Washington, DC — The Associated Press reports that, contrary to some political claims — including President Donald Trump — the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved more drugs, and two to three months faster on average, than European regulators did in recent years, new research published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The new research compared how new drugs fared before the FDA and the European Medicines Agency between 2011 and 2015.
The FDA approved more drugs than the Europeans — 170 versus 144 — with a median review time of 306 days versus 383 days in Europe.
Reviews were speedier at the FDA for drugs for cancer and blood diseases, but not other maladies, compared to the Europeans.
The new research compared how new drugs fared before the FDA and the European Medicines Agency between 2011 and 2015.
The FDA approved more drugs than the Europeans — 170 versus 144 — with a median review time of 306 days versus 383 days in Europe.
Reviews were speedier at the FDA for drugs for cancer and blood diseases, but not other maladies, compared to the Europeans.
The FDA also moved quicker on so-called orphan drugs, for relatively rare conditions.
President Donald Trump has called the FDA's drug approval process “slow and burdensome,” and his nominee to head the agency, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, has criticized what he calls unnecessary regulations.
Dr. Gottlieb's confirmation hearings began on Wednesday.
President Donald Trump has called the FDA's drug approval process “slow and burdensome,” and his nominee to head the agency, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, has criticized what he calls unnecessary regulations.
Dr. Gottlieb's confirmation hearings began on Wednesday.
