Welcome to the United States of Guinea Pigs

This has got to be one of the most colossal bonehead lies ever uttered by an FDA official. Seriously–it will be nearly impossible for anyone to ever top this one.

The official is Jeff Shuren, M.D.–the director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health.

Recently, when discussing standards and safety with reporters, he quoted a doctor who claimed that under the European Union regulatory system “the public are being used as guinea pigs.”

And then Dr. Shuren added his own take on the situation: “We don’t use our people as guinea pigs in the U.S.”

Unbelievable!

Either he knows that’s COMPLETELY wrong, or he doesn’t know what “guinea pig” means. Or “people.” Or “U.S.”

As we’ve seen time after time, the FDA systems for approving drugs and devices treats America like it’s a huge guinea pig farm.

I’m sure EU regulatory systems cater to Big Pharma and deep-pocket device makers just as ours do. But to smugly suggest that OUR system is ethically superior and Americans are not used as guinea pigs would be off-the-charts laughably absurd if it weren’t so insulting.

Source:
“EC Official to FDA Official: Who’s a Guinea Pig? Ed Silverman, Pharmalot, 2/25/11, pharmalot.com