Thursday, December 13, 2007

Dendreon Enlists Congressional Help

And the shares were up 23% in response to it.

Rep. Mike Michaud, D-Maine, sent a letter to the House Energy and
Commerce Committee requesting a probe into whether two Food and Drug
Administration advisers who questioned Provenge's effectiveness were
influenced
by financial ties they had with Dendreon competitors.

The letter, sent Thursday to Chairman John Dingell, D-Mich.,
was also
signed by Reps. Dan Burton, R-Ind., and Tim Ryan, D-Ohio.
I understand Rep. Michaud's concern on the matter. It was weird that these two advisers questioned its effectiveness like they did. I also didn't understand why the FDA needed more information even after their own advisory panel said it was safe and effective. Part of why I bought into the story was that that panel usually is a slam dunk to FDA approval.

I just don't like how people with late stage prostate cancer might be dying while waiting to get their hands on a drug that the FDA advisory panel already recommended. In any case if Congress does finds some sort of dirty dealing by those two advisers I hope they lose their positions and maybe even their licence to practice medicine.

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