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Violation Tracker Individual Record

Company: Merck, Sharp & Dohme
Current Parent Company: Merck
Parent at the Time of the Penalty Announcement:  subscribe to see this data field
Penalty: $950,000,000
Year: 2011
Date: November 22, 2011
Offense Group: healthcare-related offenses
Primary Offense: off-label or unapproved promotion of medical products
Mega-Scandal: Improper Drug Marketing
Violation Description: American pharmaceutical company Merck, Sharp & Dohme agreed to pay $950 million to resolve criminal charges and civil claims related to its promotion and marketing of the painkiller Vioxx (rofecoxib). Under the terms of the resolution, Merck agreed to a $628 million civil settlement and the payment of a $322 million criminal fine.
Level of Government: federal
Action Type: agency action
Agency: Food and Drug Administration referral to the Justice Department
Civil or Criminal Case: civil and criminal
HQ Country of Current Parent: USA
HQ State of Current Parent: New Jersey
Ownership Structure of Current Parent: publicly traded
Major Industry of Current Parent: pharmaceuticals
Specific Industry of Current Parent: pharmaceuticals
Source of Data: (click here)
Source Notes: If an online information source is not working, check the Violation Tracker Data Sources page for an updated link.
Current parent company note: Parent-subsidiary relationship is current as of the most recent revision listed in the Update Log.