Diabetes Drug Rezulin

* Re “The Rise and Fall of the Killer Drug Rezulin,” June 4: The response of FDA officials regarding what they learned from this disaster falls far short. They talk about labeling and warnings but there are some other lessons they should have learned.

1. FDA officials should free themselves from the influence of the drug companies. Your article points out that Warner-Lambert had undue influence on many of the high officials in the FDA.

2. The FDA surely should be more concerned about people’s health than with currying favor with Warner-Lambert. Officials suppressed early research that warned about liver failure, and that led to the deaths of over 60 people.

Your article states that Warner-Lambert made $2.1 billion in sales of Rezulin. Under the circumstances, that’s unwarranted enrichment. The victims’ families deserve the profits that the company made from this killer drug.

STAN GORDON

Canoga Park

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David Willman’s article on the dangers of Rezulin is a powerful indictment of some of the procedures of the FDA and its too close tie-in with the drug industry. If the British were able to withdraw the drug after several months, why did the FDA persist in keeping it on the market with such fatal consequences? If Drs. Jane Henney, Murray Lumpkin and Janet Woodcock are still on the FDA approval board, I would like to know why.

Drug companies complain about the length of time it takes to approve a new drug. In view of the Rezulin problem, I suggest the fast-track method of approval may be too fast; it’s time we did not just accept the word of a drug company about the adequacy of its testing.

SANFORD ROTHMAN

Los Angeles

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You say in your article on Rezulin: “Type 2 diabetes also can be treated effectively with changes in diet and exercise.” Exercise? Proper diet? Gee, who wants to do that when you can just go to a doctor and get a pill? Isn’t that the American way?

DOUGLAS HERMAN

Santa Monica