Dr. David Graham, a Food and Drug Administration official, told the Senate Finance Committee last Friday that the FDA would be unable to protect the country from another Vioxx case.
Vioxx was pulled from all worldwide markets by Merck & Company, after a study confirmed that the popular arthritis drug increases a patients’ risk of heart attack and stroke after just 18-months of use.
“I would argue that the FDA, as currently configured, is incapable of protecting America against another Vioxx,” Dr. Graham said.
In addition, Graham warned about five other drugs on the market that may be unsafe including Crestor, a cholesterol-lowering drug made by AstraZeneca, which has been reported to causing kidney failure.
AstraZeneca in response to Dr. Graham’s testimony issued a statement, in which it highlights an FDA statement explaining that Dr. Graham’s testimony does not reflect the views of the agency.
“Dr. Graham’s congressional testimony does not reflect the views of the Agency,” the FDA said last Friday. “The five specific drugs that Dr. Graham identified in his oral testimony are currently approved as safe and effective for use in the United States.”.
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