Inside the FDA : the business and politics behind the drugs we take and the food we eat / Fran Hawthorne.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 329-332) and index.

Chasing cancer -- Beyond science -- The first 100 years -- "You don't know which agency is in charge" -- Truckloads of paper -- Case study: The return of thalidomide -- How picky is the FDA? -- How powerful is industry? -- Case study: The death of Monica George -- When consumers get angry -- A political pawn -- FDA and DNA -- The FDA meets Madison Avenue -- Frivolous drugs? -- The next 100 years.

"Because of the importance of what it regulates, the FDA comes under tremendous pressure from powerful food and drug companies, determined consumer groups, and demanding politicians. But the pressure goes far beyond the ordinary lobbying of Washington trade groups. Its mandate - over one quarter of the national economy - brings the FDA into the middle of some of the most important and contentious issues of modern society." "In a time when companies continue to accuse the FDA of nitpicking and needless paperwork, while consumers complain that the agency bows to industry pressure by prematurely approving risky products, Inside the FDA digs deep to reveal the truth about an agency that affects our daily lives more than any other single entity in the world." "Inside the FDA takes a closer look at the practices, people, and politics of this crucial watchdog in light of the competing pressures and trends of modern society, revealing what the FDA is supposed to do, what it actually does - and fails to do - who influences it, and how it could better fulfill its mandate. The decisions that the FDA makes are literally life and death. Inside the FDA provides a sophisticated account of how this vitally important agency struggles to balance bureaucracy and politics with its overriding mission to promote the country's health."--BOOK JACKET.

Machine converted from AACR2 source record.