The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's outside advisory panels typically serve as "rubber stamps" for companies seeking approval of drugs and medical devices.
Eleven randomly selected FDA advisory committees recommended approval in 79 percent of their votes on applications between 1998 and 2005, according to the study released Monday by the Washington-based National Research Center for Women & Families. The committees considered 89 products during that period.
"Some of the committees have never met a product they don't like," said Diana Zuckerman, president of the group, said in a telephone interview.
The FDA said in July that it plans to write new guidelines specifying when scientists and doctors serving on the panels should be disqualified because of conflicts of interest. Under FDA rules, the agency can grant waivers for those with conflicts, allowing them to serve on panels.
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Insider's view: hear hear! Expert panels are rubber stamp committees who can share the blame if anything goes wrong.
Could it possibly have somthing to do with the financial links so many of these "experts" have with Big Pharma?
And are these "experts" upto the job anyway?
Take Pargluva, for example, didn't the expert panel approve that!?
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