According to American government numbers released last Thursday, drug manufacturers did not start more than seventy per cent of promised research concerning products already approved for market. Therefore, a watchdog group is sick of it.
The US Food and Drug Administration report demonstrates that 899 - or 71 per cent - of the 1259 post-market research committed to by drug producers had not been started as of September 30, 2006. That is a 5 per cent increase over the past twelve months, when the agency announced 65 per cent of 1 231 promised studies were still pending, according to the Bloomberg News from Thursday. Furthermore, the report discovered that only 185 - or 15 per cent -of studies were ongoing, 31 were delayed, and 144 were submitted.
"How can the FDA say that it is committed to improving medication safety when it can’t even get drug producers to do the research they promise?" said Bill Vaughan, senior policy analyst with Consumers Union. "Should consumers really feel secure when two out of three studies aren’t being performed, and the FDA does not even have the authority to get them carried out?"
Whilst the FDA has no authority under law to require such research be performed, it approves some medications with excellent safety concerns on the promise that the manufacturer will carry out post-market research to find out whether the drug causes any side effects.
