Patients v. Big Pharma: Supreme Court to Decide Landmark Case

Patients v. Big Pharma: Supreme Court to Decide Landmark Case

www.alternet.org

On November 3rd the Supreme Court will hear the case of Wyeth v. Levine, which has been called the "business case of the century" -- and with good reason. In essence, Monday's ruling will decide if patients have the right to sue pharmaceutical companies for personal injuries stemming from prescription drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This is the big one, folks.

(visit the link for the full news article)

If they are allowed to sue the drug companies, should they also be allowed to sue the FDA?

There have long been reports of collusion between the two, so why not?

The case and its implications make fascinating reading, and will no doubt raise the question of frivolous lawsuits and tort reform etc

But IMO these are just smokescreens so that companies can get away with bad practice and continue to make billions on the back of others pain and suffering.

My own personal opinion is that companies which make drugs and market them for profit should be NON profit organisations working for the common good.
In other words, the patient should come first, not the shareholders and executives - only in this way will we see patient care rise.
I also believe that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege and that the insurance companies, big pharma, the lobby industry and the FDA should be working for the patient, not for the shareholders.

We've seen recently what happens when an industry is unregulated and left to its own devices.

It's time for drastic changes in the world of big pharma, then maybe cases like this won't happen at all.

www.alternet.org
(visit the link for the full news article)

totally agree with the above post. its better for humanity

reply to post by budski


The implications of this case are so far reaching and I don't think the general public is remotely aware of what's at stake here. We already know the FDA is basically a revolving door for the Pharmaceutical industry and their lobbyists -- never more blatantly true than under the current administration.

The FDA is now in the business of helping lawsuit defendants, specifically the pharmaceutical companies," said James O'Reilly, University of Cincinnati law professor and author of a book on the history of the FDA. "It's a dramatic change in what the FDA has done in the past."

Article: Bush has appointed more than 100 Lobbyists as Regulators

Even if this case is defeated -- unlikely given the ideology of the bench -- but the status quo is maintained, we are still looking at an FDA that is patently in the service of the Big Pharma.

Either way the implications are staggering...sigh...