Nowadays, news on pharma industry capturing the regulator are not new. When everybody thought that some laws would provide a new ethical framework to avoid such capture, the result is exactly the opposite. It has improved and increased its sophistication. Have a look at Science and you'll understand what I'm saying.
An analysis of pharma payments to 107 physicians who advised FDA on 28 drugs approved from 2008 to 2014 found that a majority later got money for travel or consulting, or received research subsidies, from the makers of the drugs on which they voted or from competing firms.
Of the more than $26 million in personal payments or research support from industry to the 17 top-earning advisers—who received more than $300,000 each—94% came from the makers of drugs those advisers previously reviewed or from competitors
Through web searches and online services such as LinkedIn, however, Science has discovered that 11 of 16 FDA medical examiners who worked on 28 drug approvals and then left the agency for new jobs are now employed by or consult for the companies they recently regulated.Definitely, the regulatory system is broken.
