The Future of Drug Regulation: An Interview With Center for Drug Evaluation & Research Director Janet Woodcock

FDA’s top drug regulator sat down for us for an interview about the agency’s efforts to build a higher quality regulatory system in the US—one that focuses on the “content” of regulatory standards rather than just the process. The discussion touched on the need for new and improved standards in classes like weight loss and rheumatology (albeit for very different reasons); the characteristics that make for good drug reviewers (and their managers); and on the drug center’s responsibility for preserving private sector drug development.

The RPM Report: During the Food & Drug Law Institute annual conference in April, you talked about the importance of focusing on the content, rather than just the process, in building a quality regulatory system. What did you mean by that?

Center for Drug Evaluation & Research Director Janet Woodcock: We set standards for regulated entities, and then we check their...

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