Iron Man, not so much

This kind of thing should happen more often.  Last story I read of companies trying to push their drugs for unapproved uses was for schizophrenic medication.  I can't remember what company it was but they were telling doctors to prescribe their drugs for all sorts of unrelated ailments, like Alzheimer's and arthritis.  Fuck that!  If you're smart enough to develop a drug that helps schizophrenics you should be smart enough to realize that (much like my blog) you're audience is very limited and therefore you're only going to make so much money.  Of course drug companies invest untold amounts of capital into r&d for plenty of products that never make it to market.  They have to make up the difference somewhere, and of course greed (which we're all prone to) rears it's ugly, wart riddled, pussy blister ridden head too...  So they push their drugs on people that don't need them and push doctors into prescribing them for unapproved uses.  That is fucking despicable.  You're screwing with life and well being here, not hiding your younger brother's favorite Lego spaceship, though you'd probably do that too if it made you money. 

Aaaaannnnnyyyyway, below is the most recent incarnation if this story except this time Merck is shelling out almost A BILLION DOLLARS! in a settlement with the federal government.  Good.  Suck it Merck!  Now if we can figure out how to bring down Monsanto we'd be in business.  They'll probably send a hit man to my house for writing this so if I don't post anything the next few days call the authorities.  Rabble-B

Merck to pay nearly $1 billion to settle US Vioxx charges

Civil charges said drug giant promoted the painkiller for unapproved use

msnbc.com news services

2011-11-22T20:57:52

Merck & Co will pay roughly $950 million to settle criminal and civil charges that it promoted the painkiller drug Vioxx for an unapproved use, the U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday.

The fine will conclude a long-running investigation into Merck's promotion of the drug, which was withdrawn from the market in September 2004. The Justice Department had alleged that Merck promoted the drug for treating rheumatoid arthritis before it had been approved for that condition by the Food and Drug Administration.

Merck had previously disclosed to investors the anticipated $950 million charge ahead of the government announcement.

Merck said the settlement does not constitute an admission of any liability or wrongdoing.
The FDA approved Vioxx in 1999, but the government did not initially approve the drug for use in rheumatoid arthritis. That meant doctors could write prescriptions for Vioxx for rheumatoid arthritis patients, but Merck could not promote the drug for that use. The Justice Department said Merck promoted Vioxx for rheumatoid arthritis for three years and continued to do so after getting an FDA warning letter in 2001. The drug was approved as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis in April 2002.
Merck stopped selling Vioxx in 2004 after evidence showed the drug doubled the risk of heart attack and stroke. In 2007, the company paid $4.85 billion to settle around 50,000 Vioxx-related lawsuits.
The government will get $426.4 million from the new settlement, and $202 million will be distributed to state Medicaid programs for 43 states and the District of Columbia.