FDAs Strategic Plan for Regulatory Science

WASHINGTONThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Aug. 17 released its "Strategic Plan for Regulatory Science," a sweeping overhaul of the science the agency uses to develop and evaluate food, medicines and medical devices. The new plan will help FDA foster innovation through better science without compromising on safety.

The plan provides specific details of the agency's Regulatory Science Initiative, outlined in October, 2010. The strategic plan underscores the agency's emphasis on food safety and describes FDAs intent to collaboratively enhance the process for developing and evaluating promising new products and novel materials from fields such as cell therapy, tissue engineering, genomics, personalized medicine, advanced computing, and information technology. The plan also outlines FDAs  intention to study and improve how it communicates health information to consumers, particularly as communication technologies rapidly evolve and change the way people receive that information.

"The breadth and scope of FDA's regulatory oversight is extraordinary, touching the lives of every American, through the food they eat, the medicines they take, and the medical devices they use," said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D. "As new discoveries yield increasingly complex products, this strategic plan ensures that our experts are equipped to make science-based decisions resulting in sound regulatory policy. It positions us to foster innovation through better science without compromising our high safety standard."