Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Advocacy Groups Sue FDA For Trial Data From Its Accelerated Review Of Hep C Drugs
File this under 鈥楽how me the data.鈥 A pair of public health advocacy organizations has filed a lawsuit against the FDA, claiming the agency failed to release clinical trial data for Gilead Sciences鈥 hepatitis C treatments on a timely basis. And the move is only the latest installment in an ongoing drama in which researchers and patient advocates have tussled with drug makers and regulators over access to such information. (Silverman, 6/29)
When it came time to defend the tobacco industry, a man named Taras Kachka spoke up. He argued that several 鈥渇antastic tobacco companies鈥 had bought up Soviet-era factories and modernized them, and now they were exporting tobacco to many other countries. It was in Ukraine鈥檚 national interest, he said, to support investors in the country, even though they do not sell tobacco to Australia. Mr. Kachka was not a tobacco lobbyist or farmer or factory owner. He was the head of a Ukrainian affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, America鈥檚 largest trade group. (Hakim, 6/30)
