Dangerous Congressional "FDA Reform" Proposals Will Jeopardize The Health Of People Living With HIV!

With These Proposals Legislators Seem To Care More About Corporate Agendas Than The Health And Safety Of Their Constituencies.

For Information Contact:
Moises Agosto
(202) 483-6622 ph
Director of Research and Treatemnt Advocacy
(202) 483-1135 fax

June 6 ,1996

What's the problem with FDA Reform legislation?

The National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC) strongly opposes The FDA Performance and Accountability Act ( S.1477) and H.R. 3199, 3200, and 3201. These bills promote irresponsible deregulation of the FDA by permitting drug and device manufacturers to put products in the market without having to prove their safety and efficacy. These bills threaten the health of all Americans with serious and life threatening conditions such as HIV disease. We believe that with these bills the quality, safety and efficacy of new drugs under development will be questionable and potentially harmful.

The provisions in these bills would harm all Americans by undermining crucial public health protections and casting the regulation of drugs, medical devices and foods into dangerous and untested territory. These bills would lower the safety and efficacy standards for new drugs. It would privatize some of the FDA's central regulatory responsibilities by contracting out functions ranging from the review of clinical research data to inspections of manufacturing facilities. Under the systems outlined in the bills, medical device manufacturers, for example, would select and pay the private companies that review and inspect their products, creating a system of regulation built upon inherent conflict of interest. The system would be driven by financial incentives to approve new products rather than objective, public health standards. NMAC believes that FDA reform is about improving the health of all American people and not improving the industry's market and profit.

The National Minority AIDS Council is extremely concerned about these bills due to the fact that the epidemic is clearly moving toward communities of color. If these bills are implemented these communities will be left with a system that will expose them to potentially unsafe and ineffective drugs.

What can we do to stop this legislation?

NMAC needs your support:

1. Sign-on to the letters attached to this Action Alert. Fax back the attached form by Wednesday, June 19 at 12:00 noon to Moises Agosto at 202-483-1135.
2. Call or send a letter to your Senator and Representative and tell them to oppose this legislation. Tell them that RESPONSIBLE LEGISLATORS DON'T WANT TO JEOPARDIZE THE HEALTH OF THEIR CONSTITUENCIES. (Use the Action Alert as Background material)
3. Send a press release to your local media using the attached draft provided by NMAC.

For A Healthy Future Oppose The House And Senate Bills On FDA Reform.

Please Respond To This Action Alert As Soon As Possible, No Later Than June 19 At 12:00 Noon. Nmac Needs Your Support To Kill This Dangerous Legislation.

WE WOULD LIKE TO SIGN-ON TO:
_____ SENATE LETTER _____ HOUSE LETTER _____ BOTH LETTERS

WE WILL CALL OR SEND A LETTER TO OUR SENATOR OR REPRESENTATIVE
_____ YES _____ NO

WE WILL SEND A PRESS RELEASE TO OUR LOCAL MEDIA
_____ YES _____ NO

ORGANIZATION:__________________________________

CONTACT NAME:__________________________________

PHONE:_________________________________________

FAX:____________________________________________

PLEASE RETURN TO MOISES AGOSTO, NMAC.
FAX: 202-483-1135
PHONE: 202-483-6622
1931 13TH ST. NW., WASHINGTON DC 20009