Latest Legal Settlements Suggest Hazards of Making Pharmaceutical Regulation More Lenient, as is Apparently Favored by New FDA Leader

DiscussionAll the cases discussed above were of behavior that could have harmed patients.  Many of the companies involved had records of previous ethical misadventures.  While a few cases resulted in corporate guilty pleas (to misdemeanors), none resulted in monetary penalties that would have much impact on the companies ' finances, and none resulted in any negative consequences for people who enabled, authorized, directed or implemented the bad behavior.These, just the latest in the march oflegal settlements by large health care organizations, again demonstrate how often and how seriously pharmaceutical companies (and other organizations) may misbehave, and how the leaders of these organizations exhibit continuedimpunity, never having any legal accountability for their organizations ' actions.  These settlements again demonstrate the relatively light touch US regulators, including the FDA and DOJ, have exhibited when dealing with these organizations.So what could happen if that touch is lightened still more, particularly by the ongoing initiatives of the current US FDA leader?  I submit the results will be higher drug prices, more use of minimally effective and/or seriously risky drugs, and larger compensation for top managers of pharmaceutical companies.  Will the public actually also get access to " life saving " drugs?  Perhaps, but most of the offerings of drug companies in the last years have had minimal efficacy, and rarely have been prove...
Source: Health Care Renewal - Category: Health Management Tags: adulterated drugs Celgene crime deception FDA impunity legal settlements market fundamentalism Novo Nordisk revolving doors thalidomide Source Type: blogs