The FDA Guerillas of Wonky DrugWonks - Part I

The FDA Guerillas of Wonky DrugWonks - Part I

Former Bush Administration officials have formed a pharmaceutical industry guerilla group called the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, described on its website as "a non-partisan, non-profit educational charity," and a "new vital force in health care policy."

However, for all intents and purposes, the mission of CMPI front group is to promote back-door efforts at tort reform, including pushing complete drug maker immunity through federal preemption, to pump out rapid-response propaganda on the internet to deflate scandals involving the pharmaceutical industry and the FDA, and to discredit anyone who would dares to criticize the industry or the FDA.

Former FDA associate commissioner, Peter Pitts, is the president. He is also the Senior Vice President of Global Health Affairs at Manning Selvage and Lee, a Public Relations firm described as "a top five healthcare communications practice with a 50-year history," representing, "major pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device companies."

Former FDA chief counsel, Daniel Troy, the Godfather of preemption, sits on an advisory board for CMPI. His bio brags that he "played a principal role in FDA’s generally successful assertion of preemption in selected product liability cases." He represented drug companies before he was chief counsel and returned to the same role when he left.

In the March 8, 2008, Mother Jones magazine, Stephanie Mencimer points out that Mr Troy's "career is an illustration of how the Bush administration's revolving door has allowed industry lawyers to radically reshape regulatory agencies to benefit the big businesses they once represented and then profit from those changes when they return to the private sector."

Robert Goldberg is vice president of CMPI. He was previously the Director of the Manhattan Institute's Center for Medical Progress and Chairman of its 21st Century FDA Task Force, according to his bio.

On the CMPI website, Mr Pitts and Mr Goldberg set up the internet blog, DrugWonks, supposedly to provide a forum that offers "rigorous and compelling research on the most critical issues affecting current drug policy."

But in truth, DrugWonks serves as a defacto media outlet to provide services offered by MS&L to pharmaceutical clients and to counteract damaging information as it comes out in the media with rapid responses on the internet.

“Media is the lifeblood of MS&L and our healthcare practice,” the firm explains on its website. “Our experts immerse themselves in the needs and changes occurring within the media,” it says.

MS&L services include: “Developing communications strategies to support or thwart issues, including outreach to key agenda-setters, coalition-building, e-fluencer campaigns and media outreach”.

Under the leadership of Mr Pitts in the Global Affairs unit, “MS&L helps clients understand and influence government thinking on key health policy issues,” according to the website. “Monitoring emerging health issues to protect clients, particularly legislative and regulatory activities,” is a service offered.

To that end, whenever the “monitoring” spots a potential problem for an industry client involving the FDA or legislation pending or investigations in Congress, Mr Pitts and Mr Goldberg automatically shift into overdrive to either deflate, deflect or defend with information released on the internet through DrugWonks.

In 2006, tax records show, CMPI spent $210,000, to influence the media through a large conference, DrugWonks, editorials in published in major newspapers, and multimedia programs and podcasts, according to Slate Magazine