The AP (1/5, Perrone) reported, “The FDA approved 26 first-of-a-kind prescription drugs last year, up slightly from 25 in 2008,” according to data from investment research group Washington Analysis. The agency also “added 31 new or updated ‘black box’ warning labels to drugs already on the market,” down from “56 boxed warnings in” 2008. The figures “suggest a moderate approach to regulation,” in spite of the administration’s efforts to strike “a tougher stance on safety” following “a string of bungled drug safety issues.” President Obama appointed FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg and Deputy Commissioner Joshua Sharfstein in an effort “to restore the agency’s credibility.”
