Reagan-Udall faces suspicion, scrutiny

WASHINGTON The Reagan-Udall Foundation, which was created to help the Food and Drug Administration deal with increasingly complex science, spur innovation and improve safety has been under a lot of scrutiny, and this is even before the first board meeting takes place, according to The Star-Ledger.

The foundation’s stated goal is to conduct research to help the agency modernize drug, medical, veterinary, food and cosmetic product development, accelerate innovation and enhance product safety. Many people in the government, however, believe that this won’t take place without pharmaceutical industries having a say in the foundation’s final decisions.

Recently, one of the appointed board members faced his own criticism for attempting to block criticism about the heart risks of the diabetes drug Avandia, because he previously worked for its manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline. This, along with the foundation rule that they must get their funding privately has put the foundation under the microscope for suspicious activity.

Mark McClellan, a former FDA commissioner under President Bush insisted that the foundation will not be making FDA policy, influencing regulatory decisions or seeking to benefit one interest over another. He said the purpose will be to support the FDA by “focusing on science and doing the right thing for patients.”