Medicines agency rebuts accusations against staff member

The European Medicines Agency has defended one of its officials, Xavier Kurz, against accusations about a report published before he joined the agency. Gérard Bapt, a socialist member of the French Parliament, complained to European health commissioner John Dalli that Kurz’s 1994 report minimised the cardiac risks of fenfluramine, an appetite suppressant subsequently in use in the US and elsewhere. Acting EMA executive director Andreas Pott says he has “absolute confidence” in Kurz, who has worked at the Agency since 2005.