More on FDA ties that bind

From the Boston Globe: New waiver law fails to quiet criticism over experts' financial ties to drug companies.

Managing conflicts of interest that accompany top scientists is a juggling act the FDA has been doing for years. The new law was supposed to make it better without grinding FDA approvals to a halt. Since the law was passed, the FDA has issued nearly 100 waivers -- and the controversy hasn't faded.





Critics say the new transparency has changed little and scientists who have conflicts of interest can still guide FDA decision making. The FDA counters that public health would suffer if the agency bypassed the nation's best scientists because of funding sources.

This sounds a lot like the conflict-of-interest debate the CME community continually is contending with, doesn't it?