This is a case series of two classes allows students to take the place of CEO Ray Gilmartin during deployment stages reputational crisis. The mission of Merck argues that "for patients first," but the company is widely criticized for profit before patient safety. (A) describes the case of opening Vioxx, a new arthritis drug, and asks students to calculate the lifetime of the expected value of the drug. Supplements are given in the classroom, as the story unfolds: (B) a certificate life-threatening side effects, (C) variants of decisions, (D) ad remove Vioxx, (E) of the reaction of patients, shareholders, the media and regulatory authorities, (F) Merck deals back, and (G) final. At the end of a series of cases, students may conclude that doing the right thing sometimes requires very difficult choices. "Hide
by Robert L. Simons, Kathryn Rosenberg, Natalie Kindred Source: Harvard Business School 11 pages. Publication Date: April 20, 2009. Prod. #: 109080-PDF-ENG