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Chairman Murphy Discusses Drug Safety On Fox Business

4/17/13

Washington, D.C. — Following Tuesday’s Oversight and Investigations hearing on the deadly meningitis outbreak that led to the deaths of 53 people and sickened hundreds, subcommittee Chairman Tim Murphy (PA-18) joined Gerri Willis of Fox Business’ The Willis Report to discuss next steps in the Energy and Commerce Committee’s bipartisan examination.
 
Click HERE to watch Chairman Murphy’s full interview.

“The FDA could have been there, but they made a decision in 2011 and 2012 to stop inspecting New England Compounding Pharmacy, the one that developed the injectables that had the fungus inside them. Look, the FDA could have gone in, and we asked repeatedly, Commissioner Hamburg, why did they stop inspecting? Who made the decision? Did anybody review this after it was all done? Did she sit down with staff and say why wasn’t this done? We couldn't get a straight answer.

“What is also interesting however is while she (Hamburg) was saying her hands were tied with laws, she announced in a flurry of publicity last week that they inspected 31 different places and went in to check them out. They had complaints from physicians and nurses and pharmacists and whistleblowers but she didn't act on it.”

After releasing a majority staff report citing internal FDA documents chronicling the agency's numerous opportunities to address warning signs about the pharmacy that produced and distributed the contaminated drugs, Rep. Murphy questioned FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg on why the FDA failed to act promptly to protect the health and safety of the American public. Chairman Murphy’s full opening statement from the hearing can be viewed HERE.

To read the committee's report that chronicles FDA's missed opportunities to protect public health from the meningitis outbreak, click HERE.
 

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