News Analysis: Interviews, Op-eds, & Editorials
Birth-control pills tied to dangerous clots: Which brands?
CBS News. October 27, 2011. Dr. Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Research Center for Women & Families, questions why the FDA approves birth control pills that are less safe and have no benefit compared to drugs already on the market. Read More
FDA says Yaz and other next-generation birth control drugs appear to increase blood clot risk
The Republic. October 27, 2011. NRC President, Dr. Diana Zuckerman tells the Republic about problems with the popular birth control Yaz. She questions why you would take Yaz, the more expensive option that can potentially kill you. Read More
J&J Vaginal Mesh Approved by FDA Based on Similar Device Recalled in 1999
Bloomberg. October 20, 2011. President of the National Research Center for Women & Families Dr. Diana Zuckerman told Bloomberg that the 501(K) FDA approval process has become a gateway for high-risk medical devices such as joint implants and vaginal mesh that can claim a tie to older products. Read More
Left to Their Own Devices
The Economist. September 10, 2011. Scandals, recalls, stingy customers, anxious regulators—any one of these would traumatise a chief executive. America’s industry for medical devices is suffering from all of them. Omar Ishrak, the new boss of Medtronic, the world’s biggest medical-technology company, recently described the problem succinctly to analysts: “There is a lot of work ahead of us.” Read More
FDA advisers urge closer scrutiny of pelvic mesh
Associated Press. September 8, 2011. Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Research Center for Women & Families tells the Associated Press about the necessity for studies on pelvic mesh. Read More
FDA: Breast Implant Safety Studies Will Continue
Web MD. August 31, 2011. After two days of testimony on what the FDA should do about troubled long-term safety studies of silicone-gel breast implants, agency officials said the studies would continue. Public health research director of the National Research Center for Women & Families, Dana Casciotti, said the 27 page questionaires that are currently being used in the studies are too long and ineffective. In order for the studies to be successful, the questionaires need to be shortened. Read More
FDA eyes registry for breast implants problems
Reuters. August 31, 2011. U.S. health regulators said they would consider setting up a registry that tracks safety problems with breast implants, after too many patients dropped out of company-funded studies. NRC president Diana Zuckerman brings up the fact that Allergan has three times more patients participating than the other manufacturer of silicone breast implants Mentor, and that they needed to be held responsible. Read More
F.D.A. Affirms Safety of Breast Implants
August 31, 2011. The New York Times. Dr. Diana Zuckerman, president of National Research Center for Women & Families, told an FDA advisory panel that Allergan and Mentor did a poor job studying patients that got silicone implants. Read More
Experts say medical device review system flawed
The Miami Herald. July 29, 2011. NRC President Diana Zuckerman expresses concern over the vast majority of medical devices being cleared through the 510(k) process—a process which has been described as “flawed” by Institute of Medicine panelists in a new report. Read More
FDA Backs Quicker Reviews for Hip Implants in Reply to Panel’s Report
Bloomberg. July 29, 2011. In an article about the IOM medical device report and the FDA, president of the National Research Center for Women & Families Diana Zuckerman tells Bloomberg: devices that are implanted and “life-sustaining and life- saving should be held to a higher standard.” Read More