Political Quotes

“as was aptly described by Carl B. Feldbaum, president of the BioTech Industry Organization, ``Life-saving new drugs do take too long to reach the people who need them.'' From my district in Montgomery County, PA, I have heard many a compelling story from constituents with cancer, Lou Gehrig's Disease, epilepsy, or AIDS who speak of the difficulties in accessing the medicines they need because the approval process in our country is so prolonged and, in effect, they have to turn to other countries where the products are available. Don't get me wrong. The Food and Drug Administration serves a valuable purpose in maintaining high safety and efficacy standards. However, it is important to note that the FDA's actions directly affect the lives of patients and the ability of physicians to provide state-of-the-art care for their patients. In addition, the FDA regulates businesses that produce 25 percent of America's gross national product, so the Agency's actions also impact our country's economic well-being. The pharmaceutical industry is an excellent example. The United States leads the world in discovering new drugs yet, all too often, these drugs are available overseas first. The United States is far and away the world leader in biotechnology, but many biotechnology firms are moving clinical trials overseas because of red tape imposed on them by the FDA.”