FDA called 'defenseless' against bad drugs

[Champ]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The American public is "virtually defenseless" if another medication such as Vioxx proves to be unsafe after it is approved for sale, a government drug safety reviewer told a congressional committee Thursday.

"I would argue that the FDA as currently configured is incapable of protecting America against another Vioxx," said David Graham, who warned that the arthritis drug had been linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

He told the Senate Finance Committee that there were at least five other drugs on the market today that should be looked at seriously to see whether they should remain there. He cited the acne drug Accutane, the weight loss drug Meridia, the anti-cholesterol drug Crestor, the pain reliever Bextra, and the asthma drug Serevent.

Vioxx's maker, Merck & Co. pulled the drug from the market on Sept. 30 after a study indicated the popular painkiller doubled the risk of heart attacks and stroke when taken for longer than 18 months.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/V/VIOXX_SAFETY?SITE=AZPHG&SECTION=HOME

[LifeDuringWartime]

1. but

we're safe from terrorism, john ashcroft said so!

[Warpy]

2. Sometimes things don't show up

until a medication is released for sale and used by a great number of people over a long period of time.

What makes the Vioxx case different is that the FDA knew the drug had a serious problem (death) over two years ago and had been rendered too toothless even to force a relabeling of it, much less a withdrawal.

Expect much more of this stuff. The GOP despises any government agency that acts for the public against the power of the corporate, and will weaken them all to the point that they become rubberstamps for anything a corporation wants to do to us.

[bullimiami]

3. These are the same incompetent morons that

wont let drugs in from canada because they might not be "safe".

Not safe for the profits of the pharmacutical overlords no doubt.

[Trailrider1951]

4. Here's the bottom line, the honest to god truth of the matter:

The FDA was set up to protect US, the American public, from the dishonest, profit-hungry purveyors of snake oil and tainted food. Today, its mission is to protect the PROFITS of the meat and dairy industry ("we don't need no mad cow testing"), the pharmaceutical companies ("really, we didn't know that vioxx was killing people"), the insurance companies ("what we really need is TORT REFORM, so that doctors and hospitals and HMOs are protected against the lawsuits of BAD patients whose wrong leg was amputated"). Welcome to life in Corporate America. Government of the corporation, by the corporation, for the corporation, amen.:mad:

[fertilizeonarbusto]

5. but at least

we are protected from two softball coaches marrying. :mad:

[JitterbugPerfume]

6. it is Fascism

plain and simple

[President Jesus]

7. Merck CEO's campaign contributions (in detail)

gee, I wonder why the FDA has been neutered...

http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?st=NJ&last=Gilmartin&first=Raymond

[dkofos]

8. FUCKING FASCISTS

:grr: :grr: :grr:

[lawladyprof]

9. Add weakened adm. agency oversight to tort reform

and you have a recipe for wholesale disaster. 1900 (pre-regulatory agencies, pre product liability jurisprudence) anyone? This, of course, is part of their reactionary agenda.