The eDrugSearch Blog » Vioxx

The misadventures of Matthew Sherman, prescription drug namer

Cary Byrd — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 00:56:52 +0000

I must be the only one on YouTube who’s fascinated by the videos of Matthew Sherman – since by the view count, nobody else appears to be watching them. And I know it’s just another LonelyGirl15 stunt — but it’s interesting to me, just the same.

The gist of it is this: Matthew says he’s an “independent prescription-drug namer” who is responsible for naming drugs like Vioxx, Wellbutrin, Paxil and Advil. He says he’s doing a 12-part YouTube series on “How to Be Creative,” in which he discusses his techniques for naming top-selling medications.

By episode five, Matthew has been fired by his top clients for getting drunk and talking smack in episode four, which you can view below.

Watch the whole series here.

Murkier and murkier for Merck

Cary Byrd — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 12:05:34 +0000

From the Daily Dog:

The state and city of New York filed suit this week against Merck, claiming the drugmaker concealed the risks of the withdrawn arthritis treatment Vioxx. The lawsuit seeks damages, penalties and restitution for “tens of millions of taxpayer dollars wrongfully spent on Vioxx prescriptions,” the office of New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said in a statement… “Merck’s irresponsible and duplicitous conduct endangered the health of New Yorkers and wasted our tax dollars,” Cuomo said…

The Attorney General’s office said this is the first case to be brought under New York’s recently-enacted False Claims Act, which allows the state to seek damages for the amount spent in Medicaid and EPIC healthcare programs to pay for drugs prescribed under false pretenses … Between 1999 and 2004 Medicaid and EPIC spent over $100 million on Vioxx prescriptions in New York State, the Attorney General’s office said, referring to the New York State Medical Assistance Program and the Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage plan.

Vioxx lesson: When you’re bad, be VERY bad

Cary Byrd — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 17:17:57 +0000

Remember the little problem with Vioxx? As a result, Vioxx still has more than 13,800 lawsuits on the docket. Over the last two years, only four trials have been held, but Judge Carol Higbee is looking to pick up the pace — from glacier slow to snail-in-winter slow. Higbee’s goal, according to Pharmalot, is to “ease the logjam”. But Pharmalot points out:

With so many lawsuits, it’s entirely possible that many of the Vioxx plaintiffs will never see their day in court, or collect if they do win, because Merck is appealing every outcome that doesn’t go its way. For this reason, Wall Street believes Merck’s Vioxx liability is $5 billion, not the $25 billion or more that many once estimated.

Lesson for Big Pharma: Sometimes it’s better for your product to suck a lot, rather than just a little. (Especially for your lawyers.)