Page 46 - Big Pharma and the Constant Gardener
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Eli Lilly & Co. (LLY) and Merck & Co. (MRK) – whose marketing
practices were investigated in recent years by the government.
Again, as with the Zyprexa settlement in 2009, everybody won
over the Depakote settlement – except for elders and families who
were mistreated.
At a press conference in Washington, US Attorney Timothy Heaphy
stated, “This misconduct exposed the elderly to serious side effects
from a drug that was not proven effective at a cost of hundreds of
millions of dollars to government health care programs.”
“This is an elder abuse case,” he said.
“What they did,”
according to Heaphy,
“was criminal – a crime
against humanity.”
The company – Abbott
Laboratories – returned
to business as usual.
