Is the FDA biased?

By Dr Nicola Davies

When the US Food and Drug Administration was formed, its main purpose was to protect consumers from harmful medications that had no prior regulation. While this purpose is certainly in the public interest, the FDA, like many governmental agencies, has become a massive bureaucracy subject to influence from all sides, says Dr Nicola Davies in her monthly blog for The Pharma Letter.

From the presence of industry professionals on advisory committees to the fees they pay to have new drugs reviewed, how much bias is there within the FDA? If there is bias, how can the FDA ensure it continues to put the needs of the patient first?