Three years ago, an unusual and disturbing showdown took place between Wyeth and Victoria Hampshire, an FDA vet, over the drugmaker’s Pro-Heart 6, a widely used medicine for preventing heartworm in dogs.

Hampshire noticed an unusually high rate of deaths and serious side effects, and challenged the company. There was a tense meeting, but Wyeth officials withdrew the med. However, Wyeth also pushed back - the drugmaker accused Hampshire of a conflict of interest over a web site she sometimes used to fill prescriptions for various meds, including Pro-Heart 6 rivals.

Later, the FDA transferred Hampshire to a lesser job, after the drugmaker - including ceo Bob Essner - used its clout with the FDA commish. But the episode didn’t end there. Hampshire eventually went public with her tale and US Sen. Chuck Grassley is investigating.

This is an unfortunate, but also instructive saga about the tension between the agency and the industry, as reported this weekend by the Associated Press. The difficult clash between one person’s commitment to public health and a company’s drive for investor profits is on full display.

In the end, Wyeth comes out looking badly. The drugmaker has every right to aggressively advocate its position, but dogs can’t fend for themselves. And perhaps to Essner’s surprise, some people aren’t willing to roll over and play dead.

The entire story is right here.[tags]Pro-Heart 6, Victoria Hampshire, Wyeth[/tags]