Merck, the leading drug company has been accused of providing false information on the safety of its popular arthritis drug “Vioxx”. It is also alleged of publishing ghostwritten studies under name of renowned academicians after taking their consent. Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) blamed Merck for the dubious practices over its best selling drug Vioxx. Merck withdrew Vioxx from the market after it was associated to a high rate of heart attacks.

Research conducted by two authors of University of Washington reported that the company had not disclosed the exact mortality rates in their trials which were conducted on Alzheimer’s patients. Also, in the published papers, it was reported that Vioxx was well accepted by the patients. But, some internal company reports showed that the patients who were administered Vioxx had increased chances of death which is four times more than the risk involved in other arthritis drugs. It is also stated in the report that the two trials conducted on the patients showed 34 deaths amid 1000 patients that were administered Vioxx and only 12 deaths were reported when given a placebo. The two authors alleged that these mortality analyses report was not provided to the FDA and also it was not made public in an appropriate time.