That’s what the FDA has told Americans who want a little information about their own DNA. Paul Hsieh has a good piece at PajamasMedia outlining this latest example of federal paternalism:
Recent advances in biotechnology have allowed private companies to offer affordable genetic testing directly to consumers, to help them determine their risks of developing problems such as diabetes, heart disease, and various forms of cancer.
Seems like a pretty good idea, right? Well, the appatchiks at the FDA beg to differ. Our masters in Washington don’t want us using our own DNA to “make medical decisions” for ourselves.
The U.S. government has told these companies that their tests must be approved by FDA regulators before they can be sold because, in the government’s words, ‘consumers may make medical decisions in reliance on this information.’
I geth us 2 dum 2 figgir this stuf out by ourselfs. We nede Bid Brutter to halp us fink. Thanc gudnis 4 our frinds frum da Bilkway. Wiffote dim, we mite hirt oursilf. Wats a DNA inyway?
Comments 3
If these tests told you the ‘truth’ you might have a point. But they don’t.
Posted 15 Jul 2010 at 1:50 pm ¶OK marc, so do you agree or disagree that the FDA should be banning something like this? Just a simple yes or no will do, no need to twist yourself into a non sequitur machine in the process, just yes, I think the FDA *should* take control of this away from the people or no they should *not* because it isn’t really any of their business.
(As you’re a closet fascist, I’m pretty sure you’re going to go w/ the former, but I’m open to being shocked.)
Posted 15 Jul 2010 at 7:39 pm ¶Sorry ECM, but you’re not following this. The FDA is not banning anything. It is looking at whether such tests should be carried out in certified labs and it may be that complex tests for risk for disease such as cancer - which can be grossly misinterpreted by laypeople - should have physician involvement, as is already required under state law in California (and in New York I think). Note that in an allied topic - direct to consumer prescription drugs advertising, which is only allowed in New Zealand and the US - the evidence is of overall harm to public health.
Posted 16 Jul 2010 at 6:02 pm ¶Post a Comment