FDA’s biggest concern should be the health of consumers, not of Big Pharma

Conflict of interest is a major theme on our blog. When a person is on trial, friends and family are not allowed on the jury because they would have biased judgment. When someone has interest in the outcome, it is virtually impossible to expect a fair decision. Such has been the case with the FDA, particularly in recent years. Now, a bill that would reform the FDA is before the House. The proposed legislation includes language that would limit FDA advisory committees to only one scientist with a conflict of interest per meeting. That may sound like one too many — but in the world of the FDA, that would be real progress. According to Merrill Goozner, Currently, nearly a quarter of all scientists appointed by the FDA to advisory panels have ties to companies with a s View the rest of this article