You can’t pick up a paper or turn on the news this week without hearing about Avandia, the latest blockbuster drug in the spotlight for potentially deadly side effects. This treatment, prescribed to about 6 million diabetics since 1999, is likely to increase cardiovascular disease and heart attacks in its users.

So we finally know the date, the long anticipated Michael Moore documentary on the health care industry is due in theaters on June 29...i doubt PhRMA will get an invitation for a special screening.

It's time for action. With strong legislation sitting in committee, the House has a chance now to take a hard line against the drug industry.

The vote came down to 93-1, as Senate bill S.1082 was passed this week. Drug industry lobbyists breathed a sign of relief as reimportation was not tacked on to the bill.

The Senate debate on the FDA funding/drug safety bill continued this week. Since last Tuesday when the Senate began discussing the bill, a slew of amendments have been tacked on.

Debate is now scheduled to begin again at 4pm today on S.1082. The reimportation debate has become the big controversy now in debating this bill.

The vote on FDA reform bill S.1082 may not happen until Thursday...depends on how much time it takes members to get through all the amendments and weave through a flood of drug company lobbyists.