A federal judge’s decision could have long-term impacts on the trust in the FDA’s approval process and chill pharmaceutical companies from developing new drugs, according to Elizabeth Cohen, CNN senior medical correspondent.
Mifepristone has about 5 deaths per million users, while other commonly used drugs like Penicillin have about 20 deaths per million users, she said.
“So if this judge is so concerned about side effects, why isn’t he saying let’s take penicillin off the market?” Cohen said.
“This is why decisions are not made by judges. Medical and drug decisions are made by doctors and scientists, by teams of them at the FDA,” she added.
Further, Cohen said a ruling that allows a judge to take a drug off the market could make pharmaceutical companies nervous. She said confidence in scientists at the FDA is critical for the development and creation of new drugs people need.
“If they think that just one judge can take that drug off the market, they may not be willing to invest that kind of money,” Cohen said.
