Re: FDA conflict of interest statement from Consumer's Union

September 29, 2005

Rogene,

This would be great, and should be a no-brainer, but I seriously doubt if this

Congress will

pass a bill like this.

There is simply too much money at stake, and too many legislators bought off.

> >

> > The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Durbin of

> > Illinois, requires that the FDA post the names of

> > scientific advisers who are granted waivers for

> > their conflicts on its Website at least 15 days

> > before an advisory committee meeting. It also

> > requires that the FDA simultaneously publish the

> > nature of those conflicts on its website.

> >

> > Currently, the public has to file a freedom of

> > information request to get the names of the

> > companies involved and the amounts paid to those

> > scientists for consulting, speaking, doing studies

> > and the like. Anyone who has ever filed a FOIA

> > request with FDA (or most other agencies in this

> > administration) knows that the process can take

> > years.

> >

> > There is one final element to the Senate bill. The

> > FDA will have to document its efforts to find

> > unconflicted scientists every time they create a new

> > advisory panel. While this in itself doesn't change

> > anything, it creates an incentive for the agency to

> > at least try to find unconflicted scientists since

> > the alternative is to file blank reports.

> >

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