FDA Drug Approvals Soar, Kessler Says
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
The Food and Drug Administration nearly doubled the approval rate of new “breakthrough” drugs this year and reduced the review process time by half, outgoing FDA Commissioner David A. Kessler said in his annual “state of the FDA” speech. For the 1996 fiscal year ending Oct. 1, 46 of the drugs were approved, he said, adding that the average review time dropped from 30 to about 15 months.
