“Is the FDA Safe and Effective?” by Alex Tabarrok (8/8)

Posted by admin on March 1, 2011 under vioxx | 7 Comments to Read

Dr. Alex Tabarrok Associate Professor, George Mason University, and Director of Research, The Independent Institute “Is the FDA Safe and Effective?” Friday, March 24, 2006 6:30 – 7:30 pm Campbell University RTP Campus The Vioxx withdrawal reminds us that drug safety is a continuing concern. Dramatic tragedies in the past, such as with Thalidomide, have often led to greater FDA powers and responsibilities, but they have also unleashed a series of unintended consequences. Greater FDA power has increased the time it takes to bring a new drug to market, raised costs and resulted in fewer new drugs. How well does the FDA manage these trade offs? What does off-mark prescribing and the experience of other countries tell us about the FDA process? What do doctors reckon about the FDA? Should the FDA be reformed and if so how? Professor Tabarroks recent research examines issues such as how race and poverty impact trial decisions by juries, how judges compare to juries when awarding hurts, the influence of judicial electoral systems on the decisions of judges and how bounty hunters compare with police in arresting fugitives from the law. Other research examines patent system reform, methods to increase the supply of human organs for transplant and the regulation of pharmaceuticals. Prof. Tabarrok is co-author of the web site, FDAReview.org, an extensive resource on the history, policies, and potential reform of the FDA.