Today’s recall of Avastin by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is becoming a national scandal: many are calling this action an example of a government death panel in action.
Avastin, a drug designed for breast cancer treatment, has been deemed by the federal government as a “[d]rug not shown to be safe and effective in breast cancer patients.” Accordingly, the Roche-Genetech product is being recalled by the federal government. You can read the complete FDA announcement here.
Is Avastin Recall Really the Beginning of Government Death Panels? Some Say Yes.
This morning, Senator David Vitter (D-La) publically denounced today’s recall as “government rationing” to the Wall Street Journal. You can read his position on the recall as well as see the letter that Senator Vitter sent to the FDA on his Senate website page.
Moreover, national news media from across the country are using today’s action as an example of government death panels becoming a reality, from San Francisco to Chicago to Washington.
Maybe this wouldn’t be such a big deal if there weren’t so many breast cancer patients out there that insist that Avastin helps them. In fact, the online petition of one breast cancer survivor has been very persuasive: Senator Vitter has acknowledged its influence on his actions and the petition (with over 9000 signatures thus far) has been a repetitive news resource.
If you are a victim of breast cancer, then take heed. Avastin may no longer be available to you in this country. What can you do? Call your elected representatives and voice your opinion. Support the Louisiana Senator’s efforts.
Do it now.
