ABSTRACT
It is exciting to read in the newspaper about a scienti•c “breakthrough” in developing a new drug, especially if you or a loved one has a debilitating or terminal disease. However, on further reading, you discover the product is still several years away from availability for use. Your exhilaration suddenly turns to frustration. Frank E. Young, former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), believes this happens because of the way the media reports the news and the public’s unclear understanding of drug development, testing, and approval.1
