FDA defends its role in Vioxx mess

Over 27,000 Americans have died after consuming Vioxx and tends of thousands of others are suffering from serious ailments right now. Of course, the primary responsibility should be that of Merck, the drug manufacturer but it is also believed by many that the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) also did not act responsibly.

But as expected, and in line with how Merck is handling the issue, FDA too is defending its actions. In a statement released today, the FDA is essentially trying to tell Americans that it did nothing wrong. It adds that its process for drug safety evaluations is robust and there is nothing to worry. It adds, "That is evidence that the system is working."

On the subject of Dr. Curt Furberg, which we addressed in a previous article (Vioxx recall controversy gets messy), FDA now says that the decision to exclude him from Vioxx related discussions is not final yet. So there is a small chance that he may be invited to attend the meeting and be able to express his dissenting opinion on Vioxx. Looks like the controversy did motivate FDA to rethink the issue.