19 novembre, 2006 13:24
History of the silicone banNovember 18, 2006
Jan. 1992: The Food and Drug Administration calls for a temporary halt to the sale and use of silicone gel breast implants while it evaluates their safety.
March 1992: Dow Corning Inc., the leading maker of silicone implants, ends production.
April 1992: The FDA severely restricts use of the silicone implants for cosmetic purposes but allows them to be used for reconstructive surgery.
March 1994: Dow Corning, Baxter International and Bristol-Myers Squibb sign a $3.75-billion settlement with lawyers representing thousands of women who contend they were seriously injured by silicone gel breast implants. It is the largest settlement of a product liability case in U.S. history.
May 1995: Dow Corning seeks federal bankruptcy protection, jeopardizing the settlement.
Nov. 1998: Dow Corning agrees to pay $3.2 billion to settle claims by more than 170,000 women who say the implants harmed their health.
Dec. 1998: A U.S. District-Court-appointed committee of scientists concludes there is no credible evidence that silicone implants cause disease.
June 1999: An independent scientific panel reports that silicone gel breast implants appear not to cause chronic disease.
Jan. 2004: The FDA, rejecting the recommendation of an advisory panel, refuses to lift its restrictions on the use of silicone gel breast implants, saying more research is necessary.
April 2005: An FDA advisory panel recommends that silicone implants made by Mentor Corp. be approved for cosmetic use, but advises against approval of those made by Inamed Corp.
July 2005: FDA gives Mentor tentative approval, subject to conditions, to sell implants for cosmetic breast enhancement.
Sept. 21, 2005: Inamed announces the FDA has given it tentative approval, subject to conditions, to sell implants for cosmetic use.
Nov. 17, 2006: The FDA rescinds a 14-year ban on silicone gel implants for cosmetic use.
Health
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/
