DeLauro on Avandia Reports

Washington, DC— Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) released the following statement today in response to the reports by the FDA showing hundreds of people suffered heart problems while taking the diabetes drug Avandia and recommending that it be removed from the market:

"I strongly urge the FDA to remove Avandia from the market until a truly independent, science-based advisory panel can evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the drug. It is reprehensible that many people might have suffered heart attacks or heart failure as a result of taking this drug, especially if a safer alternative exists.

"The safety and efficacy of a prescription drug should be based on independent, science-based evidence, and not a drug company's interpretation of what constitutes science-based evidence. The Avandia case provides further evidence that patients should not trust drug companies with their health."