Oct. 15, 2010 - According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, the FDA is admitting to making an error in approving a surgical knee implant called the Menaflex Collagen Scaffold made by Hackensack, N.J.-based ReGen Biologics Inc.
According to the Times, the FDA made the decision to approve the device over the objections of FDA scientists after being pressured by four Democratic Congress members. The article names the congress members, all from New Jersey:
- Sen. Robert Menendez
- Rep. Steven Rothman
- Rep. Frank Pallone
- Sen. Frank Lautenberg
The Wall Street Journal's Alicia Mundy broke the contributions story, "Donations Preceded FDA Shift" in 2009.
A contributions search at MAPLight.org shows detailed information on employees of the company have donated $49,950 to the campaign committees of multiple members of Congress since the 2002 election cycle. Amongst elected members of Congress, the top four recipients of campaign contributions by employees of ReGen Biologics are, not surprisingly:
- Sen. Robert Menendez ($16,300)
- Rep. Steven Rothman ($13,300)
- Rep. Frank Pallone ($8,900)
- Sen. Frank Lautenberg ($6,300)
Other recipients include, Rep. William Pascrell, ($2,300) and former Rep. Christopher Shays ($2,000). President Barack Obama received a modest $250 in 2007, when he was still a Senator.
Figures are based on monetary and non-monetary contributions to candidate campaign committees of legislators serving in the 109th, 110th and 111th Congresses for election cycles 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010. Contributions data provided by the Center for Responsive Politics.
