Podcast: Clean, green, affordable energy

Over the past three decades, drug development in the United States accelerated dramatically. Industry spending increased tenfold between the 1980s and 2019; the number of manufacturers grew; clinical trials became more sophisticated; and new technologies and precision medicines emerged. The Food and Drug Administration kept pace, building processes, standards, and a scientific culture that supported this rapid innovation. It offered pharmaceutical companies a predictable regulatory environment and a level playing field, producing substantial benefits for consumers and researchers alike.

In little more than a year, however, the Trump administration has upended many of these FDA norms. It has tied certain drug approvals to political considerations through a new, opaque program; imposed labeling changes without new scientific evidence; forced out experienced career scientists; replaced respected experts on advisory panels; and promoted unproven therapies. While some of these moves have drawn limited media attention, most have escaped public notice—even though they threaten national health standards and consumer safety. And legal guardrails may be too weak to prevent or limit their effects.