Episode 010: Is the FDA Killing You? A Discussion on the Impact of FDA Regulations on Americans' Lives with Dr. Mary Ruwart

What impact do FDA (Food & Drug Administration) regulations have on Americans? Are they truly benign or could they be costing us not only extra money at the pharmacy but our lives? Today, Dr. Mary Ruwart and I discuss the true impact of FDA regulations and how they do in fact shave years off of our lives.

With the passage of the 1962 amendments to the FDA the average time for a new drug to make to market has increased from 4-14 years. During that time, millions of Americans were potentially prevented from benefiting from useful pharmaceuticals. Conservative estimates put the cost of American years at between 5-10 lost due to these delays, loss of innovation, and increased costs.

Listen in as Eric & Mary tell tales of the FDA battling the CDC recommendations for preventing neural tube defects (spina bifida) leading to a delay in alerting American women to cheap remedies and unexpectedly causing a tragedy worse than the Thalidomide debacle in Europe in the 1960s. Dr. Ruwart will present compelling evidence that not only has the FDA delayed drugs that could make our lives better and longer, but that it hasn't made drugs any safer either.

Dr. Ruwart, former Upjohn researcher and author of the book, "Death by Regulation".

show notes

Mary Ruwart:The home page for Dr. Ruwart and her books, blog, and correspondence.

Abigail Alliance:The organization working to independently test and try to get faster drug approval.

What Happened to All the Medicine: The interview with Dr. Mass discussing the role GPOs and PBMs have in creating meciation shortages referred to in the show.

That Which is Seen, and That Which is Not Seen; by Frederic Bastiat:One of my favorite reads on economics with the famous example of the broken window fallacy.

Patreon- Become a show supporter today and visit my Patreon page for extra bonuses. Every dollar raised goes towards the production and promotion of the show.