The main point of the article is to explain why FDA is not taking action against Spiriva (generic name: tiotropium), a treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder sold by Boehringer Ingelheim and Pfizer, despite a meta-analysis that raised concerns.

FORBES: FDA Asks For "Restraint" On Drug Safety Worries

According to Stephen Rosenfeld, a lawyer with the Prescription Access Litigation Project, which has launched a class-action suit against AstraZeneca and Barr Laboratories over Tamoxifen, an anti-cancer drug, delays to generic drugs mean that 42m Americans who lack health insurance pay a high price, and may not get essential medicines at all.

ECONOMIST: Prescription drugs

For Bristol-Myers, the legal action is the latest in a series of blows, not all of which stem from increasing competition from generic suppliers.

ECONOMIST: The bitter pills | The