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This is true. Because of FDA's strict guidelines, Thalidamide(sp?) had not been approved in the USA so parents were the heartbreak of deformed babies. Unfortunately, in European countries, England for one, I think, were not spared because the drug was already in use there. It must be difficult waiting for new drug approval but all the data must be carefully analyzed. After a potential drug is submitted to FDA for approval, it will take, I think, about a year for the FDA to reach their decision. The FDA can deny the drug, or okay the drug to go to market, or request more studies if an area of data is unclear. The amount of data to look through is tremendous. Often they are looking at data from 3oo-500 patients over a three to five year period. A lot of patients do get sick, naturally, with other illnesses while in studies. Patients in studies also die from things such as cancer and heart attacks and all the other health problems. Someone has to make sure the experimental drug was not somehow related. That's one reason for control groups in studies. The problem is the media who prematurely raise the hopes of everyone before all the studies are even finalized and before the answers are clear. Let's hope the check and cross check systems will go as fast as possible without sacriface to health. IYQ all! Lyn Coles,RN --Newcomer to list. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ---Heather Elizabeth Baird <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > After the episode of letting pregnant women take a drug that > caused their babies to be born deformed, it is better to be safe, > and test the drug well before it is allowed to enter the market > place. I am just thankful that I was not born earlier, when > there was no treatment for Parkinsons symptoms. I do not want to > take any drugs or treatment that has not been tested well > enough. Any woman with a deformed child will, I am sure, agree. > Billy Baird ([log in to unmask]) > _____________________________________________________________________ Sent by RocketMail. Get your free e-mail at http://www.rocketmail.com