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Biotech / Medical : Monsanto Co. -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Dan Spillane who wrote (778)	12/16/1998 8:10:00 AM
From: John F Beule	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 2539

Gore swears in Jane Henney as new FDA director WASHINGTON, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Vice President Al Gore swore in cancer expert Jane Henney Tuesday as head of the Food and Drug Administration, the huge agency responsible for the safety of U.S. drugs, medical devices, cosmetics and most foods. President Clinton nominated Henney to be FDA commissioner in June but her confirmation in the Senate dragged on for months because of opposition from conservatives concerned about her views on the so-called abortion pill and tobacco. The Senate approved Henney's nomination as the first woman and the first cancer specialist to lead the agency in October, shortly before adjourning for the year. The FDA, which plays a critical and commercially sensitive role in approving drugs before they are sold, came under some criticism during the tenure of former commissioner David Kessler, who stepped down in 1997 to become dean of the Yale Medical School. Kessler asserted the FDA's authority to regulate nicotine as a drug as part of a broader Clinton administration strategy to reduce youth smoking, earning the enmity of pro-tobacco legislators. The agency has also been criticized for bowing to industry pressure on drug approvals, with some charging that it has rushed drugs through the approvals process and lowered safety and efficacy standards in the process. Speaking at the White House swearing-in ceremony, Henney acknowledged the tension between taking the time to ensure that drugs are safe and making them available to people suffering from illnesses. "The laws which we carry out mandate that we make decisions related to the safety and the effectiveness of drugs, devices and foods in such a way that the public health is both protected and promoted," Henney said. "Controversy will always surround this interface and the dictates of good science will often be in dispute between the opposing views of people of good intent," she added. The FDA regulates drugs, medical devices, cosmetics and all foods sold in the U.S. except meat and poultry. 21:45 12-15-98 Copyright 1998 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.