House vote for a major prescription drug safety and FDA reform bill is good news for Americans who have been kept in the dark about dangerous drug side effects, and Consumers Union is urging conference committee members to not weaken consumer protections in the bill before sending it to the President.
“The House has taken a major step forward in protecting consumers and putting the pharmaceutical companies on notice by passing the first major drug safety reforms in 45 years,” said Jim Guest, president of Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports. “Now it’s up to a small group of House and Senate members to reconcile the two drug safety reform bills, and it is vital they keep the strongest safety provisions in the bill sent to the President.
“As we approach the third anniversary of the news that Vioxx may have caused thousands of Americans to have heart attacks or strokes, it is well past time for Congress to deliver to the President a bill that will help prevent such future drug safety disasters,” Guest added.