Potentially Defective and/or Dangerous Drugs

Harvard professor Dr. Joseph Biederman is under fire as documents he was ordered to turn over in litigation call into question how unbiased his studies were, as he was receiving huge payments from drug maker Johnson and Johnson, and promising positive results for the company even before his clinical trials were begun. Clearly, the receipt of huge cash payments by these physicians that are providing allegedly "independent evidence" supporting the effectiveness or use of drugs made by the very manufacturer providing payments, causes one to wonder how independent these tests are, yet this has been going on for years and the Congress and public is just now becoming concerned about it!

The case that brought the above facts to light concerns states' attorney generals who have filed suit against drug manufacturers of antipsychotic drugs that defrauded Medicaid due to improper marketing.

Clearly new rules, regulation, and enforcement are needed to avoid such potential problems. However, that must come from the FDA which is already overworked, understaffed and underfunded, in my opinion. Where does that leave you? With yet another reason not to restrict lawsuits. With a clearly inadequate regulation system, little is left for the public but to rely upon plaintiffs' lawyers policing and enforcing the conduct of these manufacturers. Without the threat of a lawsuit and being hauled into court and held accountable before a jury, does one really think we can count on these manufacturers and physicians to police themselves?