The FDA recently convened a committee to assess a cardiac device made by Abbott, but did not disclose that most committee members had received payments from the company or had conducted research funded by Abbott. The Open Payments database revealed that 10 out of 14 committee members had received payments totaling about $650,000 from Abbott. Despite these financial relationships, the committee voted almost unanimously in favor of the device. Some experts raised concerns about transparency and potential bias due to the financial ties. The FDA defended its vetting process and highlighted the distinction between appearance issues and conflicts of interest.
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Ten Doctors on FDA Panel Reviewing Abbott Heart Device Had Financial Ties With Company
