On the recordDecember 12, 2012
I yield myself 1 minute. I would point out that the FDA has not retracted the use of racemic epinephrine for the short-term use of a rescue inhaler in the treatment of an acute asthmatic attack. That just simply has not happened. Then to say that Congress is now seeking to overrule the FDA is preposterous because those are not the facts on the table right now. A regulatory earmark? Come on, give me a break. I would welcome other companies into the marketplace that wanted to create a low-cost, effective, convenient treatment for asthmatics who need acute respiratory relief when their standard meds, when their meds that they take on a chronic basis, either are not working or when, for whatever reason, a flare-up has occurred. Look, I'm an asthma patient--I'm on asthma medicine--but in the product information provided to patients on the long-term medicine is a statement that this is not intended as a rescue device for an acute attack. For that, you need something that was previously available over the counter. I've got to tell you that I was astounded by the elitism by the EPA at the table in front of us when they told us that they know better than America's asthma patients. Come on. This is the land of liberty. Let's give patients the devices they need to manage their illnesses. I reserve the balance of my time.
