Over time, one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies has been in the bad light. Merck receives complaints from consumers of its medications with regard to their side effects and they mounting in number. Nonetheless, there is also good news for Merck, the last of which being its victory on fifth Fosamax osteonecrosis of the jaw trial.
In the late 19th century, Merck & Co. was recognized as the subsidiary of the German corporate group presently known as Merck KGaA in the United States. Just like most German institutions, it was sequestered in 1917 during the first World War and reopened as an independent company.
In 2009, a partnership has been made between Merck and Schering-Plough to form a new company. Both companies already have a long and deep-rooted history of providing health care to improve people’s lives. The newly-formed corporation is currently the world’s second largest health care company.
Merck is the company behind widely-prescribed drugs such as Gardasil, Singulair, Proscar, Zocor, Isentress and Fosamax. The company also publishes books which include the world’s best-selling medical textbook, the Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy. Last year, the company realized a full net income of $861 million.
However, things do not always go so well with Merck. Upon the approval of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the market release of Vioxx, the drug quickly became one of the most widely used drug in history due to its higher efficacy in treating arthritis than other drugs while causing less severe stomach upset than most anti-inflammatory drugs like naproxen. However, repercussion struck when studies beyond question claimed that „the unacceptable cardiovascular risks of Vioxx (rofecoxib) were evident as early as 2000…“ consequently ensuing the withdrawal of the drug from the market on September 30, 2004.
Today, another Merck blockbuster is deemed to share similar fate with Vioxx. Fosamax is the most popular drug for treating diseases like osteoporosis and Paget’s disease. Yet, it’s success is currently tarnished by the rising reports linking the drug to serious conditions such osteonecrosis of the jaw and low-impact femur fractures.
While FDA conducts further investigation about the case of Fosamax, hundreds of spectators patiently wait for the results to appear. Anyhow, a significant number of people have filed a class action Fosamax lawsuit against the maker of the drug for the injuries they incurred which were purportedly the result of long-term Fosamax use. Only time can tell how this altercation is resolved.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merck_%26_Co.#Vioxx
http://www.merck.com/about/our-history/home.html
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