Regulation of medical technology must keep people safe while not stifling innovation

SINGAPORE – In late 2011, some 30,000 women were advised by the French authorities to remove their potentially defective breast implants after reports surfaced that the implants could rupture or cause cancer.

Investigations showed that the French manufacturer

had used cheap industrial silicone,

meant for use in items like computer parts, instead of the medical-grade material it had claimed it was using, in an attempt to boost its profits.