What's interesting about this case is that it's just the tip of the iceberg. We see a lot of corruption in the drug industry, and a lot of questionable tactics they use to sell more drugs. Some pharmaceutical companies have been caught burying the results of negative clinical trials; other have been caught distorting clinical trials, and yet more companies have been caught outright bribing physicians in order to get them to prescribe more prescription drugs to patients. So, in comparison, this violation of omitting health safety information about hypoglycemia and diabetes seems relatively minor. But, when you add it all up, it paints a fairly clear picture of an industry that is extremely corrupt, and will do practically anything to generate more profits, including compromising the health of the public.
The FDA, for its part, typically ignores safety concerns of pharmaceutical companies, and seems to work to actually protect the pharmaceutical industry rather than protecting the public health. But, in this case, the FDA seems to be doing the right thing by demanding that this pharmaceutical company avoid engaging in this misleading activity.
Now, another thing that's interesting here is that if a misleading health claim were made on the product label of a natural product, such as a nutritional supplement, the FDA would typically raid the company's warehouse and confiscate the products, wiping out that company's inventory. However, when a pharmaceutical, such as this schizophrenia drug, is being manufactured and marketed with misleading claims, that company only receives a warning letter from the FDA. Their inventory is not confiscated, their company headquarters is not raided by FDA agents, and the company is generally allowed to continue doing business.
This is an interesting contrast in the way the FDA treats natural products versus prescription drugs. In the case of natural products, herbs, or nutritional supplements, the FDA seems determined to use its maximum enforcement powers to pressure those companies, and if possible, harm them financially. But when it comes to the prescription drug industry, the FDA seems to be fine with sending warning letters and letting the company decide on its own when or if it wishes to comply.
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