Watch Video: Gottlieb says problems at baby formula plant went back “many years”
The following is a transcript of an interview with Dr. Scott Gottlieb that aired Sunday, May 15, 2022, on “Face the Nation.”
MARGARET BRENNAN: And we turn now to Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former Trump FDA commissioner and Pfizer board member. Good morning to you, Doctor.
DR. SCOTT GOTTLIEB: Good morning.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to tap into your perspective as someone who ran the FDA. You just heard the administration’s view that this baby formula shortage is really the failure of one company here and that the FDA isn’t necessarily fully responsible for ensuring things at that plant. I wonder how you respond to that.
DR. GOTTLIEB: Well, these were persistent problems that appear to have been handled poorly, certainly by the company. FDA didn’t exert all the oversight that they could have of that facility. There were known problems with that facility going back many years or findings on previous inspections. The agency had a 34-page whistleblower report in hand, making pretty serious allegations that there was data falsifications and data falsification information withheld from inspectors. So these should have prompted more aggressive action earlier. I think now that that facility has been shut by Abbott and production isn’t going on. It’s going to be hard to clear the facility. The overhang of allegations of data falsification are going to be the kinds of allegations that are hard for the agency...
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