Biblioteca Universidad de Washington
A Vioxx thriller
"One can read Snigdha Prakash’s disturbing book on two levels: either as in–depth reporting of a major corporate scandal, or as a legal thriller, the denouement of which is left hanging until the final pages. On any score, she offers a first–rate read, rich both with personality sketches and comprehensible explanations of complex medical issues."
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"Her subject is the meteoric rise and free fall of Vioxx, among the hottest of the “miracle drugs” of the early 21st century. Merck & Co., Inc., the makers of Vioxx, promised relief to millions of people who suffered from arthritic pains and other aches, but the drug soon came under legal attack for allegedly causing heart attacks and was withdrawn from the market."
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"Each blip on the verdict scoreboard was closely watched by Wall Street analysts. At one time, they estimated that a class action settlement would cost Merck $30 billion to $50 billion. When Merck prevailed on a number of cases, the predicted price came down to “a single–digit sum in the billions,” Prakash writes. Eventually Merck settled the class action for $4.85 billion, an amount that Prakash computed “would take Merck less than a year to earn back.”
Review by Joseph C. Goulden
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