"FDA Bans Vioxx And Bextra Critic From Advisory Panel Meeting

Plus le change, plus le meme chose avec les Bushies...:
November 13, 2004

A drug safety expert says his invitation to participate in a meeting on the risks of arthritis drugs like Vioxx and Bextra has been rescinded by government officials because he publicly expressed concerns about the medications.

Curt Furberg, a member of the FDA's drug safety advisory committee presented study data during a meeting of the American Heart Association last week. During the meeting, Furberg said a study showed people who took Bexta, a drug similar to Vioxx, had twice the risk of having a heart attack or stroke compared to those who didn't take it.

Bextra, a Pfizer drug, is a COX-2 inhibitor like Vioxx, which Merck pulled off the market on September 30, because a study showed that it doubled the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Furberg expressed concerns that 'higher-ups' in the FDA wanted to silence him. 'I think they're trying to control criticism at the committee meeting,' the Washington Post quoted Furberg as saying.

The day after Furberg presented his findings he was informed by the FDA that his invitation to sit on the panel discussion on Vioxx was rescinded because he spoke out publicly about his concerns over the drugs.

Officials at the FDA indicated Furberg was removed from the panel because of his potential conflict of interests. The advisory panel meets in February to discuss the risk of Vioxx and other arthritis drugs."