New York Times Says FDA Should Inspect China Plant Making Abortion Drug 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 5, 2008
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — The pro-abortion editorial staff at the New York Times rarely sides with the pro-life movement and, when it does, something must be terribly wrong. That’s the case this time as the newspaper has issued an editorial calling on the FDA to inspect a Chinese plant that makes the dangerous RU 486 abortion drug.
The plant has received intense scrutiny because it’s run by the government-owned pharmaceutical company, Shanghai Hualian, that also manufactures a contaminated leukemia drug that has caused paralysis in hundreds of people.
Shanghai Hualian is the sole maker of the mifepristone abortion drug that Danco Laboratories distributes to women in the United States.
The New York Times reported last week on how the drug is made at a different factory but just an hour’s drive from the plant that makes the contaminated leukemia pills.
According to the Times, FDA officials refused to talk about the problems in China and referred to a statement saying the abortion drug plant had been inspected in May and no problems were found.
Following its report, the Times editorial page has now called on the Food and Drug Administration to again inspect the plant to ensure the drugs are safely made.
"Given the manufacturer’s expanding role in the export of drugs and active ingredients around the world, the lax practices revealed could sooner or later harm patients virtually anywhere," the newspaper said.
"In light of the company’s current difficulties, the F.D.A. would be wise to reinspect the plant promptly to ensure that the RU-486 production facility is adhering to rigorous quality control procedures," the newspaper added.
As LifeNews.com reported, pro-life advocates have already called on the FDA to step up its protection of women from the dangerous abortion drug.
Dr. Randy O’Bannon, the director of research and education for National Right to Life, pointed the finger at the Clinton administration, which hurriedly approved the abortion drug towards the end of his tenure.
O’Bannon said the FDA is to blame for the possibility that the abortion drug is causing health problems for women because of the serious concerns about its Chinese manufacturer.
He said the FDA was "operating at the behest of the Clinton administration, who wanted to placate a political constituency, and the Chinese manufacturer, who just wanted the business."
Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council also shared his concerns with LifeNews.com.
"We agree with consumer advocate Dr. Sidney Wolfe that all plants owned by this company and its subsidiaries must be inspected immediately–with the results being released to the public," Perkins said.
