Senator Max Baucus, Chairman of the Committee on Finance, and Senator Chuck Grassley, Ranking Member, released a committee report based on a two year inquiry of the diabetes drug Avandia. The senators also asked the Food and Drug Administration to describe what steps the agency has taken to protect patients in an ongoing Avandia clinical trial, and why the study is allowed to continue, given that the FDA itself estimated that the drug caused approximately 83,000 excess heart attacks between 1999 and 2007.
The committee report quotes the senators as saying, “As senior members of the United States Senate and Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Finance (Committee), we have a duty under the Constitution to conduct oversight into the actions of executive branch agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In this capacity, we must ensure that FDA properly fulfill their mission to advance the public’s welfare, safeguard the nation’s drug supply, and protect patients participating in clinical trials.”
Will the FDA seek a withdrawal of Avandia? Stay tuned
