The FDA

Noni Mausa sends a link to this article in Reuters:

Lives are at risk because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is woefully behind in the latest scientific advances and is under funded, a panel of advisers to the agency said at a public meeting on Monday.

Inadequate staffing, poor retention, out-of-date technology and a lack of resources mar the FDA’s ability, the report by a subcommittee of the agency’s Science Board said.

(A copy of the 60-page report, FDA Science and Mission at Risk, can be found at http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/07/briefing/2007-4329b_02_00_index.html.)

“FDA’s inability to keep up with scientific advances means that American lives are at risk,” the report said.

The panel, chaired by Gail Cassell, vice president for scientific affairs at Eli Lilly & Co., and representatives from Genentech Inc and Wyeth, among others presented their findings to FDA Commissioner Andrew Von Eschenbach and other agency officials.

Someone tell GW. Another round of tax cuts would fix the problem.