It's a start...

According to the New York Times, the FDA has announced a new rule which would prohibit any expert advisor who receives over $50K from a drug or device maker from serving on a committee reviewing that company's (or a competitor's) product. According to the FDA acting deputy commissioner, "a 'significant number' of the agency's present advisers would be affected by the new policy."

It is shameful that an agency, established for the protection of the American people, allowed expert advisors with such clear conflicts of interest to serve on committees -- especially in light of the fact that "the announcement of waivers [issued for any financial conflicts other than owning more than $100K+ in the company's stock] was becoming so common at the start of advisory committee meetings that they took on the feel of fast-talking car commercials."

Now, don't be fooled. The main reason the FDA announced this new rule is because they wanted to pre-empt a bill from a NY democratic representative which would have prohibited an expert advisor with any financial conflict of interest from serving on a committee. (Now with the new Congress, the bill had a higher chance of passing). As a result, the FDA tried to "strike a balance here… and they would rather strike it themselves than have it struck for them."

Again, it is incredibly shameful, but this is what our government has been reduced to--- catering to the corporations, the pharmaceuticals, and the interests of the elite. As a democratic representative of Connecticut stated, the FDA has a "recent track record of putting political and corporate interests above science."

Hopefully, this new rule will be strictly enforced.