Bernie Sanders

merrily

(45,251 posts) Fri Oct 9, 2015, 07:42 AM Oct 2015

Bernie Sanders to oppose Obama’s nominee to lead the FDA

Bernie Sanders to oppose Obama’s nominee to lead the FDA
By John Wagner October 8 at 11:00 PM

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“At a time when millions of Americans cannot afford to purchase the prescription drugs they need, we need a new leader at the FDA who is prepared to stand up to the pharmaceutical companies and work to substantially lower drug prices,” Sanders said in a statement. “Unfortunately, I have come to the conclusion that Dr. Califf is not that person.”

Califf, a prominent cardiologist and longtime researcher at Duke University, joined the FDA earlier this year as a deputy commissioner. When Obama announced his nomination for the top post, Califf drew praise from some health groups, but his close ties to the pharmaceutical industry have been a source of controversy.

A 2014 financial disclosure showed Califf’s salary at Duke was underwritten partly by funding from large drug makers such as Eli Lilly, Novartis and Merck. He also reported receiving fees from a range of other pharmaceutical companies.

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On the campaign trail, Sanders has been pushing a plan to curtail “runaway prescription drug prices,” a phenomenon he attributes in part to the hundreds of millions of dollars the pharmaceutical industry spends on lobbyists and campaign contributions. Sanders’s plan would allow the federal government to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies and reduce barriers to the importation of lower-cost drugs from other countries, including Canada. Sanders also wants to encourage wider availability of more generic drugs and impose tougher penalties on drug companies that commit fraud.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/10/08/bernie-sanders-to-oppose-obamas-nominee-to-lead-the-fda/