Physicians’ financial interests should not overtake the needs of a patient when it comes to dealing with drug and medical device manufacturers. This was the obvious conclusion arrived at by a group of bio-ethicists at a conference hosted by Cleveland Clinic and sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. The recent spate of ethical issues over doctors’ involvment with drug and device approval has raised ethical questions within the medical community.
All posts by Joseph H. Saunders
FDA Tells Ortho Evra Change its Warning Label
The manufacturer of the contraceptive Ortho Evra will have to change its warning label to include a warning against blood clots. One study showed women who used the patch were twice as likely to develop blood clots than others who took the pill.
Big Rigs and Travel Safety
The consumer safety watchdog group Public Citizen has warned against the increase of heavy trucks on local roads and interstates. Several major federal studies have shown that trucks heavier than the 80,000-pound trucks currently allowed by federal law have a greater risk of crashes, according to opponents of the heavier rigs.
Citizens and political representatives have not been told the truth about the significant safety risks, infrastructure damage and costs of allowing overweight trucks on the Interstate. And they have been misled into thinking big trucks will disappear from local roads if allowed on the full Interstate. This is untrue,” said Public Citizen president Joan Claybrook
New Auto Safety Measures to Take Effect by 2012
By 2012, new automobiles will be required to have anti-rollover technology installed in their vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. According to industry analysts, the new technology will save thousands of lives annually as well as reduce healthcare costs. Ford Motor Co. said earlier this week that it would put stability control on its entire lineup by the end of 2009 and General Motors Corp. is planning to have the technology on all vehicles by 2010. Several automakers have made it standard equipment on SUVs.
Big Tobacco and Big Oil Make Strange Bedfellows
As the 2006 election season heats up, two of the largest industries in the country are pouring millions of dollars into campaigns to keep their corporate profits rolling. A recent San Francisco Chronicle article on big tobacco, the author states that oil and tobacco are pouring huge sums of money into campaign coffers. Hopefully, voters will be swayed by good public policy and not the big money of these corporations.
Mercury Fillings Come Under Scrutiny
Consumer groups have demanded that dentists stop using a mercury-laden amalgam to fill tooth cavities. The FDA has promised to take the matter under consideration for further review. The FDA asked the panel to weigh in on whether the study — a review of 34 recent research studies — reflects current knowledge about the risks associated with the fillings. The FDA did not ask the panelists to discuss a ban.
Boston Scientific Confirms Increased Risk Linked to its Stent
A leading stent manufacturer has admitted that there is an increased clot risk for those with Boston Scientific’s cardiac stent. It is the first acknowledgment by a stent maker of an increased risk of the dangerous side effect of stents, which are small wire-mesh tubes used to keep previously clogged arteries open. Drug-coated stents, which are coated with medicine to prevent the growth of tissue after implantation, have sales exceeding $5 billion a year in a market dominated by Boston Scientific and Johnson & Johnson.
Big Tobacco: 50 Years of Lies and Deception
Federal Judge Gladys Kessler called it racketeering. I’ll call it lying and deception. For more than 50 years big tobacco companies have been telling our grandparents, our parents, and now ourselves that smoking is cool and essentially harmless. Finally, a Federal judge has said no more. Big tobacco companies will now have to face the music and deal with victims of their deception and greed.
Judges Ruling Causes Marketing Problems for Big Tobacco
Now that U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler’s ruling makes it more difficult for big tobacco companies to market their deadly products in an overtly deceptive fashion, their marketing gurus will have to come up with new ways to keep smokers hooked to their habits. Unless the new court ruling is overturned on appeal, cigarette manufacturers will have to abandon marketing words such as “light” and “low tar”. We’ll see what they’re able to come up with as far as new marketing ploys.
Bausch & Lomb Infections Lead to Corneal Transplants
About 1/3 of those who’ve experienced eye infections as a result of the use of Bausch & Lomb’s ReNu eye contact solution are schedule to undergo corneal transplants. These new findings will be published in the Journal of the American Medical Association at the end of this month.