Merck Seeks Sanctions Against Doctor for Talking to Media

General Discussion Media & Awareness
#1

Merck Seeks Sanctions Against Expert Witness for Talking to a Journalist

"A federal judge may sanction a physician who served as an expert witness in the ongoing litigation over the Vioxx painkiller for describing confidential documents to The Wall Street Journal.

Earlier this month, U.S. District Court Judge Eldon Fallon issued a restraining order saying David Egilman, who is a Brown University clinical professor of family medicine, “may have acted in derogation of his responsibilities.” Egilman was an expert witness with access to documents in litigation over the Merck pill that took place in various courts around the country. Vioxx was withdrawn a decade ago over links to heart attacks and strokes…"

The full Wall Street Journal story here:

blogs.wsj.com/pharmalot/2014/06/ … ournalist/

#2

I like the comment one reader left on the story (below). Feel free to weigh in as well.

11:15 am June 16, 2014
Philip Jennings wrote:

Dr. Egilman has not only the right to disclose the Vioxx documents to the media/public, but a moral obligation. And doesn’t Merck see the irony here: Just as they have (allegedly) played fast and loose with clinical data on a number of their own products — from Vioxx to NuvaRing to Propecia to Fosamax — then simply washed their hands of the problem by paying a fine, Dr. Eligman did the same thing: He paid his fine in the Lilly case, but was still able to get the word out about the dangers of Zyprexa.

#3

Please to see more insightful comments posted since yesterday:

blogs.wsj.com/pharmalot/2014/06/ … ournalist/

Please comment yourself if you have not already done so.