It appears that some scientists at the FDA wrote to President-Elect Barack Obama’s transition team, basically begging for help and outlining a number of problems with an agency they describe as “fundamentally broken.” Nine scientists who claim the FDA is a “fundamentally broken” agency authored the letter, sent Wednesday and written on the agency’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health letterhead.

The letter, addressed to John Podesta, says the atmosphere at the agency is one where “the honest employee fears the dishonest employee.” 

Podesta is head of the Obama transition team but others receiving copies include Tom Daschle, Obama’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services; Joshua Sharfstein, the physician leading the transition team’s assessment of FDA activities; and Senator Edward Kennedy, chairman of the health committee.

The scientists wrote that they have raised their concerns with FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach and Bill McConagha, an attorney and the assistant commissioner for accountability and integrity at the agency, but added that the agency has taken no action to address the issues.

In addition, they wrote that FDA has promoted and rewarded some of the managers involved with the inappropriate practices. They also complained about devices that have not been properly labeled, about managers without appropriate experience who have been given authority to make final decisions about device regulation and have done so while ignoring serious safety and effectiveness concerns, or of FDA experts who have been excluded from product meetings because manufacturers felt that they were "biased."

The Obama transition team has not issued a statement about the scientists’ complaint of corruption among FDA managers.