Merck, a pharmaceutical company, recently spoke to Forbes writer Matthew Herper about a conflict it had with one of Merck's researchers, an Italian named Alberto Donzelli. Donzelli posted, on his own website, an analysis of one of Merck's products, a cholesterol medication called Ezetimibe (also known as Zetia, or as Vytorin when combined with another drug). This analysis was shown to doubt the effectiveness of the drug, and it recommended that doctors stop prescribing it. Merck, however, had already made over $5 billion on the drug in the last year. Patrizia Nardini, medical director at Merck, sent a "cease and desist" letter to Donzelli, claiming he was breaching medical ethics and threatening to sue him for up to €1.3 million ($1.78 million). A copy of the letter was also sent to Roberto Carlo Rossi, president of the Order of Physicians of Milan. Both Rossi and Donzelli responded by saying there was "no reason to object on ethical grounds to Donzelli’s behaviour" and that he was within his rights. However, Merck later sent another letter to Donzelli and again threatened legal action. The researcher soon removed the findings from his website. In an interview with Herper, however, Steve Cragle clarifies that they would not have taken any legal action against Alberto Donzelli. The drug, Ezetimibe, had already been under medical suspicion since 2007, when Merck avoided tests concerning the drug's ability to keep arteries from thickening. Heart attack prevention studies are still being planned for pate this year.
Matthew Herper is very objective and unbiased in this article. He very effectively presents arguments from both sides of the issue, using direct quotes when necessary. At times he intersperses responses from one side among those of the other, making it sometimes difficult to keep track. When the reader has gotten beyond all the many company names and titles involved, the message is clearer. Also, Herper uses pieces from a report done by the "British Medical Journal", the first to report on Donzelli's analysis. This often helps to clarify the technical and medical aspects of the report. Furthermore, Herper does a good job of clarifying possible reasons each side has for being for or against Ezetimibe, without being condescending or biased at all. He makes good use of objective language and overall does a good job of conveying the essential information regarding the conflict.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewherper/2014/07/07/merck-says-it-regrets-strong-arming-italian-researcher/
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