Alex had trouble posting this. Anyone else have similar troubles? -- Prof. Bryan Caplan [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/bcaplan "We may be dissatisfied with television for two quite different reasons: because our set does not work, or because we dislike the program we are receiving. Similarly, we may be dissatisfied with ourselves for two quite different reasons: because our body does not work (bodily illness), or because we dislike our conduct (mental illness)." --Thomas Szasz, *The Untamed Tongue*
Bryan, I sent the attached last week and again earlier today but it simply doesn't want to post! Arrghhh! Alex -- Dr. Alexander Tabarrok Vice President and Director of Research The Independent Institute 100 Swan Way Oakland, CA, 94621-1428 Tel. 510-632-1366, FAX: 510-568-6040 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
I find myself in the strange position of defending the FDA! The delay in approving RU-486 (mifepristone) has more to do with the politics of abortion than the usual politics of delay at the FDA - although abortion politics has worked through the FDA. Under George Bush, for example, the FDA actually banned RU-486 from the country in 1989. Clinton allowed it in but no big drug firm, including the French manufacturer Roussel-Uclaf (a subsidiary of the German firm Hoechst A.G. - you can understand why *they* didn't want the publicity) could be found to sponsor the drug and conduct the required clinical trials. The French manufacturer actually stopped making the drug in 1988 because of anti-abortion activism until the French Health Minister ordered them to continue production (they dropped production in 1997 and gave the patent rights to the New York based non-profit, the Population Council). Finally a firm was found to manufacture the drug in the US but until recently it has had trouble passing FDA manufacturing inspections. Alex -- Dr. Alexander Tabarrok Vice President and Director of Research The Independent Institute 100 Swan Way Oakland, CA, 94621-1428 Tel. 510-632-1366, FAX: 510-568-6040 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]