# IFFGD - FDA Urged to Consider Patients Before Making Drug Development Decision



## Jeffrey Roberts (Apr 15, 1987)

FDA Urged to Consider Patients Before Making Drug Development Decision For Immediate Release Thursday, March 22, 2001 Contact: Nancy Norton IFFGD 414.964.1799 Responding to comments by a consumer activist organization to end drug development of a treatment for Irritable Bowel syndrome (IBS), Nancy Norton, President and Founder of the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD), today urged the FDA not to lose sight of the patients. "The medical community has been slow in recognizing IBS as a legitimate disease. We are very concerned that 30 million Americans, mostly women, will be again forgotten by the medical system. IBS is a leading cause of absenteeism from work in the the United States, costing the U.S. healthcare system over $8 billion a year. "We urge the FDA to consider the patients first in making a decision on treatments for this devastating disease," says Norton.For more information contact IFFGD at 414-964-1799.


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## Rose (Mar 25, 1999)

I pray the FDA listens to her. We C types have been waiting so long for Zelmac to be approved, and now that we are in the home stretch, it is inconceivable to me the drug will never be made available to us. Millions of women develop ovarian cysts every year. I believe the few women who developed cysts during the clinical trials would have developed them whether or not they took Zelmac. I am so desperate to try this drug, I would gladly have my ovaries removed...no ovaries...no cysts.
 






I feel the hope of having a somewhat "normal" life using Zelmac has been dangled in front us for so long that it would be absolute cruelty to yank it away from us now...."Like taking candy from a baby" There are thousands of drugs on the market that warn about the possibility of side effects, and people are using them everyday, and not all of these drugs are used for life-threatening illnesses. I believe that was Public Citizens concern wasn't it? That IBS was not a life-threatening disease, so why take the chance of approving it, if it might cause complications. Well, it might not be life-threatening, but it definitely diminishes the quality and enjoyment of life. If I had a choice of living to the age of 80 with IBS or living to the age of 70 without IBS, I would choose to die at 70..IBS-free. Guess I have ranted on long enough. Thanks for posting this, Jeff. At least we have somebody on our side. ------------------"Remember To Stop and Smell the Roses"Rose (C-type)


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