“Sidney Wolfe: Unstoppable Consumer Advocate Who Battled the FDA, Passes Away at 86

Sidney M. Wolfe, a relentless consumer activist and longtime foe of the FDA, has died at the age of 86. Wolfe, born in 1932 in Baltimore, had a life-long commitment to fighting for the health and safety of consumers. He studied medicine at the age of 13 and graduated from Northwestern University School of Medicine in 1956. Immediately after graduation, he dedicated his career to protecting and enhancing public health. In 1971, Wolfe founded Public Citizen’s Health Research Group, a public interest organization committed to defending the public from abuses of the health care system and ensuring access to safe and effective forms of medical care. He served as the organization’s director until his retirement in 2018. Throughout his almost 50-year career, Wolfe fought against various FDA activities that put consumers at risk. He was a vocal critic of the agency’s failure to recall a number of dangerous drugs, including Vioxx and Avandia, from the market. He also worked tirelessly to improve the FDA’s oversight of drug safety and to ensure that the agency was adequately monitoring the pharmaceutical industry. Wolfe’s work earned him numerous awards, including the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum Profile in Courage Award, the Robert J. Dole/Gannett Foundation’s Freedom of Information Award, and the Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism. Wolfe’s legacy will live on through his work and for the countless lives he saved through his tireless advocacy for consumer safety and health. He will be sadly missed by his many friends and admirers. Sidney M. Wolfe, a relentless consumer activist and longtime foe of the FDA, has died at the age of 86. Wolfe, born in 1932 in Baltimore, had a life-long commitment to fighting for the health and safety of consumers. He studied medicine at the age of 13 and graduated from Northwestern University School of Medicine in 1956. Immediately after graduation, he dedicated his career to protecting and enhancing public health. In 1971, Wolfe founded Public Citizen’s Health Research Group, a public interest organization committed to defending the public from abuses of the health care system and ensuring access to safe and effective forms of medical care. He served as the organization’s director until his retirement in 2018. Throughout his almost 50-year career, Wolfe fought against various FDA activities that put consumers at risk. He was a vocal critic of the agency’s failure to recall a number of dangerous drugs, including Vioxx and Avandia, from the market. He also worked tirelessly to improve the FDA’s oversight of drug safety and to ensure that the agency was adequately monitoring the pharmaceutical industry. Wolfe’s work earned him numerous awards, including the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum Profile in Courage Award, the Robert J. Dole/Gannett Foundation’s Freedom of Information Award, and the Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism. Wolfe’s legacy will live on through his work and for the countless lives he saved through his tireless advocacy for consumer safety and health. He will be sadly missed by his many friends and admirers.