Merck Caught Misrepresenting Vioxx Risks Again

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By Evelyn Pringle (about the author) Page 8 of 9 page(s)

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A few of the firm's clients listed in the article, include Merck, Altria Group Inc, formerly Philip Morris Companies, and the industry's trade group, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.

According to the Post, "Crawford is barred from lobbying former colleagues at the FDA for a year, but he can give clients strategic advice about food and drug issues and can lobby members of Congress."

Less than a month later, on March 3, 2006, the Houston Chronicle reported that before he abruptly resigned, Crawford sold more than $50,000 in shares of Teleflex Inc, "a company that makes medical devices, according to financial disclosure forms" obtained by The Associated Press.

"As head of the FDA," the Chronicle noted, "Crawford oversaw the regulation of medical devices."

And on April 29, 2006, the Washington Post reported that the "former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration is under federal investigation amid accusations of financial improprieties and making false statements to Congress."

The criminal investigation was disclosed at a hearing in a civil suit filed against the FDA over its handling of the emergency contraceptive Plan B, according to the Wall Street Journal on May 1, 2006. It seems Crawford was scheduled to be questioned under oath in the trial, but his attorney Barbara Van Gelder asked for a delay, saying she would instruct Crawford to invoke his Fifth Amendment rights.

Van Gelder said that Crawford is under criminal investigation and that the issue of his financial disclosures "is within the grand jury."

As for how things are going these days for Dr Graham, in April 2006, he was interviewed by Life Extension Magazine and described his life as surreal since the Vioxx scandal broke and discussed what its like to face the same people every day who tried to destroy him for simply telling the truth.

It's very difficult, he said. I periodically have to sit down with supervisors who I knew in November were lying to Congress about me, lying to The Lancet about me, and who tried to prevent my getting protection as a government whistleblower."

"They were doing hateful things," he explained, "and now they pretend nothing happened.

Dr Graham did say that the mistreatment comes only from senior management. At the staff level," he said, "I'm very respected and supported.

If anything, esteem for me has increased because they realize I told the truth," he told Life Extension. "They know the reality of what we're dealing with.

In April 2006, in what has to be one of Merck's worst nightmares, a federal judge ordered Dr Graham to testify at a deposition in the Vioxx multidistrict litigation. The MDL was created to consolidate pretrial proceedings for the thousands of lawsuits filed by users of Vioxx.

The FDA attempted to block Dr Graham's testimony by filing a motion to quash the Plaintiff's subpoena on grounds that his deposition would divert the agency's time and resources, and cripple its ability to fulfill its statutory mandate, and said there was no need to depose Dr Graham, given his public statements already made.

However, Judge Eldon Fallon denied the motion and said: "This court does not see how the deposition of one employee during nonworking hours would cripple the FDA's ability to function."

He also noted that none of the documents in the public record could "express Dr. Graham's opinion with the clarity and tone as he personally can in his deposition."

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Evelyn Pringle is a columnist for OpEd News and investigative journalist focused on exposing corruption in government and corporate America.

The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author
and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.

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