STATEMENT OF SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY ON FDA OVERSIGH

WASHINGTON, D.C—Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Chairman of the Senate Health,Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, released the following statement in response to aseries of reports published in the New England Journal of Medicine on the concernssurrounding Avandia. "Today's reports are a call to action for Congress to strengthen the ability of the FDA tooversee the safety of the medicines that American families rely on. Patients and their doctorsneed better information about the drugs they take, and FDA needs more effective tools tocorrect drug safety problems. The Senate has approved strong legislation to revitalize theFDA, and I welcome action by the House of Representatives on this important issue." ###