Ethics and Merck Case Merck Essay

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The ethical issue is a popular topic around business world. In addition, the ethical issue also has a lot of effect in the modern world. One of the famous examples is the case of drug Vioxx by Merck Cooperation. This paper will evaluate the facts and ethical issues involved in Merck’s decisions concerning the drug Vioxx.

Beginning of Merck Case
Merck Drug is a Germany medical cooperation and it is famous for advanced technology, especially for the drug Vioxx. In addition, the Analgesic Vioxx by Merck Cooperation was introduced in the 1990s and it can avoid the side effects of gastrointestinal bleeding caused by traditional analgesics. As it sold around the world, a later research has been shown that patients who taking Vioxx, the possibility of heart disease, stroke and other serious adverse reactions grow exponentially. Merck Drug under pressure to stop selling Vioxx in September 2004 on a global scale, and then into a series with Vioxx-related legal disputes and litigation. Therefore, a lot of patients appealed the Merck Cooperation to request for compensation.

The Law and Rules
Firstly, as it is a medical accident, a lot of people was questioned that did the Vioxx pass the quality inspection or did the report of this medicine fair- minded. [1] The Merck Cooperation was fraud the report of drug Vioxx and conceals the danger of Vioxx, The Vioxx may increase the chance of death of patients with Alzheimer's disease and so that New York was sued Merck Cooperation deceived customers. As it is an ethical issue, Merck Cooperation did not take response to patients and as a medical cooperation, it did not follow the moral rule. The drug company should Compliance with business ethics, and cannot fool the risk of drugs because the way of medicine is to treat patients not to increasing other disease. As the business law, cooperation should take responsibility to customers and have to make sure the security of every people who purchase their productions.

[1] David Gutierrez, “New York Sues Merck over Vioxx Fraud”, Natural News, 2008
Social Effects
The ethical issue of Merck Cooperation also has a deep influence on society. [2] As it is a large global cooperation, many patients were chosen their drugs so that there are more than hundreds of legal cases in different states. In addition, Merck Cooperation compensated all plaintiffs $4.85 billion totally. However, the Merck Cooperation has been sued several times and has won most of the cases filed against them concerning Vioxx. One of the most significant reasons is that Merck points out that there is no direct evidence to testify the patients’ heart disease, stroke and other serious disease was caused by Vioxx, every people may got these list of serious diseases if they do not have a good quality of life. In addition, it is impossible that if plaintiff want to be burden of proof to refute this point. But there is a successful example from the case of Robert Ernst. [3] Mr. Ernst got an arrhythmia because he took Vioxx for eight months and his wife as a