Germany's Merck Slapped With Formal French Investigation Related To Its Thyroid Drug

  • The French court is reportedly investigating Germany-based Merck KGaA MKKGY, saying the company provided misleading information regarding its thyroid drug product Levothyrox.
  • The ruling did not concern the new formula for the Levothyrox product but how the company provided information when changing from the old to the new formula.
  • It is part of criminal proceedings launched in March 2018.
  • Reuters reported that Merck has already been condemned in civil litigations for not providing sufficient information when changing the drug's formulas.
  • In March, France's highest court confirmed an appeal court ruling ordering Merck to pay €1,000 each to compensate over 3,300 people suffering from thyroid problems after it changed the drug formula in 2017.
  • They had said Merck's decision to remove lactose from the drug to make it easier to handle had resulted in side effects such as memory loss, weight gain, and palpitations.
  • Merck also confirmed that the Marseille judge had placed the company under court supervision, asking it to deposit €4.3 million and provide a banking guarantee of up to €7 million, which its lawyer said was "totally unjustified."
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