Ethical Dilemma with Stakeholders
You're the CEO of a pharmaceutical company. Your best-selling drug ($2B annual revenue, used by 4 million patients for chronic pain) has…
The Core Decision (Made Before Hour 1) The side effect is real, serious, and known to me now. Patients are currently taking this drug without informed consent about a ~1-in-8,000 liver failure risk. Everything else — stock price, board pressure, legal exposure — is secondary.Read the full answer
As CEO, your immediate priority is patient safety, followed by ethical transparency, legal compliance, and stakeholder trust. Delaying disclosure risks lives, reputational damage, and severe legal consequences (e.g., criminal liability under the FDCA, shareholder lawsuits, or even a corporate manslaughter case).Read the full answer