michael elashoff fda, page-4

you're quite right lovebta, govt. regulatory approval has to do with cost benefit analysis with current diseases and conditions and does not take into account things like pandemic preparedness. I read the whole article too and it unfortunately trots out the same old arguments using statistics and emotion to sway an argument about drug safety. What these academic and heartless studies do not take into account are individual patients suffering. For example, I have quite a few patients who have severe arthritis who were not helped significantly by anything other than Vioxx. Now it has been pulled, they are not allowed to make their own judgements as to the slightly increased risk of heart attack versus their pain with full and complete knowledge. I wish patients had a choice. It has been taken away from them. God, it's not thalidomide! They often have to endure less effective drugs with much more immediate and disabling side effects such as narcotics. Likewise with Relenza and other antivirals. Sure it's expensive. But patients should have the choice, or not, with fully informed consent.