Merck

Record-Breaking Agreement Requires Company to Submit Ads to FDA Prior to Airing

May 20, 2008 -- Chicago - Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan today announced a landmark financial settlement with Merck and Company, Inc., that also requires the pharmaceutical manufacturer to submit television drug advertisements to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for review before their broadcast.    » read more »

Boise – The State of Idaho will receive more than $1.1 million as a result of a consent judgment with Merck and Company, Inc., Attorney General Lawrence Wasden announced today. Wasden’s office filed a consent judgment resolving a three-year investigation by 30 states concerning the company’s deceptive promotion of the drug Vioxx.

The judgment, filed Tuesday in Fourth District Court in Ada County, will largely restrict Merck’s ability to deceptively promote any Merck product.    » read more »

Company was under investigation for marketing of anti-inflammatory drug

May 20, 2008 -- TALLAHASSEE, FL - Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum today filed a stipulated consent judgment with Merck and Company, Inc. resolving a three-year investigation that targeted the company’s promotion of the prescription drug Vioxx.

Merck Vioxx

The agreement provides $58 million to the 30 participating states, of which Florida’s share will be more than $3.5 million. The judgment, filed today in the Broward County Circuit Court and pending court approval, will largely restrict Merck’s ability to promote any Merck product in a manner that may be deceptive.    » read more »

May 20, 2008 -- SAN DIEGO -- California Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced a “groundbreaking settlement” with Merck & Co. which requires the pharmaceutical manufacturer to obtain Federal Drug Administration approval before running any television drug advertisements for new pain medications.

“Merck’s aggressive television advertising convinced hundreds of thousands of consumers to seek Vioxx prescriptions before the drug’s risk were fully understood,” Attorney General Brown said. “Today’s groundbreaking settlement prevents Merck from releasing new television drug advertisements without obtaining federal approval.”    » read more »

April 2, 2008 -- "The full results of the study released today, showing that Vytorin had no effect on heart disease, put the lie to Merck and Schering-Plough’s $200 million advertising campaign urging Americans to take this drug.

While these corporations profited, Americans were left in the dark. The millions who take this drug, taxpayers who subsidize its use through the Medicaid and Medicare programs, and Merck and Schering-Plough’s investors deserve to know why it took so long for the results to be made public.

This new information underscores our concerns and advances our investigation, which we will pursue aggressively."

Source: New York Attorney General

February 11, 2008 -- Medicaid fraud cases against Merck and Aventis recover money for health care, schools Raleigh: More than $23 million will benefit North Carolina’s Medicaid Program and public schools thanks to settlements with two pharmaceutical companies, North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper announced today.

“Drug makers shouldn’t cut corners with a program the helps the neediest among us,” Cooper said. “Schemes like these hurt taxpayers and drive up health care costs for all of us."    » read more »

February 8, 2008 - Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell announced today that Vermont will receive $3,881,945.00 as part of two separate global settlements totaling $649 million with Merck & Co., Inc. The entire Vermont settlement will be split between Vermont Medicaid and the federal government. The settlements involve 49 states, the District of Columbia and the federal government.    » read more »

February 7, 2008 -- Oregon Attorney General Hardy Myers today announced that the State of Oregon Medicaid Program will receive approximately $1.75 million as part of two national settlements with Merck & Co., Inc. The settlements involve 49 states, the District of Columbia and the federal government. Merck is the manufacturer of the drugs Zocor, Vioxx, and Pepcid.    » read more »

February 08, 2008 -- (ALBUQUERQUE) -- New Mexico Attorney General Gary King today announced thatNew Mexico will receive $716,071 as part of two separate global settlements totaling $649 million with Merck & Co., Inc. The settlements involve 49 states, the District of Columbia and the federal government.    » read more »

February 07, 2008 -- OLYMPIA - Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna in conjunction with 48 other states, the District of Columbia and the federal government, today announced a settlement with Merck & Co., Inc. Merck is the manufacturer of the drugs Zocor, Vioxx, and Pepcid. The announcement resolves allegations that the company failed to pay rebates due state Medicaid Programs under the Federal Medicaid Drug Rebate statute. Washington will receive more than $7.4 million as part of two separate global settlements totaling $649 million.    » read more »

February 7, 2008 -- The manufacturer of Zocor, Vioxx and Pepcid will pay Utah $2,256,337 for failing to give rebates to the state Medicaid program. Merck is paying a total of $649 million as part of two separate global settlements involving 49 states and the federal government.

“Merck is paying a great price for failing to be fair to taxpayers. I hope this will send a loud message to all pharmaceutical companies to play fair and pay up in the first place,” says Attorney General Mark Shurtleff.    » read more »

February 7, 2008 -- HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett today announced that Pennsylvania will receive more than $8.5 million as part of two separate national settlements with Merck & Co., over the pricing of various drugs, including Zocor, Vioxx and Pepcid.

The national settlements with Merck, totaling $649 million, involve 49 states, the District of Columbia and the federal government. The agreements resolve allegations that the company overcharged state Medicaid programs for these drugs.    » read more »

February 7, 2008 -- TRENTON - New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram announced today that New Jersey will receive $7.4 million in restitution in a Medicaid fraud settlement negotiated with pharmaceutical company Merck & Co., Inc.    » read more »

February 7, 2008 -- Carson City, NV— Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto announced today the settlement of State of Nevada ex rel. Steinke v. Merck & Co., Inc., a civil fraud action brought under the Nevada False Claims Act. The lawsuit alleged that Merck overcharged the Medicaid program for prescriptions of Zocor and Vioxx to Nevada Medicaid recipients.    » read more »

February 7, 2008 -- Jefferson City, Mo. — Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon today reached two settlements with pharmaceutical giant Merck that will provide $16 million in reimbursement for the Medicaid program. The settlements resolve allegations that Merck shortchanged rebates paid to the Medicaid program.    » read more »