(Overposted but in a good cause.) I have had more than my own share of typos today but thought it a good idea to note that the first sentence above should surely read: "the FDA is *now* largely financed by the drug companies."
As Dr. Sidney Wolfe of Public Citizen's Health Research Group notes, due to the Prescription Drug User Fee Act pf 1992, the pharmaceutical industry gained new influence over the FDA "by their directly funding, paying cash right up front, for FDA review. So in many ways, the FDA started looking upon the industry as their client, instead of the public and the public health, which should be the client."
<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/prescription/hazard/independent.html>
Carl