So, just to keep up with my occasional updates on FDA drug approvals, I feel compelled to point out that May was a bumper month for new drugs - 166 approvals in total!

The list is way too long to go over in detail, but, wow. 166 new approvals in one month? If that is the norm (which, judging by the approvals listed out for the last few months, it seems to be), that’s almost 2,000 new drug approvals a year. Seems like a lot, doesn’t it?

On the one hand, I suppose we should be thankful that the FDA is there to review all of these drugs for potential safety hazards… but the sheer number of drugs going through the system certainly explains why the screening process is imperfect, and why some drugs slip through the FDA cracks, so to speak. So what is the solution to this? Do we cut down on the number of drugs seeking approval? Do we give the FDA more manpower and more money?

Anyone who is curious about the process for drug approval can learn more here.