Resources for Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

How the FDA Prolongs Pain and Suffering

www.411mania.com

Last week, an op-ed appeared in the Wall Street Journal that highlighted some of the unintended consequences of government over-regulation. The article was written by Greg Conko of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a libertarian think tank. Conko recounted two recent cases that demonstrate how the Food and Drug Administration's tiresome approval process prevents cancer-stricken Americans from voluntarily using experimental drugs.

A few years ago, an Indiana woman named Kianna Karnes wanted to use pharmaceuticals developed by Bayer and Pfizer to help combat her terminal kidney cancer. Although the drugs wouldn't have cured the disease, they might have improved Ms. Karnes' quality of life in the time she had left. However, the FDA requires that experimental cancer drugs go through unnecessary clinical trials before they can be distributed on a limited, "compassionate use" basis. Even if a person like Ms. Karnes wants to use such a drug, and understands that the drug hasn't been approved, that person is prohibited from volunteering until the FDA gives its blessing. Ms. Karnes died in March 2005.

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