Reputation would be everything for an evaluation agency: if seen as a tool of industry no one would believe its assessments.

FORBES: End the FDA Drug Monopoly: Let Patients Choose Their Medicines

The industry already funds half the FDA's budget for pre-approval evaluation of new drugs, agency officials said on a conference call.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Bartlit emphasized in his letter Thursday that cementing failures are a known hazard in the oil industry, with specific tests such as a "negative pressure test" and "cement evaluation logs" designed to identify cementing problems.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

But if industry wants to shine up a reputation dimmed by suspect behaviors of some of its own, voluntarily turning to independent evaluation and reporting of transparent data sets is one step toward polishing away some of that tarnish.

FORBES: How Can Big Pharma Restore A Reputation?