Bart Stupak: “Dr. Graham, medical review officer of the FDA, told the Senate that there are a number of drugs that should be pulled…”

“Dr. Graham, medical review officer of the FDA, told the Senate that there are a number of drugs that should be pulled from the market. One of the drugs that should be pulled from the market is the drug Accutane. This devastating drug has crippled America for some time and its youth. Not only has Dr. Graham called for the pulling of Accutane, but Dr. Huene, one of the first medical review officers to look at Accutane when it first came on the market, found serious problems with Accutane and asked for help and was ignored by the FDA. Dr. O'Connell, who suggested severe restrictions of the use of the drug Accutane, again was ignored by the FDA management. Dr. Graham has now come out against this drug, again being ignored by FDA management. Not only are these three medical review officers in the FDA calling for severe restrictions or pulling the drug from the market, but also the CDC backed in 1990 because of birth defects said this drug should be pulled from the market. The March of Dimes has said this drug should be severely restricted when used because of birth defects. Two FDA panels have come out and told the FDA, their own advisory panels, to severely restrict the use and distribution of this drug. Again they were ignored. It is time we pulled this drug Accutane from the market.”