Drugmakers Hurry Sales, Delay Safety Studies: "The federal government has admitted that pharmaceutical companies it is supposed to regulate have not yet made good on hundreds of promises to test the safety of drugs already approved for the market.
According to a notice published Friday by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), from October 2005 through September 2006, companies had yet to initiate 71 percent of outstanding 'post-market' safety evaluations that companies have promised to undertake for currently approved products they are already selling to consumers.
Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the FDA can approve drugs despite unresolved safety concerns, but it can also require further studies by the manufacturer once a drug is released onto the market.
The FDA reported that of the 1,259 'open post-marketing commitments' tied to already-approved drugs, 899 were still 'pending,' meaning the studies had not yet begun. Only 15 percent of the studies were currently underway. Another 3 percent were officially behind schedule."
