[lbo-talk] Lanier v Merck: masterful lawyering

[Carl Remick]

>From: Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com>
>
>Carl Remick wrote:
>
>>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>
>
>True enough, but again, what's your point? Should we fight for a different 
>FDA, or just give up on everything?

I thought it was self-evident:  The US should stop dosing itself with 
capitalism immediately and switch to an intensive regimen of socialism.  
Absent that, we can expect the toxic side effects of for-profit medicine to 
continue and worsen.

Carl