CWA Says FDA Continues to Fail to Protect Women

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FDA nominee von Eschenbach must answer for FDA’s support of poorly studied and lethal drugs only used by women

Contact: Stacey Holliday, Concerned Women for America, 202-488-7000 ext. 126

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 /Christian Newswire/ -- Concerned Women for America (CWA) says that under Acting Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach’s tenure the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has continued its pattern of putting women’s health secondary to supporting poorly studied reproductive drugs, including the lethal RU-486, the morning-after pill and the birth control patch. The Senate is now considering the nomination of Andrew von Eschenbach for FDA Commissioner.

“The FDA has exhibited a pattern of approving and supporting reproductive drugs and devices used only by women that end up being harmful or even fatal. This has continued during Andrew von Eschenbach’s tenure,” said Wendy Wright, CWA’s President. “Apparently for some in the FDA, drugs that can cause fatal or life threatening reactions are preferable to having a baby.

“September 28th will mark six years that RU-486 has been on the market. Since then, the drug has been linked to at least eight women’s deaths and has caused more than 200 women to be hospitalized, 120 blood transfusions and over 1,050 adverse complications. This represents a gross underestimate of the complications suffered by women after taking the abortion drug, since the FDA admits that only ten percent of complications get reported. CWA revealed that trials done for RU-486 were substandard, not meeting the usual requirements the FDA demands for any other drug.

“The birth control patch is the latest example of the FDA’s failure to regulate a dangerous reproductive drug. Reliable studies show that the patch has led to women’s deaths, yet the FDA’s only answer was to change the wording on the warning label,” said Wright.

CWA mourns with the families of women who have lost their lives due to taking the deadly drug RU-486, after being told by abortion groups that it was “extremely safe.” This month, we remember the anniversaries of the deaths of two victims of RU-486: Holly Patterson (Sept. 17, 2003) and Brenda Vise (Sept. 12, 2001).

Concerned Women for America is the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization.