LANSING – Oakland Democrats today announced that a package of bills to end the absolute immunity enjoyed by drug companies had a hearing in the Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.
"Michigan is the one state in the nation that continues to give drug companies total protection when their drugs harm or kill people," said State Representative Tim Melton (D-Auburn Hills). "The big drug companies should not be entitled to special protection over the best interests of our residents."
The package of bills discussed in committee Wednesday will:
- Repeal a 1996 law granting legal immunity to drug companies. Passed by then-Governor John Engler and the Republican-controlled Legislature, the law gives companies complete immunity from legal action, as long as the drug in question has been approved for safety and efficacy by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration;
- Make the repeal retroactive so that Michigan residents harmed by dangerous drugs since 1996 can seek legal recourse;
- Include big drug companies in the Consumer Protection Act, from which they are currently exempted.
"House Democrats have been fighting for nearly two years to get this hearing," said State Representative Marie Donigan (D-Royal Oak), a leading advocate of this legislation. "Now we can finally make a positive change to give consumers a voice."
In the wake of scandals surrounding drugs such as Vioxx, Rezulin and Bextra, there have been revelations that members of the FDA drug-approval boards have ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
"Now is the time for legislators to send the message that it is illegal for big drug companies to mislead and deceive consumers," said State Representative Aldo Vagnozzi (D-Farmington/Farmington Hills). "These businesses have made billions of dollars while the victims of their dangerous drugs have been left to suffer."