Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
 
The Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the US government which is responsible for assuring the safety of foods and cosmetics and the safety and effectiveness of pharmaceutical products (including drugs) and medical devices.

Before a drug can be marketed in the US, it is reviewed by the FDA. FDA approval is granted only if the drug has been subjected to a rigorous set of clinical studies which prove both that the drug is effective and that it does not have unacceptable side effects if used as specified on the label. FDA review also helps determine what dosages are recommended. Full details of this process are available at http://www.fda.gov/cder.

by Catherine E. Myers. Copyright © 2006 Memory Loss and the Brain