Making the FDA Transparent

In a somewhat sweeping, sea change-ish tone, the Obama administration seems set to made the FDA a more open, transparent place – especially in dealing with drug information. This NY Times piece details some of the problems that could be solved:

For years, the Food and Drug Administration has withheld information about drugs and medical devices from the public when their makers cite trade secrecy — even in cases where the agency suspects that the products are causing serious illness or death.

Now the new leadership at the F.D.A. may change that.

A new “task force” at the agency will be created to (among other things) make such "privy" data available to the public, in the name of safety. But if they do try to, as the article indicates, potentially reveal what is currently viewed as “secret data about drugs and devices under study,” you can bet the drug lobbyists will come out in full force against it. Still, the new number #2 at the FDA, Joshua Sharfstein, is tapped to lead this task force.

This could be a good fight.

-- Dylan Blaylock

Comments

[Media Desk]

The Transparency Task Force is actively seeking input from the public about issues related to transparency and will work to identify what information the public most wants FDA to be transparent about. The public comments will inform the recommendations the Task Force will provide to the Commissioner about ways the agency can become more transparent.