At a congressional hearing today on drug safety, FDA commish Andy von Eschenbach insisted his employees have the right to go to Congress with information and he won’t stand in their way. And any suggestions to the contrary are flat out wrong, including a story last month in The Star-Ledger of New Jersey in which he indicated he won’t tolerate whistleblowers.

“My remarks did not in any way shape or form address whistleblowers,” Andy told the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. He was referring to remarks made at an industry conference where he was the luncheon speaker. His comments, he says, were centered on how he intends to foster a culture at the FDA that encourages a vigorous debate and how the process can be constructive.

Not so fast, Andy. You were quoted correctly. But don’t take our word for it. Go to the web site for the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest and listen for yourself. Or you can read it here:

An audience member asked: “How does it affect your ability to get your message out when you have agency staffers making very public statements that challenge the integrity of the agency?”

After explaining that he wants an open, transparent process with everyone having their say, Andy says, “Once that’s the case and that process is under way, then people have to understand that to go outside that process is not constructive, it is actually destructive….There are ways of doing this and ways of speaking that are in the best interests of the FDA.” …He then says that, after a decision is made with “integrity” and “reliability” and “transparency,” then “I expect people to adhere to that. That’s the way we do business. Anything other than that is chaos. If people have issues or concerns about that process, they come to me.”

This is the same FDA commish who last June told a group of agency employees that he expects “team players” who can be “traded” if they don’t cooperate. Committee members had to remind Andy that it’s illegal to interfere or retaliate against employees who share info with Congress. Andy insists he understands: “I am adamantly in support of and committed to protecting the legal rights of every single employee within the FDA or any organization that I am associated with.”

Oh. So now he understands.

Full disclosure: The Star-Ledger of New Jersey owns Pharmalot, which also reported Andy’s comments last month. You can read all that and more here:

Associated Press story about today’s hearing;
The Star-Ledger story last month with Andy’s comments;
Pharmalot posts Andy’s remarks;
Center for Medicine in the Public Interest.

Hat tip to The Ledger’s Bob Cohen.

[tags]Andrew von Eschenbach, FDA, Whistleblowers[/tags]