FDA Responds to Failures in Drug Safety System

In the aftermath of the Vioxx and antidepressant scandals, the FDA has begun taking steps to reevaluate its drug safety system. According to the New York Times, FDA will "hire the nation's top scientific review body to figure out whether the drug safety system is adequate." Responding to criticism that controversial scientific opinions of the agency's top scientists were suppressed or weakened by superiors, FDA is also establishing an internal appeals process. Through the appeals process, individuals within the agency who feel that superiors have allowed an unsafe drug to enter the market may present their case before an expert committee.
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