John Stossel from the Fox Business Network asks this very important question. Next he asks “Who owns your body?” You can watch his documentary as he weighs in on whether the government should have control over our bodies and the medications we take.

http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/4056081/who-owns-your-body/?playlist_id=87050

This touches all of us at CareToLive since we have been fighting the FDA for three years now for Provenge access for late stage prostate cancer patients. Stossel includes footage from the FDA Rally we held in Rockville, Maryland on September 18, 2007, with myself included at the Rockville Rally.

Stossel uses video of our beloved Bruce Tower. Bruce died while waiting for the FDA to approve Provenge, never having been able to receive it himself. He did participate in the Dendreon Trials, but he unfortunately only received a placebo, and not the actual immunotherapy.

The memory of Bruce, along with other CTL members, Stephen Study, John Fish, Howard Cassell, and Richard Ripp, makes us want to shout right along with John Stossel when he tells the FDA, “Why don’t you just butt out?”

The FDA can say it makes its decision based on science but we know that is all a bunch of baloney. Even Forbes writer, Matthew Herper, can tell you that. Remember this quote from his article back in April 2007:

Provenge’s fate “will be determined by unpredictable politics at the Food and Drug Administration, not the certainties of science.”

And then there was the testimony by Harry Markopolos before Congress during the Bernie Madoff investigation:

Congressman: Are you familiar with the concept of capture when you are talking about regulation? What is that? Do you know that concept?

Harry Markopolos: Yes. It’s basically when the regulator is in bed with the industry they purport to regulate and do not regulate the industry. In fact, they consider the industry the client, not the public citizens.

Congressman: And have you seen that in action.

Harry Markopolos: Yes. At the Food and Drug Administration and at the SEC.

Excerpt starts at 14:14  http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1021435842

Care To Live is glad to hear Harry Markopolos has written a book called “No One Would Listen”  due out March 2nd.

In the meantime, check out John Stossel’s report and then write to your Senators and Congressmen and tell them to tell the FDA to butt out!

Hey, FDA, approve Provenge NOW!

Popularity: 38%

Harry Markopolos, at the Bernie Madoff Ponzi Scheme Congressional Investigation.

Congressman Alan Grayson: Are you familiar with the concept of capture when you are talking about regulation? What is that? Do you know that concept?

Harry Markopolos: Yes. It’s basically when the regulator is in bed with the industry they purport to regulate and do not regulate the industry. In fact, they consider the industry the client, not the public citizens.

Congressman Alan Grayson: And have you seen that in action.

Harry Markopolos: Yes. At the Food and Drug Administration and at the SEC.

Excerpt starts at 14:14  http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1021435842

Popularity: 66%