On July 11, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill HR 2900, which grants additional power to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) while at the same time ensuring deeper financial ties between the agency and pharmaceutical companies.The law does make some efforts to reduce conflict of interest, including mandating the publishing of a clinical trials database and forbidding more than one FDA official with ties to the industry to sit on a drug decision panel.However, at the same time, the FDA will actually be allowed to work with drug and biotech companies to develop and launch new drugs. In an unprecedented conflict of interest, the new law places the FDA “in charge of drug design, drug patents, drug licenses, and the creation of new marketing entities/companies.”
The recent US legislation, HR 2900, takes conflict of interest to a new extreme. While there are some face-saving moves to make the bill palatable, such as making sure that an unlimited number of industry shills can no long sit on drug decision panels, HR 2900 for the most part ties the FDA even more tightly to business interests. What’s more, in a blatant move to benefit the drug companies, it also ensures that dietary supplements can be removed from stores at will.
This comes not long after the U.S. Senate passed bill S1082 -- The FDA Revitalization Act, which also threatens dietary supplements and health freedom. Unfortunately, U.S. Rep. and presidential candidate, Ron Paul’s attempts to create legislation that would limit the FDA’s authority over supplements have been blocked.Now, more than ever, it is up to you to look out for your own health. The FDA will not protect your health, nor will any other government agency.
The FDA views the drug industry as its client. Within the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, about 80 percent of the resources are geared toward the approval of drugs and 20 percent is for everything else. Drug safety is a measly 5 percent. This speaks loads about their priorities. It is NOT about protecting you -- it is about approving drugs as quickly as possible so the drug companies can reap their profits.
Congress not only created that structure, but they horribly worsened it 15 years ago with the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) by which drug companies actually pay money to the FDA so they will review and approve their drug. This creates an absolutely massive conflict of interest and fox-guarding-the-henhouse phenomenon. And the new laws that have just been passed do not change that relationship even a tiny bit.