Two former Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) employees have sued the company in federal court alleging Merck overstated the effectiveness of a mumps vaccine for which the U.S. government paid hundreds of millions of dollars.
By Jon Kamp | Photo Google Street View
”Merck introduced the first vaccine 45 years ago, and since the 1970s it’s been part of a combination product that also immunizes children against rubella and measles. According to the lawsuit–filed by former Merck virologists Stephen Krahling and Joan Wlochowski–the company allegedly defrauded the U.S. for more than a decade by hiding the fact the vaccine had become less effective”, 4-traders.com writes.
”As a result, the former employees say the government has long paid for a product that doesn’t live up to Merck’s claims. The lawsuit seeks a judgment against Merck equal to three times the damages suffered by the U.S., plus the maximum allowable award for the former employees under federal whistleblower laws.”