It’s PDUFA reauthorization time and the usual suspects are trotting out the usual evasive gabble.
PDUFA MYTH #1: Since drug companies provide about 40% of FDA funding via PDUFA, the agency is “beholden” to Big Pharma.
TRUTH: How can FDA be “in the pocket of the pharmaceutical industry” when the industry has nowhere else to go? Where’s the leverage? It’s FDA or nothing pal. The leverage is on the other side.
Proper retort to ignorant comment — “Industry pays FDA to approve drugs.”
Wrong! FDA gets paid to review drugs. (And they certainly don’t all get approved now, do they?)
More myth-busting to follow.
Send me your favorite PDUFA myths and I’ll post them. I can be reached at ppitts@cmpi.org.
