FDA

July 12, 2007 -- [WASHINGTON, DC] –U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced legislation to strengthen the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) ability to monitor and inspect goods that enter the United States from abroad by imposing a fee on companies and countries exporting food products to the United States. These fees would generate revenues for inspections of imported foods and food safety research.    » read more »

Senator Says Recent Food Import Scares and FDA Ban on Chinese Fish Imports Mean Country of Origin Labeling Must be Mandated Immediately

July 11, 2007 -- Washington, DC – In the wake of recent scares about imported food and feed products, and the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) alert concerning imports of certain seafood from China, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today called on her Senate colleagues to implement Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) as soon as possible.    » read more »

June 28, 2007 -- [WASHINGTON, DC] – In light of FDA’s announcement today to ban five species of fish imported from China, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) sent a letter urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner, Andrew von Eschenbach; the Secretary of Agriculture, Michael Johanns and Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Michael Leavitt to establish a food safety Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the U.S. and China. An MOU is a legal document describing a bilateral agreement between parties.    » read more »

June 28, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C— Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, released the following statement in response to the FDA’s countrywide import alert for a wide variety of farm-raised seafood from China.    » read more »

Statement by Sidney Wolfe, MD, Director of the Health Research Group at Public Citizen

June 22, 2007 -- A final rule issued today by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) not only is 13 years late but will not do anything to ensure that dietary supplements are safe or effective – a critical necessity.    » read more »

June 5, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C—Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, released the following statement in response to a series of reports published in the New England Journal of Medicine on the concerns surrounding Avandia.

"Today's reports are a call to action for Congress to strengthen the ability of the FDA to oversee the safety of the medicines that American families rely on.    » read more »

03 June 2007 -- China is rejecting a U.S. government warning about Chinese-made toothpaste that contains a potentially poisonous chemical commonly used in antifreeze.

China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine says the advisory from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is unscientific and irresponsible.

China says low-levels of the chemical, diethylene glycol, have been approved for consumption. It also says the U.S. food regulator has approved all Chinese-made toothpaste exported to the United States.    » read more »

May 29, 2007 -- Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal today filed a formal petition with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), urging that it implement and upgrade long-delayed rule changes for sunscreen labeling to stop claims that the FDA has already acknowledged are false and misleading.

"The FDA is AWOL - enabling false labeling, and encouraging overexposure to the sun," Blumenthal said. "It has shelved rules that could save lives. Reliance on voluntary compliance has led to pervasive deception.    » read more »

Human Health Risk Assessment Updated

WASHINGTON, May 15, 2007 - Testing confirms that meat from swine fed rations supplemented with pet food scraps containing melamine and related compounds is safe for human consumption, prompting the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to allow swine held on farms to be released and approved for processing.    » read more »

In Response To FDA's Recent Black Box Warning And Public Health Advisories

May 14, 2007 -- The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today its proposed decision to limit coverage of erythropoiesis stimulating agent (ESA) treatment for beneficiaries with certain cancers and related neoplastic conditions, either because of a deleterious effect of the ESA on the beneficiaries’ underlying disease or because the underlying disease increases their risk of adverse effects related to ESA use.    » read more »

May 10, 2007 -- "Today's criminal convictions confirm a tragic story - tragic for many patients, their families and the company.

"Purdue Pharma knowingly spread dangerous disinformation about OxyContin, falsely assuring doctors and patients that this powerful pain reliever was less addictive than similar medications. The company's misrepresentations led to addiction and abuse in Connecticut and nationwide.    » read more »

U.S. food safety system strengthened after melamine scare

09 May 2007 -- Washington -- There is no evidence linking human illness to certain Chinese food imports tainted with melamine or melamine-related products, U.S. officials say.    » read more »

May 9, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C— Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, released the following statement in response to the passage of the FDA Revitalization Act.    » read more »

May 9, 2007 -- WASHINGTON – The FDA Authorization bill approved by the Senate today includes a provision by Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., that will require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to review the use of carbon monoxide to alter the color of meat, potentially making it appear fresh long after its expiration date. Levin has argued that this procedure deceives consumers and conflicts with the FDA’s policies against products that alter the coloration of meat.    » read more »

May 9, 2007 -- "The Senate today has made concrete steps to improve drug safety, protect children's health, ensure the safety of our food supply and restore public confidence in the Food and Drug Administration.

I am proud that the Senate as part of this bill has reauthorized the pediatric rule. This will allow the FDA to continue requiring drug companies to prove that medications marketed for kids are safe and effective for children. Today the Senate has extended this authority for five years and I will continue to work to make the pediatric rule permanent.    » read more »