Pig Intestines, Downer Cows

[marmar]

from In These Times:



Views > March 17, 2008
Pig Intestines, Downer Cows
By Terry J. Allen


Corruption and incompetence in federal bureaucracies are enough to make your blood run thin.

In February, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) admitted that it had allowed into the country tainted, reportedly untested heparin. Distributed by Illinois-based Baxter International, the blood thinner was injected into thousands of vulnerable patients and was linked to adverse effects in more than 800 people, as well as 19 deaths. Given the flawed reporting system, the actual toll is unknowable. But it was preventable.

Baxter imported much of the 35 million vials of heparin it sold last year in the United States from Changzhou SPL. The Chinese company included crude heparin squeezed from the intestines of slaughtered pigs processed in filthy kitchen factories that would make a backwoods meth lab look like an Intel clean room.

The FDA never inspected SPL or most of the 3,249 firms on its list of approved importers, and never tracked the supply chain.

Funding for inspections is down nearly 30 percent under President Bush, according to Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), chair of the appropriations panel responsible for FDA funding. At the current rate, the FDA would need more than 13 years to cover all the approved foreign firms. Meanwhile the administration panders to Big Pharma by banning the importation of high-quality, low-priced drugs manufactured in Canada.

Clearly, the current FDA head, Andrew von Eschenbach—an old friend of Bush—is doing a heck of a job. ........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/3566/pig_intestines_downer_cows/

[rwork]

1. I remember bush*

during the 04 debate with J.Kerry was asked if he would allow Canadian drugs to be imported into the US. He said only if they are safe.Now the frigging things are made in China so his rich friends can get richer.

[madokie]

2. This pisses me off 'cause I've already in life spent a week on a heparin diet

they tell me that once you have a clot the chances are even greater of another one.