Vioxx death toll higher than Iraq War and 911

Many experts are getting increasingly concerned that the close ties of Merck with the current administration may make it difficult for Americans to get full justice in the Vioxx case. While over 25,000 deaths are being tied to Vioxx, the administration has barely talked about it. Chat rooms and bulletin boards are already buzzing with angry Americans who are comparing the death toll to that in Iraq war (~1000) and 9/11 (~3000).

It is no surprise since drug manufacturers increased their contributions to Republicans nearly 600% from 1992 to 2002. It has also spent hundreds of millions more on an army of more than 600 lobbyists to work its will on Capitol Hill. According to NJCA Program Director Staci Berger, Merck aired misleading ads about its pharmaceuticals at the same time that it made significant contributions to national campaigns. Merck CEO Raymond Gilmartin is very active in Republican circles and has been a serious contributor as shown in the chart below:




Dr. Bryan A. Liang, professor and executive director of California Western School of Law’s Institute of Health Law Studies, sums up the attitude that the administration has taken so far and argues that there are"two results" that can come from this experience. "The FDA, Congress and the President can investigate and understand the limits of the FDA drug safety system," he says. "They can then act to correct the system by allocating adequate resources so that it is resilient enough to avoid similar experiences in the future." The second result: "The FDA can stonewall, Congress can attempt to vilify individuals, and the President can staunchly defend FDA leadership actions or perhaps sacrifice a goat and call the problem solved." Only the first result will be an investment in creating a continuously improving system that is consistent with safeguarding the public health," Liang says.

Recommended link: Complete news coverage of Vioxx