Doctor admits FDA complaint about 3M™ Bair Hugger™ system was authored by 3M competitor

An anesthesiologist who supposedly authored a complaint to the FDA about the 3M™ Bair Hugger™ warming system in 2010 acknowledged in a recent deposition that he didn’t write the report, nor did he file it with the FDA.

Under questioning, Dr. Robert Gauthier admitted that the letter he signed actually was written by executives of Augustine Temperature Management, a 3M competitor. Scott Augustine, the company’s founder, and its general counsel, Randy Benham, drafted the letter, Gauthier said.

“They wrote it, I edited it,’’ Gauthier testified. “I toned it down, if you will.’’

Augustine claimed that the FDA complaint was filed by Dr. Gauthier, an “independent anesthesiologist,” but Gauthier testified otherwise. Gauthier’s revelation is further proof of the smear campaign waged by Augustine. It’s also another piece of the mounting evidence showing Augustine’s involvement in the “science’’ underpinning the lawsuits against the Bair Hugger warming system.