Thursday, January 5, 2012

A Voice from France on Device Scandals

Most of you are aware of the current scandal in France over flawed breast implants (for example:
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/health/news/article_1684041.php/France-calls-for-new-rules-on-breast-implants-as-scandal-deepens)

Don't be surprised that this happened, says Dr. Alain Braillon, referring back to a commentary he wrote on how cozy the French device regulators are with the industry they supposedly regulate:
http://braillon.net/alain/medical_devices_approval_france_usa.pdf

Braillon, an MD/PhD, was fired from his post at the University Hospital of Amiens in 2009, despite strong peer support, as a result of his whistleblowing activities that angered the French Department of Health (see: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1478-3231.2011.02723.x/full)

The French debate is of concern as the US medical device industry struggles hard to fight the latest efforts of the FDA to regulate them more stringently, playing the "jobs" card in Congress as aggressively as they can with both parties:
http://brodyhooked.blogspot.com/2011/10/more-on-device-industry-from-aslme-coi.html

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