What could be a fruitful conversation has been largely co-opted by pharmaceutical companies as a method for trying to get drugs with unclear benefits approved.
Pharma funding and "grooming" of patient organizations has a profound impact on the drug approval process, as testimony from patient advocates has become more common.
"How people die has changed dramatically over the past 60 years, from a family event with occasional medical support, to a medical event with limited family support." ~ Libby Sallnow, co-chair, Lancet Commission on the Value of Death