We've discussed the Food and Drug Administration's lack of a 'moral center' a few times before, like here,
here
here
here and
here
for instance (probably more if you search in the archives, but that's enough). But the resignation of Les Crawford seems to be for other reasons, like there was a dead gay hooker, addicted to designer drugs, discovered strapped to a gurney in Crawford's office, or something else of a more 'personal' dimension. His politics and (in)competence was never a problem for the White House, as long as the FDA's client, the Big Pharma companies, and their lobbyists, were happy. Apparently they were:
Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies had generally welcomed Dr. Crawford's appointment, partly because of his long experience at the agency, but also because they wanted a full-time commissioner.
The so-called financial impropriety could be just smoke screen for the real reason of his sudden resignation.
Here's the official story: and some 'official' rumors.
Leader of the F.D.A. Steps Down After a Short, Turbulent Tenure
Lester M. Crawford's abrupt resignation is causing further upheaval at an agency that has been in turmoil for over a year.
A government official said the resignation was related to the fact that Dr. Crawford had not fully disclosed information about his finances to the Senate before his confirmation. The official spoke on condition of anonymity, citing Dr. Crawford's privacy.Christina Pearson, a spokeswoman for Mr. Leavitt, refused to say whether Bush administration officials had asked for the resignation.
“I can't comment,” Ms. Pearson said. “This is a personnel issue.”
In recent weeks, consumer advocates and scientists inside and outside the agency had said scientific decisions were being warped by politics.
On Thursday, a commentary in The New England Journal of Medicine titled “A Sad Day for Science at the F.D.A.” said that “recent actions of the F.D.A. leadership have made a mockery of the process of evaluating scientific evidence,” disillusioned many scientists, “squandered the public trust and tarnished the agency's image.”
...Critics, including members of Congress from both parties, say the agency has not provided the public with enough information about the risks of drugs and devices.
“In recent years the F.D.A. has demonstrated a too-cozy relationship with the pharmaceutical industry and an attitude of shielding rather than disclosing information,” said Senator Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa and chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.Senator Barbara A. Mikulski, Democrat of Maryland, said the agency had been “politicized and degraded” under Dr. Crawford, whose leadership she described as “tepid and passive.”
Before the Senate confirmed Dr. Crawford, a Senate committee looked into accusations that he was having an affair with a woman who worked in his office and that he had wasted government money by taking her on official trips when she was not needed. An anonymous letter also suggested that Dr. Crawford had helped the woman secure a promotion to a higher-paying job.
An inquiry by the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services found some contradictions in statements by Dr. Crawford and the woman. Investigators found a close personal relationship between them but no evidence of an extramarital affair.
...Critics, including many in Congress, said the agency had tried to stifle one of its own scientists who had found evidence that the use of antidepressants could cause children and teenagers to become more suicidal. The agency was also criticized as slow to recognize that Vioxx and similar pain medicines could increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Merck withdrew Vioxx from the market a year ago and is facing thousands of lawsuits from people who say they were harmed by the drug. Under pressure, Dr. Crawford and the agency have started to release more information about potential safety problems of drugs and devices, rather than waiting, as in the past, until they had a fuller picture.
Tags: corruption, /FDA
