You Say You Want Some Revolutions? - Famed Academic Physician Dr Milton Packer's Endless Alternating Turns as Drug Company Spokesperson and FDA Advisor

Last week, we noted  we again discussed the web of conflicts of interest that is draped over medicine and health care, and seems responsible for much of our current health care dysfunction.  We have discussed examples of conflicts of interest affecting clinical research, clinical teaching, clinical care, and health care policy.  Each time I think we must have cataloged all the useful examples, a striking new one appears.Only a few days later, yet another new variant has in fact appeared. A New Kind of Revolving Door A new version of the "revolving door" apparently was first noted by Public Citizen, and then reported by Ed Silverman at Pharmalot.  The usual version of the revolving door occurs when a person transitions from a full-time job in industry to a government position which has regulatory authority or other influence over that same industry, or vica versa.  We have discussed various health care manifestations of that revolving door here.The new version, as described by Mr Silverman, in its manifestation at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is:the agency allows some experts who serve on its advisory panels to also make presentations at other meetings of these same panels on behalf of drug makers. By allowing some people to wear different hats within a short amount of time, the advocacy group charges the FDA creates the potential for bias to creep into the proceedings.The Public Citizen letter to the FDA summarized the problem,In ...
Source: Health Care Renewal - Category: Health Management Tags: Avandia Bristol-Myers-Squibb conflicts of interest FDA GlaxoSmithKline Milton Packer Novartis Pfizer revolving doors sacubitril Source Type: blogs