The Center for Science in the Public Interest wrote the headline above for a statement CSPI issued last week.
The statement was written by CSPI Integrity in Science Director Merrill Goozner concerning U.S. Senate Bill 3807. He wrote:
"There are three crucial FDA advisory committee meetings coming up in December. One will discuss drug-eluting stents on December 7-8; one will discuss antidepressant use and adult suicidality on December 13; and one will discuss the antibiotic Ketek on December 14-15.
Nothing in S. 3807, the FDA reform bill sponsored by Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY) and Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA), would require the scientists who will sit on those panels to be free from financial ties to the manufacturers of those products. This is unacceptable.
The scientists who advise the FDA should be free of all financial ties to firms whose products are under review. The public’s faith in the integrity of the process will be undermined by any reform legislation that allows physicians and scientists with conflicts of interest to continue serving on these committees."
Posted by schwitz at November 20, 2006 11:38 AM | TrackBack