IndexWhat are the ethical issuesWhat are the effects on each group?What is your decision? Justify It.Merck & Co Inc was one of the world's largest drug manufacturing and research pharmaceutical companies with revenues continually growing throughout the 1970s and reaching nearly $2 billion in 1978. As a result , the company has allocated hundreds of millions of funds each year towards various projects researching and developing viable drugs to support continued growth. For Merck, the average time it took to bring a drug to market was twelve years, with costs hovering around $200 million. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Many potential drugs did not provide a large enough return to be viable for manufacturing. The government wanted to improve the production rate of medicines that help against rare diseases. Therefore, they decided to provide tax benefits to companies that took part in the creation of such cures. River blindness or “onchocerciasis” is caused by a parasitic worm produced by the bites of black flies, whereby the blindness develops after constant affliction. The victims of this disease are spread across thirty-five countries and according to the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1978 they amounted to 340,000 people. Under one of Merck's research projects, a compound called ivermectin was an antiparasitic drug used for veterinary purposes, but was also found to have the potential to treat a wide variety of parasitic diseases, including river blindness. The problem lies in the low success rate, even if the drug is created, there are no incentives that give pharmaceutical companies any benefit to treat diseases such as river blindness, which makes the drug unprofitable. What are the ethical issues? The ethical dilemma is that to save people, Merck & Co. must create a river blindness drug that may not make the company any profit and has little chance of success. Or they can simply continue to use the compound for veterinary purposes for profit. Merck & Co is responsible for creating this medicine regardless, especially considering their slogan is putting people before profits. What are the effects on each group? Society: People in third world countries suffering from river blindness would benefit greatly from a potential cure if Merck & Co. decides to develop the drug. Employees – Employees currently working for Merck & Co. could face financial repercussions if the company does not make a profit from the potential new drug. The researcher and scientist are a pharmaceutical company's greatest asset in terms of resources. Shareholders: Investors may be inclined to contribute funds to Merck & Co, as they will not get a return on their investments, if the compound performs poorly. – Merck has everything to lose if the formulation of a new compound for river blindness is not successful. Not being able to profit from their new drug could have negative effects on shareholder value, but it would also boost Merck & Co's reputation for its ethical commitment. What are the alternatives? Continue to develop the existing compound for the animal health market and do not fund research for a treatment for river blindness. Dedicate time and resources to creating a new medicine to treat river blindness. Merck & CO. has discovered a possible cure for the parasitic condition by creating ivermectin which can help millions,.