1/4 Billion Dollars.

[Android]

Well, Merck just got suckered by another spineless jury or judge for a quarter billion dollar lawsuit. I guess warning lables are not good enough even if you are a doctor. Whos going to make us drugs if we sue all the manufacturers into submission? Oh, I see, they deserve it. They will keep making us drugs and flu shots and other goodies because they like too. hmmm,Whatever. And we want free health care, HA!

[Argonath]

well, not free health care, but there should be something like bonds or something that doctors issue for buying pills for a smaller price. like for prescription drugs. my Aderall alone costs 80 bucks a bottle, and I take zoloft too. if you're wondering why, it's for anxioty. Stupid Tom Cruise. I'll start a post just to piss that guy off. then mabye I ca . . . *trailes off*.

[FKLBRLS]

Well it serves those evil drug companies right for spewing out their poison. (sarcasm) And they wonder why prescription drug prices have gone up, well duh every time a drug so much as causes someone to have diahhrea the person sues and wins.

[Mr. Glass]

It's not because they made a dangerous drug and warned people... it's because they violated FDA regulations, lied about thw safety of a product, and falsified documents to get it to market that they're being punished.

Fair, legal, responsible businesses have nothing to fear, but these guys broke the law, lied about it, and got caught.... and you feel sorry for them?

250,000,000 is nothing for them, they'll just write it off as a cost of doing business in the US while we all are decieved.

Sometimes these big lawsuits aren't frivilous.

-Doug

[FKLBRLS]

It's not because they made a dangerous drug and warned people... it's because they violated FDA regulations, lied about thw safety of a product, and falsified documents to get it to market that they're being punished.
Good point. Although I do respect them for pulling Vioxx off the market almost immediately after it was proved that it was harmful.

[Mr. Glass]

They were forced to tho... otherwise they wouldnt have.

I dont think an individual should have been able to file this suit for their own finacial gain.... but punish those who break laws, YES

I support the Caveat Emptor philosophy, but when it comes to pharmicuticals, we're not all doctors, and so a certain level of safeguards are needed to protect the public from corporate malfeasence.

I really have mixed feelings about this one....

-Doug

[FKLBRLS]

I really have mixed feelings about this one....
As do I.

To get one thing straight here, Merck did not INTEND to sell a dangerous product, although they did intend to sell whatever kind of product Vioxx was, be it good or bad.

[Mr. Glass]

See, the thing is, "MERCK" is not an individual, so that complicates things. Merck is a huge, multinational pharmicutical giant.....

I think the whole point of this trial was that a few individuals within the scope of Mercks oversight conspired to sell what they knew, or at least suspected, was a dangerous product.

The question then becomes... do we hold those individuals accountable, or do we hold their corporate sphere accountable?

That's where my mixed feelings come in. I think we should hold the individuals accountable for what they did individually, butthat doesn't mean we should let the overseeing coporate entity off the hook for the actions of people in it's employ.

I'm sure all of that was taken into account during the trial, I didn't follow it, but I'm really speaking in general terms anyways...

The key questions to me would be:

-Who was directly responsible?
--How did this happen?
-Who was responsible for that person?
--What was known?
--What actions were taken on given knowledge?
--Was there any lack of oversight?
-Who is at the very top of the chain?
--Who benefits?
-Who is injured?

It only takes 2 people to form a conspiracy to do harm, and the less people you have the more likely you are to succeed undetected.

Also, was there intent or not? and to what degree do you define "intent"... finacial gain? negligence? known risk?

heh... laws, taxes, politics, wars, religion....

wow...... I need a break

-Doug

[Android]

It's not because they made a dangerous drug and warned people... it's because they violated FDA regulations, lied about thw safety of a product, and falsified documents to get it to market that they're being punished.

Fair, legal, responsible businesses have nothing to fear, but these guys broke the law, lied about it, and got caught.... and you feel sorry for them?

250,000,000 is nothing for them, they'll just write it off as a cost of doing business in the US while we all are decieved.

Sometimes these big lawsuits aren't frivilous.

-Doug

Sorry man but I'm calling you on this one. I agree there is a responsibility to the ones selling their products, don't get me wrong. But the doctor himself new the condition of his patient, the warning label was there and the doctor and his patient ignored or did not read it. Plain and simple. It goes back to whoever wrote the story about sticking a screw driver in your eye. Its not Snap-ons fault, its your fault for ignoring the dangers or just being too stupid to use the screw driver in the first place.
Yes, yes it is frivolous. Another case. Wyeth catches crap for not producing enough flu vaccinations last year. Well, the year before they had their asses sued off because their crystal ball told them the wrong formula for that next seasons flu strain. Sorry, its not magic, besides the fact they lost MILLIONS and millions of dollars producing what the government told them to produce and in the quantity they told them to produce it in. Thanks for the back up white house. Again, broken record : spineless judges.
250 million is nothing? thats the problem, people think they have endless resorces. NOT. Its you and I who pick up the difference, dont fool yourself. The reason they yanked the product is simple, once their check book was pryed open everyone else will be standing in line with their hand out.
Im sure you know this, remember, not a single drug is produced with out a side affect. Unless of coarse its a starch or sugar pill.

[U.F.B.]

Hey 'Droid, as far as I can tell there is no such thing as taking responsiblilty for your actions anymore. The coffee is to hot, and the cigarettes are too smokey. I even heard a radio commercial theother day where lawyers were offering to sue your investment company if you've lost money in the market. U.F.B.