Feb. 26, 2005 - 21:40 MST

THE WONDERING JEW

Morning

Not sure what is up but have lost two entries tonight. Lets see if this one goes.

Gardner Harris and Alex Berenson of The New York Times have a column in todays Rocky Mountain News. In part:

10 advisers tied to pill makers

Ten of the 32 government drug advisers who last week endorsed continued marketing of the huge-selling pain pills Celebrex, Bextra and Vioxx have consulted in recent years for the drugs' makers, according to disclosures in medical journals and other public records."

"If the 10 advisers had not cast their votes, the committee would have voted 12 to 8 that Bextra should be withdrawn and 14 to 8 that Vioxx should not return to the market. The 10 advisers with company ties voted 9 to 1 to keep Bextra on the market and 9 to 1 for Vioxx's return. ("The votes of the 10 did not substantially influence the committee's decision on Celebrex because only one committee member voted that Celebrex should be withdrawn.")

"Eight of the 10 members said in interviews that their past relationships with the drug companies did not influence their votes. The two others did not respond to phone or e-mail messages."

"Researchers with ties to industry commonly serve on Food and Drug Administration advisory panels, but their presence has long been a contentious issue. The agency has said it tries to balance expertise -- often found among those who have conducted clinical trials of the drugs in question or otherwise studied them -- with potential conflicts of interest."

"The Center for Science in the Public Interest, an advocacy group in Washington that maintains a large database of scientists' industry ties, analyzed the panelists' affiliations at the request of The New York Times. The center has been a critic of the FDA and of the pharmaceutical industry."

"Dr. Sheldon Krimsky, a science policy expert at Tufts University, said such conflicts were common on FDA advisory panels. The FDA often conceals these conflicts, and studies have shown that, taken as a whole, MONEY does influence scientific judgments, Krimsky said."

But Dan Troy, the agency's former general counsel, said that finding experts without financial conflicts is difficult."

"The members with financial ties to the companies were 10 times more likely to favor the drugs than those without such ties."

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My opinions: Dan Troy seems to be suffering "Foot In Mouth Disease" it appears to me. He said it is difficult to find consultants without financial conflicts. In my opinion then, if its so hard to do perhaps other scientists can be signed on with FDA as consultants. Hire them permanently and pay them well and keep their affairs transparent to the public. From what I have read many former government employees have been snapped up by industry because their influence over other administration people is immense. I wonder what it would take to infuse some integrity into people in that area ? A big dose for each. Then I can call the doctor and have faith in his words when he says, "Take two Vioxx and call me in the Morning . . . . . . . .

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