Mkt_675_Journal_6_2.docx 6-2 Journal: Strategies and International Marketing MKT 675

Mkt_675_Journal_6_2.docx    6-2 Journal: Strategies and International Marketing  MKT 675   Southern New Hampshire University    Company  Merck is the largest pharmaceutical company in the world. In 1891 Merck & Co. is founded by George Merck to distribute fine chemicals throughout New York City and surrounding areas (Merck, n.d.). A look into a dark moment in the company with regards to their drug Vioxx which was approved in 1999 and the ethical practices surrounding it especially after the discovery that patients taking Vioxx had a five times greater risk of heart attack (Cavusgil, 2007).  Ethical and/or legal issue  Internal Merck E-mails suggest that the company was aware of the risks and was trying to downplay the risks, even warning a Stanford University researcher for giving anti-Merck lectures. According to a letter of complaint written to Merck by a Stanford professor. A company training document listed potential tough questions about Vioxx and said in capital letters, "DODGE!" (Matthews and Martinez, 2004). Emails indicated that studies done in the Vigor trial by Merck indicated the inherent risk of heart issues, however, the following month Merck issued a news release stating "Merck confirms favorable cardiovascular safety profile of Vioxx." While acknowledging the Vigor results, it said other trials and data had shown "NO DIFFERENCE in the incidence of cardiovascular events" (Matthews and Martinez, 2004). Marketing training documents titled œDodge Ball Vioxx Contained sixteen pages on how