Another Resignation at the FDA

In a story that escaped the national press, the Hartford Courant reported last week that 71-year-old Frank Davidoff, the former editor of the Annals of Internal Medicine, resigned from the Food and Drug Administration's over-the-counter drugs advisory committee because of the Bush administration's failure to approve Plan B, the morning-after birth control pill.

The FDA's top women's health official, Dr. Susan Wood, has also resigned because of political interference at the agency. And the trade publication FDA Webreview today published a commentary that suggested Lester Crawford's forced resignation from the commissioner's post was also related to the ongoing effort by the White House to scuttle agency scientists and their outside advisers.

The right-to-life movement has vigorously opposed Plan B, claiming that it would lead to greater promiscuity among teenagers. The FDA advisory panel heard hours of testimony on that issue and decided it was hogwash.

Choice quotes from Dr. Davidoff: "I keep trying to think about the opposition that came in after we voted on Plan B. Why would you oppose a pill that could dramatically cut back on abortions? It makes absolutely no sense."

He also fears for the future of the agency. "I can tell you quite definitely that the FDA staff is more than upset. I got an e-mail today from a prominent FDA official saying that the staff is demoralized and depressed. It's quite a benefit that the American people have, trusting the reliability and safety of their drugs. But for that to continue, people have to believe in the FDA's science. The record of decisions on Plan B could well shred that credibility."