Cleveland Clinic won't carry controversial Alzheimer's drug

The Cleveland Clinic said it will not carry Biogen’s controversial Alzheimer’s drug after a panel of experts “reviewed all available scientific evidence on this medication.”

The decision follows a letter posted by the FDA chief asking for an investigation into staff communications with Biogen during the approval process.  "There continue to be concerns raised, however, regarding contacts between representatives from Biogen and FDA during the review process, including some that may have occurred outside of the formal correspondence process," Dr. Janet Woodcock, acting FDA commissioner, said in a letter posted online last Friday. "To the extent these concerns could undermine the public's confidence in FDA's decision, I believe that it is critical that the events at issue be reviewed by an independent body such as the Office of the Inspector General in order to determine whether any interactions that occurred between Biogen and FDA review staff were inconsistent with FDA policies and procedures."