China's FDA Troubles
Let's say a high-ranking US official, perhaps the commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), was found to have accepted bribes from pharmaceutical companies to give the FDA's stamp of approval on drugs that had not been sufficiently tested for safety and efficacy in humans. What's the worst that would happen to him (yes, it would probably be a him)? Perhaps he would be fired or asked to resign. He would likely be assessed fines. And he might even be sentenced to some prison time (although it's not inconceivable such a sentence would be commuted). Then he goes on the lecture circuit and eventually accepts a very highly compensated consulting position in industry. After all, he is an expert.
That is essentially the scenario that recently unfolded in China. Zheng Xiaoyu, the former head of China's State Food and Drug Administration, was convicted of taking bribes to give approval to market untested products, including drugs. As might be expected, problems were attributed to some of drugs, including a number of deaths.
Because China is concerned about establishing a global market position in the drug industry (as well as many, many other industries), it considers it critical to project an image as a reliable source of safe drugs. So what did it do?
It sentenced Zheng Xiaoyu to death. Zheng was executed on Tuesday, July 10.
~Joe
Related Topics: Technorati Tags: FDA, China, drug safety
That is essentially the scenario that recently unfolded in China. Zheng Xiaoyu, the former head of China's State Food and Drug Administration, was convicted of taking bribes to give approval to market untested products, including drugs. As might be expected, problems were attributed to some of drugs, including a number of deaths.
Because China is concerned about establishing a global market position in the drug industry (as well as many, many other industries), it considers it critical to project an image as a reliable source of safe drugs. So what did it do?
It sentenced Zheng Xiaoyu to death. Zheng was executed on Tuesday, July 10.
~Joe
Related Topics: Technorati Tags: FDA, China, drug safety
6 Comments:
Damn. That's some deterrent.
Now if they'd just quit exporting crap to the US.
It is probably happening in the USA right now.....why do you think people are dying and drug companies are getting sued.
Everything boils down to money and for people like us, that is SO SAD.
We should stop buying ANYTHING from them, no matter what the consequence, because they have proven themselves to only care about their bottom line.
They would just get a slap on the wrist in the US, is this supposed to be encouraging to us?
...not to mention, how many of the american public would even notice this or HEAR about it? It would be a few 2 minute blurbs on the evening news that we would weed out because lets be honest, do your ears perk up when you hear the word "FDA?"
Caprice, I wonder if you would have posted it on this board if it was happening here in the USA(as if it is not). Actually many congressmen go to work for the pharmaceutical companies to work as lobbyist after they leave congress. They give death in China..what do they give here in the USA as a punishment? A 2 million dollar salary to work for the RX company as a lobbyist.
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