PCAST to FDA: Double New Drug Output in 10 Years

The White House issued a report Tuesday from the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) recommending a doubling in the output of new drugs over the next decade, while increasing drug efficacy and safety. The report cited scientific knowledge gaps between basic research and commercial projects and inefficiency in the conduct of clinical trials as primary causes of the burgeoning cost of drug development, without commensurate increases in drug approvals.