FDA, Barr to meet on “morning-after pill” status

NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. health regulators will meet
immediately with Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc. about the
over-the-counter status of the Plan B contraceptive known as
the “morning-after pill,” according to a report on cable
network CNBC Monday.

News of the meeting comes just days ahead of a scheduled
Senate committee confirmation hearing on the stalled nomination
of Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach to run the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration.

President George W. Bush nominated von Eschenbach as FDA
commissioner in March, but two Senate Democrats have pledged to
block his confirmation until the agency decides whether to
approve Barr application for an over-the-counter
“morning-after” contraceptive.

Last year, then-FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford said the
drug was safe for use in women 17 and older but indefinitely
postponed a decision, citing concerns over how to enforce the
age limit.