[Thx to Cody Barstow of Mojo City News for pointing this out.]

NY Times: 10 Voters on Panel Backing Pain Pills Had Industry Ties

Ten of the 32 government drug advisers who last week endorsed continued marketing of the huge-selling pain pills Celebrex, Bextra and Vioxx have consulted in recent years for the drugs’ makers, according to disclosures in medical journals and other public records.

If the 10 advisers had not cast their votes, the committee would have voted 12 to 8 that Bextra should be withdrawn and 14 to 8 that Vioxx should not return to the market. The 10 advisers with company ties voted 9 to 1 to keep Bextra on the market and 9 to 1 for Vioxx’s return.

Barstow’s comment: “Most times, government corruption is merely someone lining their pockets or some silly sex scandal. It’s merely laughable. But when it reaches these dimensions, it’s not only deadly, but shameful.”

To which I’d reply that it’s beyond shameful, it’s potentially criminal. Regulatory agency co-option, or “capture,” is nothing new, but this little display is brazen in ways that would make a pimp blush. I hope this situation blows up and takes a few dozen regulators and drug company execs down in the process.

Oh, and by the way, if the Bush administration and Congressional leaders get their way, potential victims of these drugs will be allowed to sue the companies for roughly enough money to cover cab fare to the courthouse. It’s times like this that I dearly hope there’s a Hell…..