FDA, Barr to meet on “morning-after pill” status

U.S. health regulators will meet immediately with Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc. about the over-the-counter status of the Plan B contraceptive known as the “morning-after pill,” according to a report on cable network CNBC Monday.

News of the meeting comes just days ahead of a scheduled Senate committee confirmation hearing on the stalled nomination of Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach to run the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

President George W. Bush nominated von Eschenbach as FDA commissioner in March, but two Senate Democrats have pledged to block his confirmation until the agency decides whether to approve Barr application for an over-the-counter “morning-after” contraceptive.

Last year, then-FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford said the drug was safe for use in women 17 and older but indefinitely postponed a decision, citing concerns over how to enforce the age limit.