Latest chance to diminish Big Pharma influence dashed in Senate

Steve - while the big news coming from this was the disallowing of cheaper drug imports, two other issues that were defeated in bill S1082 guarantees that nothing is going to change in the cozy relationship between big Pharma and the FDA.

One vote was on the Grassley amendment #1039 which would have given true power to scientists in the FDA responsible for regulating the safety of drugs already on the market. The FDA and Big Pharma were adamantly opposed to this amendment. The vote was 47 -46, defeating the amendment. This vote was a sell out of Dr. David Graham and other FDA scientists who have gone to Congress as whistleblowers to save American lives.

The other key vote came on the Durbin amendment #1034. This amendment sought to prevent Big Pharma from placing "experts" on FDA Advisory Committees -- which make the final decisions on the safety of drugs. Durbin argued the obvious point that hundreds of millions of dollars are at stake as well as the lives of Americans and that such flagrant conflicts of interest must be stopped. He pointed out that the FDA Advisory Committee that ruled on the safety of Vioxx had 10 "experts" on the Big Pharma bankroll, resulting in over 50,000 deaths. The vote was 47 -47, and in this case the tie went to Big Pharma as the amendment was defeated.

The Senate has failed when given a major opportunity to protect the health and well being of Americans. The battle now moves to the House and then to a conference committee. The legislation is being ramrodded through before the general public knows what is happening. Mainstream media, a primary client of Big Pharma, is intentionally failing to explain the true meaning of S1082. There is still time for you to determine its fate by contacting your House reps.