Bias within the FDA Advisory Committee has been an issue for a long time, likely due to Big Pharma’s lobbying money and their greed for profits. When I was a resident in Anesthesiology 30 years ago, a new muscle relaxant was up for approval. The chairman of our department sat on the Advisory Committee. It was announced that a “black-box” warning had been issued for a muscle relaxant that had been used for many years and in millions of cases worldwide. When one of the senior residents questioned the timing of the black-box decision, our chairman was outraged at the suggestion that there might be some outside influence. Six to eight months later, it was revealed that this was clearly a case of Big Pharma putting pressure on the Committee, either with lobbying funds directly, or using biased studies to put their product in a better light.
A Vipers Nest of Corruption, Death and Damage!
Bias within the FDA Advisory Committee has been an issue for a long time, likely due to Big Pharma’s lobbying money and their greed for profits. When I was a resident in Anesthesiology 30 years ago, a new muscle relaxant was up for approval. The chairman of our department sat on the Advisory Committee. It was announced that a “black-box” warning had been issued for a muscle relaxant that had been used for many years and in millions of cases worldwide. When one of the senior residents questioned the timing of the black-box decision, our chairman was outraged at the suggestion that there might be some outside influence. Six to eight months later, it was revealed that this was clearly a case of Big Pharma putting pressure on the Committee, either with lobbying funds directly, or using biased studies to put their product in a better light.