2011). In 1978‚ Merck‚ while testing invermectin (a parasite killing drug for animals)‚ found that invermectin killed a parasite similar to the one that caused river blindness. The problem for Merck was that river blindness generally only affects people in very poor areas and there was very little chance to recoup their financial investment by selling the drug. The ethical dilemma represented by this situation is focused on what course of action Merck should take. Does Merck invest precious resources
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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 forget that medicine is for
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MERCK: OPEN FOR INNOVATION? Founded in 1891 as an American subsidiary of his German namesake‚ Merck was once considered the “undisputed king of the pharmaceutical industry with ground‐ breaking drugs”(The Chief Executive 2003). But for the last decade‚ Merck has gone through a period of stagnation; it began to lose exclusivity patents on blockbuster drugs and has witnessed Pfizer’s rise to top place in the industry. It seemed now that internal R&D that was once the company’s main asset would
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Statement of the Problem Merck & Co.‚ Inc.‚ a leading pharmaceutical company‚ faces the threat of the patents of its most popular drugs expiring in 2002. The only way to counter the loss of sales from these drugs going off patent is to develop new drugs in order to refresh the company’s portfolio. LAB Pharmaceuticals‚ a small pharmaceutical company who specializes in the treatment of neurological disorders‚ has approached Merck with the opportunity to license Davanrik‚ a new
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Merck‚ the FDA‚ and the VIOXX Recall MBA 520-D4C2 Ethics & Leadership in a Global Environment April 22‚ 2012 Merck and Vioxx Recall Did Merck act in social and ethical manner? In 2005‚ Merck was ranked fourth in sales among pharmaceutical companies. Merck had released the drug Vioxx‚ for treating Osteoarthritis in late 1990. Merck as a company has a reputation of being one of the most ethical and
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In the year 2000‚ Merck produced a controversial product called Vioxx. Four years later it gained worldwide attention because of the drug’s potential cardiovascular risks. This was detrimental to the company’s reputation because it was alleged Merck knowingly distributed Vioxx despite its risk. Both Barbara Martinez and Anne W. Mathews of the Wall Street Journal wrote articles into the investigation of Vioxx. Their article suggests Merck knew the dangers of Vioxx at an early stage of its clinical
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positively affect the company’s image with the public. However‚ if they did not decide to develop the drug‚ it could negatively affect their image especially if the media would be aware of it. Think about the decision in terms of the CSR pyramid. Did Merck have an ethical obligation to proceed with development of the drug? Would it matter if the drug had only a small chance to cure river blindness? Does it depend on how close the company was to achieving a cure‚ or how sure they were that they could
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Introduction and Situational Analysis Merck and River Blindness ethical dilemma is whether to pursue research that may or may affect the profits‚ or to choose a safer choice and go for profit rather than researching the drug. The outcome from researching the drug could possibly lead to healing the deadly and dangerous disease known as River Blindness. This drug is known to kill the parasite that has caused the disease. The problem with this situation was that the consumers of the drug could not pay
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Merck & Co.‚ Inc.‚ which is a global health care company that delivers innovative health solutions through its prescription medicines‚ vaccines‚ biologic therapies‚ animal health‚ and consumer care products‚ has a long and rich history of working. There are some main stages of the whole history and background information. In 1851‚ Dr. Emst Christian Friedrich Schering begins developing and selling pharmaceutical products in Berlin. Three years later‚ the company opened its first production facility
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Merck is a global research-driven pharmaceutical company dedicated to putting patients first. Merck’s highest priority areas are Alzheimer’s disease‚ atherosclerosis‚ cardiovascular disease‚ diabetes‚ novel vaccines‚ obesity‚ oncology‚ pain and sleep disorders. In addition‚ and importantly for licensing‚ the following other areas remain of high interest for focused investment in new compounds and mechanisms: antibiotics‚ antifungals‚ antivirals (HCV and HIV)‚ asthma‚ COPD‚ neurodegeneration‚ ophthalmology
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