See Merrill Goozner's blog for an account of the politicization of the Congressional hearing on the safety of the diabetes drug Avandia.
It sounded ugly: politicians pontificating as if they knew science better than Steve Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic, who has raised questions about Avandia's safety, just as he did with Vioxx.
Gooz writes: "What is the reform that Nissen is pushing? Complete transparency of clinical trial data, from the earliest pre-approval trials to all trials conducted after a drug hits the market. The Avandia case is just the latest in a long line of examples (Vioxx, anti-depressants in children) showing why this change is badly needed."