FDA, lawmaker clash over antibiotic

[deadparrot]

WASHINGTON - President Bush's choice to head the Food and Drug Administration is refusing to give Congress all the information it seeks about a controversial antibiotic, setting up further confrontations with a Republican senator blocking his nomination.

The agency's acting chief, Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, said full disclosure of the information about Ketek could have a chilling effect on the FDA's ability to be an independent and objective evaluator of drug safety and other issues.

The statement came in a written response to questions by Sen. Charles Grassley (news, bio, voting record), R-Iowa. Grassley is blocking Senate confirmation of von Eschenbach while he investigates the FDA's handling of Ketek, which has been linked to severe liver problems and several deaths.

"Selectively providing documents and access to executive agency officials pursuant to a congressional subpoena cannot constitute compliance," Grassley wrote Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt on Wednesday.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061201/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/fda_von_eschenbach

[keopeli]

1. Bush going to bat for a French pharmaseutical company...wow. nt

[wiley]

2. So, the FDA works for the Pharmaceutical Industry, just like *?

[Trillo]

3. Sounds like the same type of excuses

surrounding the energy meetings with the Bush executive branch early on.

Seems to be a common pattern in this whole executive branch. Repeated Secrecy at every seeming act. At the same time the same branch is mandating near absolute DISCLOSURE for the rest of us, whether we want it or not, and often to private companies who we already know are only about one thing--profit.

I'd just assume the executive branch take the attitude of NO MORE SECRETS.

They cannot undo the transparency already forced upon us.

Why not just cut off their funds until they squeal?

[TechBear_Seattle]

4. Squeal like a pig!

:rofl:

[OhioChick]

5. Bad, bad drug.

Personal experience.
K&R
:kick: