Merck needs the bucks

Things are tough right now for pharma. I'd feel bad if they actually spent more on research than advertising (its a true statistic for all major pharma companies) but its all 'bout the quarterly earnings.

Well Merck has developed the HPV vaccine that I discussed a few weeks back. Interestingly, a little tidbit popped up today (I think on Drudge) that Merck is lobbying at the state level for mandatory vaccination of 12 year old girls.

Now I think that HPV vaccination is a great idea (for boys and girls). And I think that states should educate their populace about the benefits of vaccination, in particular this one. This would lead to a dialogue about the costs and benefits of vaccination by each state (or locality) and laws could be developed from that dialogue.

I do not agree that Merck should be lobbying directly to state senators and representatives about mandatory vaccination that benefits Merck directly - if their product is amazing (and I think that it is) then it should be adopted by the principles of the free market. I know that this is naive of me. The conservatives are always talking about how the market should be free to invest its resources as any given company sees fit. These same conservative regularly froth about how governmental intervention is an onerous burden. It has been my view that the market will endorse ANY government intervention that supports their bottom line and reigns in their competitors. This might qualify for a classic example.

I am for mandatory vaccination. But the mandate ought to originate from those who will have to be vaccinated. Not a greedy corporation that is trying to usurp the will of the people through lobbyist bribes in back room deals.

But Merck needs the bucks and they don't have time for the natural evolution of law. They are nervously eyeing Pfizer's move last week to cut 10,000 employees since Zoloft and Lipitor are rolling off patent protection - and wondering how they can make gold out of their own rapidly dwindling pipeline. And this is the answer. Using the arm of the law to prop up profits.