The case of Blindness of Merck is one of the good examples‚ which can be used to analyse the four theories of ethic such as Utilitarianism‚ Kantianism‚ Rights and Justice as well as CRS. This essay will be focus on Utilitarianism theory. River blindness is a disease that afflicts around 18 million peoples in Africa and Asia. It is the result of black fly’s bite. Merck is a pharmaceutical company located in New Jersey which is known for productivity of research and development effort. In the
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Merck Ethics Study In developing a drug to combat river blindness‚ pharmaceutical company Merck discovered an opportunity to treat millions of affected peoples around the world that probably would never see commercial use. The drug in development‚ ivermectin‚ was unaffordable to the primary victims of river blindness‚ Third World peoples. Thus‚ Dr. Vagelos‚ the head of research at the time‚ treaded upon a ethical quagmire; he could either choose to scrap the drug and its further research or
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Introduction to the Case First established in 1668 in Darmstadt‚ Germany‚ Merck is currently (in 1978) one of the largest prescription drug producers in the world. After coming off a 10 year drug drought in the late 1970s‚ Merck put a large amount of money into research to continue its dominance in the prescription drug industry. The research-first approach worked and since then Merck has increased sales significantly. Merck’s mission was well stated by founder George W. Merck. “We try never to
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the organizations actions or performance. Who are the stakeholders in this situation? How many can you list? On what basis would you rank them in importance? The stakeholders in the Merk case is the people infected with river blindness‚ the community affected by river blindness‚ the employees of Merk‚ the company itself‚ and the Stockholders. In order of importance: 1. The infected people 2. The company 3. Stockholders 4. The employees 5. Community affected by river blindness What are the potential
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Stake for Vagelos as CEO and for Merck as a company in deciding whether to invest in Dr. Campbell’s idea Although Dr. Campbell’s idea of a drug (Ivermectin) that could cure River blindness was a path-breaking opportunity for Merck‚ the company was faced with a number of ethical‚ financial and moral issues that forced its CEO to undergo deep thought and contemplation before investing in this idea. * Feasibility: There were concerns about the use of this drug on humans and the potential adverse
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The actions Merck undertook when marketing Vioxx and emphasizing its safety even after finding out the product’s side effects endangered all its key stakeholders and showed the real face of the company that accented its highly ethical maxims. Cardiovascular side effects of the Vioxx increased the risk of complications that could have caused patient’s death‚ therefore Merck violated the basic right to life of all the Vioxx consumers. It was already mentioned that Vioxx caused 3468 deaths by heart
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Merck was at the top of the pharmaceutical market for many years. The company made substantial profits almost every year. Not only were they a company that made money but they also made their financial gains in an ethical manor. Fourton magazine even named them the “most admired” company. But in 2004‚ the company would be faced with major challenges that would threaten to end the company’s existence. Their once best selling painkiller Viol had been recalled by the federal government because the drug
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Merck & Co. Executive Summary Case Study Goal The goal of this case study is to examine the current operations of Merck & Co. Inc. and determine areas of potential concern‚ evaluate the effectiveness of the current business model‚ and propose a plan of action to grow Merck & Co. Inc. to be the largest pharmaceutical company in the world. Methods of Analysis This case study will strive to identify areas of concern and opportunity‚ offer solutions‚ and make projections based upon historic data
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RUNNING HEAD: Johnson and Johnson Case Study Action Plan Johnson and Johnson Case Study Action Plan PHL/323 Abstract This paper briefly summarizes the action plan case study of Johnson and Johnson. Seven people had died after ingesting Tylenol‚ a painkiller that was produce by McNeil Laboratories‚ a Johnson & Johnson division. The Tylenol was mix with cyanide poisoning. Johnson and Johnson realized that the tragic event was not the company’s fault but an external sabotage. In addition‚ Learning
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| Merck & Company Inc. | Case 1 | | | Introduction of the Company Merck was established in 1891 to improve human and animal health through the development of innovative products. Merck currently has two reportable segments‚ the Pharmaceutical Segment and the Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Segment. Merck sells products through several channels including wholesalers‚ retailers‚ hospitals‚ clinics‚ government and managed health services providers. In the 1980’s the Merck was very
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