Vioxx Trial Media Advisory

Analyst Available To Comment On The Recent Verdict In The

Vioxx Trial

Huge Victory for Merck, But Overall Implications of the Vioxx Trials Do Not

Bode Well for Pharmaceutical Companies

Daphne Monie, Ph.D., analyst at Decision Resources, is available to discuss the impact of the verdict in the recent Vioxx trial.

  Merck Trial Decisions   * Summary: The verdict in the 2nd case is obviously a huge victory for     Merck, but overall the implications of the Vioxx trials do not bode     well for pharmaceutical companies.   * 2nd Trial: Merck was found to not have been fraudulent in marketing of     Vioxx to physicians and patients, and to have fairly represented     Vioxx's risks.   * 1st Trial: However, Merck was found to be liable for the adverse events     of Vioxx, despite clearly representing the risks to doctors and     patients and fairly representing the drug's risks to the FDA and the     drug having received FDA approval.   * Conclusions: Drug companies can be held liable for the adverse events of     their drugs, even though the drug has been evaluated and approved by     the FDA.    Implications for the Pharmaceutical Industry   * All drugs have adverse events, and approval and use is based on whether    the potential benefits outweigh the potential risks.  Should drug    companies be held liable for clearly stated risks, or should the public    be held responsible for accepting those risks in choosing to take the    medication?   * Where will the liability end?  If pharmaceutical companies can be held    liable for a drug's adverse events, is the FDA liable for approving them    and physicians liable for prescribing them?     -- Could make drug companies more cautious in developing drugs with        potentially serious side effects, even if those drugs are very        effective in treating life-threatening diseases.     -- Could make the FDA more cautious in approving drugs, which could slow        approval times or prevent effective drugs from reaching the market.     -- Could make physicians more cautious in prescribing drugs with        potentially serious side effects despite potential benefit in the        patient.  

Dr. Monie is an analyst at Decision Resources in the Immune and Inflammatory Disorders group. She recently wrote a Spectrum article on the Vioxx withdrawal entitled "The Vioxx Withdrawal: Changes and Opportunities for the Industry" (June 2005). The article is available for free to the media.

To receive the article or talk with Dr. Monie regarding the verdict, please contact Liz Marshall at 781-296-2563 or emarshall@dresources.com.

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SOURCE: Decision Resources