FDA women's health head resigns after Plan B decision - RHTP

[UpInArms]

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/newsfinder/pulseone.asp?dateid=38595.5205785417-841034738&siteID=mktw&scid=0&doctype=806&property=symb&value=&categories=&

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- The Food and Drug Administration's assistant commissioner for women's health and director of the agency's office of women's health, Susan Wood, has resigned in the wake of the FDA's decision last Friday to again delay a decision on whether to allow over-the-counter sales of the contraceptive drug Plan B. The morning-after pill is made by Barr Laboratories Inc. (BRL) . A letter from Wood was released Wednesday by Reproductive Health Technologies Project, a contraceptive advocacy group, in which Wood called the decision contrary to her core commitment to improving and advancing women's health. "I have spent the last 15 years working to ensure that science informs good health policy decisions," Wood states in the letter. "I can no longer serve as staff when scientific and clinical evidence, fully evaluated and recommended for approval by the professional staff here, has been overruled." A call to the FDA seeking comment was not immediately returned.

...short blurb...

12:17pm 08/31/05 FDA OFFICIAL: DECISION CONTRARY TO HER CORE COMMITMENT -RHTP

12:15pm 08/31/05 SR FDA OFFICIAL STEPS DOWN IN WAKE OF PLAN B DECISION - RHTP

(updated for blurb and link)

[wakeme2008]

1. From

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/newsfinder/pulseone.asp?dateid=38595.5205785417-841034738&siteID=mktw&scid=0&doctype=806&

FDA women's health head resigns after Plan B decision - RHTP (BRL) By Carolyn Pritchard
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- The Food and Drug Administration's assistant commissioner for women's health and director of the agency's office of women's health, Susan Wood, has resigned in the wake of the FDA's decision last Friday to again delay a decision on whether to allow over-the-counter sales of the contraceptive drug Plan B. The morning-after pill is made by Barr Laboratories Inc. (BRL) . A letter from Wood was released Wednesday by Reproductive Health Technologies Project, a contraceptive advocacy group, in which Wood called the decision contrary to her core commitment to improving and advancing women's health. "I have spent the last 15 years working to ensure that science informs good health policy decisions," Wood states in the letter. "I can no longer serve as staff when scientific and clinical evidence, fully evaluated and recommended for approval by the professional staff here, has been overruled." A call to the FDA seeking comment was not immediately returned.

..only one paragraph

[fudge stripe cookays]

2. Fuck.

So who might be replacing her? I'll assume it will be some nutbar fundie, whose only function will be to tow the Anti-Choice line even further.

FSC

[MountainLaurel]

8. Probably the guy

Who thinks that women should just pray away their endometriosis.

[rodeodance]

3. well good for her but sorry about her lose of a job.

The Food and Drug Administration's assistant commissioner for women's health and director of the agency's office of women's health, Susan Wood, has resigned in the wake of the FDA's decision last Friday to again delay a decision on whether to allow over-the-counter sales of the contraceptive drug Plan B.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

4. good

one woman of honor made a powerful statement in Crawford - see what followed?

This professional decided that honor and honesty required a drastic move. She made that move. I hope that she has the same impact.

[short bus president]

6. it won't

lifetimers from FDA have been fleeing since 2000. She will be replaced by someone pre-beaten into submission on the fundies' issues.

[VegasWolf]

14. Ever notice that it is the WOMEN that are the ones leading the way out

of the Bush empire catastrophe?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

17. At least half the population sees him for what he is

soon, many more will see him as well.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

5. Atlas Shrugged

Ayn Rand was a terrible writer, but there's getting to be a "how life imitates art" aspect to that book these days.

[Delphinus]

7. Can you expound?

I read Atlas Shrugged twenty years ago and, although I loved it, do not recall a lot of it. How is life imitating the art of Atlas Shrugged?

[UpInArms]

9. related: FDA calls departure of women's health head 'unfortunate'

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/newsfinder/pulseone.asp?dateid=38595.584699213-841037609&siteID=mktw&scid=0&doctype=806&

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- The decision by Susan Wood, the Food and Drug Administration's assistant commissioner for women's health and director of the agency's office of women's health, to leave the agency is "unfortunate," the FDA said in a statement Wednesday. Wood resigned in the wake of the FDA's decision last Friday to again delay a decision on whether to allow over-the-counter sales of the contraceptive drug Plan B, which is made by Barr Laboratories Inc. (BRL) . "Her decision to leave is unfortunate as we work toward solving the complex policy and regulatory issues related to Plan B," the FDA said.

...short blurb...

[Ilsa]

10. WOW! What if others in this absurd and delinguent Administration

would stand up for what is right and resign in protest of their stupidity?

[OzarkDem]

15. Better if they had stood up before 2004

Many in the scientific, medical, health care communities knew that medicine and science were going to become even more politicized.

They were encouraged to speak out, but many just couldn't bring themselves to believe that such a thing could happen. I don't feel sorry for them, nor any others who are whining about lost research funds, etc.

[Mari333]

11. FDA Official Resigns In Protest of Morning-After Pill Decision

WASHINGTON (AP) - The highly regarded women's health chief at the Food and Drug Administration resigned Wednesday in protest of her agency's refusal to allow over-the-counter sales of emergency contraception.
Assistant Commissioner Susan Wood charged that FDA's leader overruled his own scientists' determination that the morning-after pill could safely be sold without a prescription, and stunned his employees last week by instead postponing indefinitely a decision on whether to let that happen.

"There's fairly widespread concern about FDA's credibility" among agency veterans as a result, Wood told The Associated Press hours after submitting her resignation Wednesday







http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBYZXG52DE.html

[Erika]

12. There is no science to justify restricting the drug

Bush pushing his radical theocratic agenda again.

[uncertainty1999]

13. darn!

I wish staying on the job had the same effect as quitting, in terms of making a protest statement -- I LIKE it when govt employees have my interests at heart...

[atommom]

16. I understand her frustration, but dammit, I know they'll find a

Bushbot to take her place, and go merrily on their way. :banghead: