From the Office of Utah Congressman Jim Matheson

MATHESON NEWS
Second Congressional District

For Further Information
Alyson Heyrend: (801) 455-5593 (cell)
www.house.gov/matheson

September 19, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Matheson Says Drug Safety for Utahns Improved in New Bill

Includes Matheson Antibiotic Provision

Washington D.C.—Congressman Matheson said bipartisan House and Senate legislation agreed to by the House today will toughen safety monitoring of new medicines, even after they have been approved for consumers by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  Matheson is a cosponsor of the original House bill—the Food & Drug Administration Amendments Act (HR 2900).

Matheson said there has been growing concern that once a drug receives FDA approval, its safety is not sufficiently monitored.  An example is Vioxx—a popular arthritis drug linked to fatal heart attacks among some patients for whom it was prescribed.  Vioxx was taken off the market in 2004.

Matheson successfully fought for provisions included in the legislation that deal with the lack of development of new antibiotic drugs. He wants even more effort paid to the growing crisis of drug-resistant bacteria.

“The lack of new antibiotics in the pipeline is a serious problem.  Every day, doctors and hospitals struggle to save patients suffering from infections that have become resistant to existing antibiotic treatment and tragically, more disability and death are the result,” said Matheson.

Matheson’s provision requires FDA to convene a public meeting to determine how the Orphan Drug Act should be applied to antibiotics.  Matheson says he’ll soon introduce more comprehensive bipartisan legislation to address the losing battle being fought against drug-resistant microbes.

The legislation approved today increases fines for violating FDA safety standards.  It imposes penalties for false or misleading advertising and includes stricter conflict-of-interest provisions, to better ensure that the FDA is acting on information that is objective and not based on opinions of those who would benefit financially from the drug’s approval.  It now goes to the president for his signature.

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Alyson Heyrend
Communications Director
240 East Morris Ave. #235
South Salt Lake, UT 84115
(801) 486-1236 (phone)
(801) 455-5593 (cell)
(801) 486-1417 (fax)