Originally Posted by Bestworking:
Thought you lefties didn't agree with the "war on drugs". No, there's some other reason they're going after the FDA. Just have to wait and see. Who's dealing all these people such misery? Oh, right, it's not their fault they're druggies, unless it's someone on the right like Rush.
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The "war on drugs" has to do with illegal drugs. The topic of this string has to do with a legal, regulated drug, the FDA approval of which is being challenged. I realize that it is difficult for you, but you should at least make some effort rot to introduce irrelevancies into the discussion. The drug company seeking favorable treatment from the FDA for this supercodone paid at least one research contractor at a key FDA meeting $30,000 for his participation.
As to other reasons the critics of FDA are concerned, you seem not to have paid attention to the content of the link in my initial post. There is no need for you to await new and startling disclosures. Here are some pertinent excerpts I have selected for you, so that you will not have to apply your obviously limited attention span to the full article:
<<<FDA's own advisory panels seem to agree. The panel voted 11-to-2 not to approve the drug. Then in November, top FDA officials overruled that panel. And that's where things get complicated. Last fall, a series of emails were made public from a Freedom of Information Act request. They were emails between two professors who had, for a decade, organized private meetings between FDA officials and drug companies who make pain medicine. The drug companies pay the professors thousands of dollars to attend.
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And here's what has critics concerned. One of those companies was Zohydro's original manufacturer, Elan Corporation. Zogenix wasn't in the picture yet but went on to partner with Elan.
Dr. Kolodny of Phoenix House Foundation.
KOLODNY: When those emails surfaced, I think for many of us there was a sense of a-ha.
SULLIVAN: Elan has a new owner and the company did not respond to requests for comment.
In a statement, the FDA said the meetings did not address specific drugs and that the FDA took part to develop better research methods. The statement says those research methods may have benefitted companies making pain drugs but that they also benefitted patients.
Zohydro's Dr. Galer attended the meetings when he worked for another drug company.
GALER: Those actually were looking at old studies to improve patient care.
SULLIVAN: So I asked him: But if the drug manufacturers are sitting in a room with FDA officials talking about pain drugs, and they're there because they spent 20 to 30 thousand dollars to be in the room, and some of the other advocates aren't allowed in that room at the same time, does that raise any concerns for you that that could be a conflict of interest?>>>
More much-needed enlightenment for you: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fd...ti-addiction-groups/
<<<One of the physicians asking the FDA to revoke its approval is Dr. Andrew Kolodny. He is the chief medical officer of Phoenix House, a clinic that treats patients for drug addiction. He said, "This is a product that's dangerous even to people who are trying to use it as directed.">>>
Now, Best, you can use these facts to nourish your own "sense of a-ha" !