New FDA head Robert Califf is the ultimate pharma insider – took money from 23 drug companies
Mike Adams – The FDA has now officially been completely captured by the pharmaceutical industry. With the confirmation of pharma insider Robert Califf as the new head of the FDA, America can look forward to many years of FDA malfeasance in conspiracy with pharmaceutical manufacturers to cover up the deadly side effects of drugs like Vioxx, all while using the full power of the federal government to intimidate, censor and criminalize natural product companies.
From Counterpunch.org: A disclosure statement on the website of Duke Clinical Research Institute says “Robert M. Califf, MD, reports receiving research grant support from Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson/Scios, Lilly, Merck, and Schering Plough, and consulting fees from Annenberg, Aterovax, Bayer / Ortho McNeil, BMS, Boehringer Ingelheim, GSK, WebMd / theheart.org, Johnson and Johnson / Scios, Kowa Research Institute, McKinsey & Company, Medtronic, Merck, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Sanofi Aventis, and Schering Plough, and has an equity position with NITROX, LLC.”
In disclosure information for a 2013 article in Circulation, Dr. Califf’s also lists financial links to Gambro, Regeneron, Gilead, AstraZeneca, Roche, others companies and equity positions in four medical companies. The medical website Medscape discloses that Dr. Califf “served as a director, officer, partner, employee, advisor, consultant or trustee for Genentech” as well as for Medscape LLC / theheart.org. Portola Pharmaceuticals says Dr. Califf served on the Board of Directors until he was appointed FDA Deputy Commissioner for Medical Products and Tobacco.
Appearing on PBS with Susan Dentzer after Vioxx was withdrawn because of its links to thousands of heart attacks and stroke, Dr. Califf said, “Merck played by the rules from everything that I’ve seen.” He also said, “many of us consult with the pharmaceutical industry, which I think is a very good thing. They need ideas and then the decision about what they do is really up to the person who is funding the study.” What?