Rumsfeld's connection with Tamiflu / pharmaceutical industry

The riddle for today is, what does Rumsfeld have to do with our
prescription drugs? Wonder why our prescription drug care is where it is
today? costs and all?

Well, according to his Whitehouse biography
http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/rumsfeld-bio.html

he was CEO of and then Chairman of G.D. Searle & Company from 1977 - 1985.

Now it turns out that all this mess with the avian flu and the "only" drug
available to "treat" this horrible disease, Tamiflu - turns out that....
what do you know.... Rumfeld shows up again on the scene.

Rumsfeld served as head of Gilead Sciences, Inc., from 1997 until he became
Bush's secretary of defense in 2001. Gilead licensed the drug to Roche for
marketing, and Roche announced Tamiflu's first approval in 1999.

Announcement of Rumsfeld as chair
http://www.gilead.com/wt/sec/pr_933190157/

Foster City, CA, January 3, 1997 - Gilead Sciences Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD)
today announced that board member Donald H. Rumsfeld will assume the
position of Chairman, effective immediately. Mr. Rumsfeld succeeds Michael
L. Riordan, M.D., who founded Gilead in 1987 and has served as Chairman
since 1993. Dr. Riordan will continue to serve as a director on the board.

"Gilead is fortunate to have had Don Rumsfeld as a stalwart board member
since the company's earliest days, and we are very pleased that he has
accepted the Chairmanship," Dr. Riordan said. "He has played an important
role in helping to build and steer the company. His broad experience in
leadership positions in both industry and government will serve us well as
Gilead continues to build its commercial presence."