FDA Policy/General

Docs Don’t See Drug Company Web Sites as Credible: Study

Manhattan Research says that just 27% of doctors surveyed find drug company Web sites to be credible sources of professional information. Doctors value useful drug company content that helps them do their jobs better such as quality scientific information, patient education, and diagnostic tools, the firm’s Taking the Pulse U.S. 2017 Study says. But they say that most of what they get online from drug companies is advertising. They say that few drug companies are doing a good job providing quality digital content.

Key study findings were:

70% of U.S. doctors agree it is crucial that drug companies provide education resources rooted in science, but half of all doctors say that no company is providing quality scientific content online;
62% of doctors say the information that drug companies provide on third-party Web sites for healthcare professionals “are always ads” for their products, and only 34% trust the information companies provide on their Web sites;
49% of doctors who watch professional online video agree it influences their clinical decisions, but 52% say that no drug company is doing a good job in providing quality physician video content; and
86% of doctors use a smartphone to access digital resources for professional purposes, but 41% of smartphone users say they don’t visit drug company Web sites more often because it takes too long to find the information they need.

Gupta Raises Concerns About Overton’s Independence, Ideology

FDA commissioner nominee Heidi Overton’s responses on vaccines, contraception and abortion medication during her 9/24 Senate confirmation hearing raise concerns that ideology could influence her decision-making if she takes over the agency, MSNBC senior medical analyst Dr. Vin Gupta said Friday. Gupta was particularly critical of Overton’

Overton Confirmation Remains Uncertain After Senate Hearing

FDA commissioner nominee Heidi Overton emerged from her Senate confirmation hearing Thursday (see earlier story) without resolving questions about whether she has enough Republican support to advance — and with a rapidly narrowing window for confirmation before the midterm elections. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing provided few

FDA Classifies Boston Scientific Imager II Catheter Recall as Class I

FDA has classified Boston Scientific's recall of its Imager II Angiographic Catheters as Class I because a manufacturing problem could cause catheter tips to degrade and detach, potentially resulting in life-threatening complications. The agency announced the Class I classification 9/25, updating an Early Alert it issued

FDA Approves Gazyva for Childhood-Onset Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome

FDA has approved Roche’s Gazyva (obinutuzumab) for reducing the risk of relapse in adults and children aged 2 and older with frequently relapsing or steroid-dependent, childhood-onset idiopathic nephrotic syndrome who are in remission. The expanded approval covers the use of the CD20-directed antibody beyond its existing

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Gupta Raises Concerns About Overton’s Independence, Ideology

Overton Confirmation Remains Uncertain After Senate Hearing

FDA Classifies Boston Scientific Imager II Catheter Recall as Class I

FDA Approves Gazyva for Childhood-Onset Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome