FDA's scientific base eroded, report says

The US linkurl:Food and Drug Administration;http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/36885 suffers from "serious scientific deficiencies," potentially compromising the agency's ability to protect the health and safety of consumers, a linkurl:report;http://tinyurl.com/yvnk28 by the FDA's science board has concluded. The agency has had the most trouble regulating areas such as linkurl:systems biology,;http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/53421 nanotechnology, and linkurl:regenerative medicine.;http://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/53224 The report, commissioned by the FDA's commissioner linkurl:Andrew von Eschenbach;http://www.the-scientist.com/news/display/37416/ and released last week, states in bold font: "The FDA cannot fulfill its mission because its scientific base has eroded and its scientific organizational structure is weak." The cause, according to the report, is a linkurl:lack of financial support,;http://www.the-scientist.com/news/display/52917 inadequate information technology, and too few staff members. The __New York Times__ today linkurl:got no more comment;http://tinyurl.com/2bj5np from the FDA than that the agency "values the evaluation." To solve the "crisis" at the FDA, the board recommends better infrastructure for sharing data, more external collaborations, better staff recruitment, and, of course,...