14 \l 1033 (Lawerence & Weber, 2014). The drug recall has been studied and discussed as controversial due to the clinical data Merck had in its studies, the FDA quick approval, lobbyist efforts in Washington, and the enormous marketing effort by Merck. The system in place allowed thousands of individuals that where prescribed Vioxx to have …show more content…
The drug was a maintenance medication for painful conditions such as arthritis. Maintenance drugs became highly desired by pharmaceutical companies due too long term profitability resulting from no cure CITATION Law14 \l 1033 (Lawerence & Weber, 2014). Vioxx was prescribed to over twenty million people in the United States. Merck posted a seven billion dollar profit in a single year from Vioxx CITATION Law14 \l 1033 (Lawerence & Weber, 2014). Within six years from its release, Vioxx was recalled from the market due to adverse health defects. Merck voluntarily recalled the product resulting from post marketing safety …show more content…
Although Merck did voluntarily recall Vioxx after post marketing studies, Merck should have done so earlier in the process with the clinical data Merck obtained in its own studies. Initial questions over adverse cardiac events were report in early clinical trials in 1997 CITATION Law14 \l 1033 (Lawerence & Weber, 2014). The company was responsible for not investigating some unknown reasons of adverse cardiac problems. Instead, the company lobbied the government with lots of money for faster drug approvals and better drug coverage for Medicare recipients. The company spent over five hundred million dollars in promoting sales of the drug Vioxx with marketing representatives and television advertising staring Olympic figure staking medalist Dorothy Hamill CITATION Law14 \l 1033 (Lawerence & Weber, 2014). The success of the marketing efforts were record breaking