Merck & Co’s management was largely absolved of wrongdoing in relation to the withdrawn painkiller Vioxx, in an investigation dismissed by the attorney for Vioxx patients who are suing Merck as a whitewashing exercise.
Christopher Seegar said that the investigation, which had been commissioned by the board of the US company, read as “a legal brief on behalf of the company”.
The report found that the management of Merck did not mislead the public, and “acted with integrity” in developing and selling Vioxx.
However, the 20-month investigation also questioned Merck’s position that the heart risks from Vioxx, the reason for the drug’s withdrawal, occurred only after 18 months of use.
Additionally, the investigation raised questions about Merck’s communications with the public, its aggressive marketing techniques, and errors in data analysis.
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Merck faces more than 14,200 lawsuits alleging that Vioxx caused heart attacks and strokes. So far, the company has won four cases that have gone to trial and lost four.