iPLEDGE to procede as planned

February 22nd, 2006

This snipit comes directly from a newsletter from the American Academy of Dermatology:

Despite aggressive advocacy efforts by the American Academy of Dermatology Association, on Feb. 17, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) informed the Academy that the March 1 start date for the iPledge program remains unchanged. For months the Academy has argued for postponement of the start date to provide the FDA and Covance (the iPledge vendor) sufficient time to resolve the numerous glitches with the program that have been reported by dermatologists and patients across the nation. Most recently, Diane M. Thiboutot, M.D., chair of the Ad Hoc Task Force on Isotretinoin, testified at a Feb. 10 FDA hearing on drug safety and risk management, urging a delay in the start date. Her comments received widespread media coverage, including wire services, CNBC, several health dailies, and the New York Times. Academy President Clay J. Cockerell, M.D., issued a statement on Feb. 21 expressing the dermatology community’s disappointment with the FDA decision and calling on the FDA and Covance to fulfill their duty and resolve the iPledge program’s many flaws by March 1.

Entry Filed under: Acne Treatments, General Acne News