Senators rail at big pharma's secretive lobbying

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Sen. Baucus seeks to force doctors and medical associations who lobby the FDA to disclose their pharmaceutical company ties
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/05/29/eveningnews/main20067228.shtml

Two influential U.S. senators have urged the FDA to require physicians groups and doctors to disclose their financial ties with drug-makers.

CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes reports that the senators detail how one pharmaceutical giant urged doctors to contact the FDA and raise concerns about a cheaper generic version of one of their drugs.

(snip)
Lovenox earned its maker - the French company Sanofi - more than $2 billion per year. So when the FDA began considering a cheaper, generic version of the costly drug in 2007, Sanofi sprang into action to try and slow the process.

Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) called Sanofi's actions "an outrage," adding that "frankly we've got to find ways to stop it."


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