Judge Carol Higbee granted Merck's Motion to exclude Michael Hoffman from taking the stand next week.
Hoffman is a philosophy professor who head the Center for Business Ethics at Bentley College in Waltham, Mass. He was expected to testify that Merck did not meet the standards of its own code of ethics when it began receiving data regarding adverse events associated with Vioxx.
Hoffman recently made the news when he began teaching a class titled: "The Organizational Life Cycle: The Boston Beer Company -- Brewer of Sam Adams Boston Lager."
My comment: The testimony would not have been understood by the jury.
