I am a person who does not subscribe to the hero-CEO school of thought.

I'm the last senior executive who was hired by Roy Vagelos. It's an honor, but it also imposes upon me an obligation not only to think about his legacy but also about this company's legacy.

One of the strongest forms of rhetoric in our society is the rhetoric of blame.

I think if you look at Merck's history, I think Merck has a reputation for having been a reasonable company when it comes to pricing, sort of a leader in that respect.

In my house, education was the paramount value. And if you grew up in a neighborhood like mine, you were forced to decide early on what you stood for in life, because there were a lot of peer pressures that could take you the wrong way.