Now US anti-abortion groups block FDA appointment

The long-winded nomination process for Andrew von Eschenbach to be confirmed as Commissioner on a permanent basis at the US Food and Drug Administration took another twist when anti-abortion groups called on US President George W Bush to withdraw his nomination.

Wendy Wright, president of the Concerned Women of America, a 500,000-member Christian pressure-group, claims that the FDA is ignoring opponents of the application by Barr Laboratories' Plan B (levonorgestrel; Marketletters passim) emergency contraceptive for over-the-counter sales to persons over 18 years. Paul Schenk, director of the National Pro-Life Action Center, an activist who was arrested and convicted of obstruction of justice during a 1992 protest, said: "if the President pushes for this nominee, he is only going to undercut the support of his own party needs in the [November mid-term] elections."