15 February 2008
It’s past time that the Democrats look into the love affair between the Republicans and drug companies. They are investigating television advertising, drug approval, the Food and Drug Administration and the bilking of Medicare. Drug industry lobbyists for the drug companies are destroying protection for consumers. A campaign finance watchdog group says that “Over two-thirds of the more than $90 million the drug industry has contributed to Congress since 1994 went to Republicans”. There is bipartisan cooperation in its investigations.
Officials and lobbyists for drug companies insist they are being fully open with congressional investigators about problems involving fraud surrounding the drug Ketek, an antibiotic that in some cases was found to cause liver damage. Clinical trials conducted by the manufacturer, Sanofi-Aventis, were found to have been fraudulent and the FDA is accused of turning a blind eye to fraud. It’s being said that the FDA knew about the fraud and tried to hide it. Who is going to implement lobby reform and when?
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