"Vioxx Maker... Drew Up Dr. Hit List" | Arthritis Information

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http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25272600-2702,00.html

From the article:
"

AN international drug company made a hit list of doctors who had to be "neutralised" or discredited because they criticised the anti-arthritis drug the pharmaceutical giant produced.

Staff at US company Merck &Co emailed each other about the list of doctors - mainly researchers and academics - who had been negative about the drug Vioxx or Merck and a recommended course of action.

The email, which came out in the Federal Court in Melbourne yesterday as part of a class action against the drug company, included the words "neutralise", "neutralised" or "discredit" against some of the doctors' names.

It is also alleged the company used intimidation tactics against critical researchers, including dropping hints it would stop funding to institutions and claims it interfered with academic appointments.

"We may need to seek them out and destroy them where they live," a Merck employee wrote, according to an email excerpt read to the court by Julian Burnside QC, acting for the plaintiff."




"We may need to seek them out and destroy them where they live," - doesn't that sound like noir or at least some bad sci-fi?  I know, it's like the Borg - we can't assimilate you so we'll 'discredit' you.
 
Thank God this kind of stuff doesn't go on in the USA.  Oh, wait, because of pre-emption, we're never going to know if thats going on here.
 
Pip
 
Edited 'if' for 'it'.
Pip!2009-03-31 09:01:54
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