Panel chastises Guidant over recall

An independent review panel sharply criticized Guidant for its past handling of patient-safety issues. The panel said the company's response to evidence of serious defects involving its pacemakers and defibrillators was inappropriate. Guidant executives learned of the problems three years ago, but chose not to release the information. The group's report finds the company relied on engineers to make decisions about the release of safety information rather than turning to medical experts. The review was led by Dr. Robert J. Myerburg of the University of Miami.

- see this article from The New York Times