Whether you view the drugs, and their long-term use, as a benefit, or not, here's how I see it. The pharmaceutical companies have these drugs approved. And th

Whether you view the drugs, and their long-term use, as a benefit, or not, here's how I see it. The pharmaceutical companies have these drugs approved. And they are being prescribed and used, long-term. So, what's the benefit for them in doing longitudinal studies? What's the upside, versus the potential downside of discovering negative effects? If you want longitudinal studies, you're going to have to look outside the industry. An essential reason we need to keep government research around and well-funded.