[WheelsAtLarge]

The reason there's so much red tape related to drug development is because people were so free with drug testing in the past. There was a time when the FDA did not exist. We had a situation where people could sell anything and call it a cure without testing. Word of mouth was all that was needed to sell a cure whether it work or not. It was up to each buyer to decide if it cured the problem. We had situations where the cure was worst than the illness.

We need testing. It's the only way we can have confidence in our medical system.

[tekproxy]

I agree testing is important and your historical perspective is illuminating. My question is: What happens if the FDA does a bad job? It has a monopoly. They have an incentive to deny everything. If they deny a new drug and people die, it's hard to blame them. If they approve a drug that's dangerous, they get egg on their face.