Three examples illustrate those problems. In 1974, on the basis of unsubstantiated media reports and lawsuits, and without legislative authority, the FDA forced A.H. Robins to remove the contraceptive Dalkon Shield from the market. Though later reports showed the shields to be safe, A.H. Robins was driven into bankruptcy. Beginning in 1988, Dow Corning’s silicone breast implants became the subject of FDA accusations, liability suits, and media hysteria. Although no sound science has ever shown the devices to be dangerous, the manufacturer was driven out of business.
My company, Vitek, manufactured out of the patented material Proplast implants that were used successfully in some 100,000 patients with distorted, damaged, or destroyed facial structure; joints of the jaw, thumb, and hip; and other body parts. In 1986 reports surfaced about particular jaw implants wearing out. In fact, the problems occurred when underlying conditions were not treated or when patients refused to follow the prescribed treatment. But the FDA and liability lawyers waged a campaign against those implants, driving Vitek out of business. Worse, the FDA also targeted Novamed, a company established to produce other FDA‐approved Proplast implants that were not under suspicion, and used questionable court tactics to drive it out of business. Finally, the FDA used its own regulatory leverage and the World Health Organization to drive into bankruptcy a Swiss company established to produce Proplast products that had obtained or were obtaining certification in the Europe Union, Switzerland, and Canada.
European governments allow private companies that meet certain objective criteria to certify medical devices. That approach is less subject to abuse, better ensures patients’ access to devices, and could be an alternative to the malfunctioning American approach.
