Chemistry For Your Life

Can I trust the FDA? (from thalidomide to cough medicine)

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#206

Melissa and Jam address a listener's question about the FDA's reliability in approving products. They discuss the intersection of chemistry, government, and society, focusing on FDA's role in regulating food and drugs. The episode includes a deep dive into the historical thalidomide tragedy, the improvements in the FDA's approval process since then, and the nuances of trusting FDA-approved products. Through personal insights, they emphasize the complexities and challenges faced by the FDA in ensuring public safety.

00:00 Introduction: What is the FDA Up To?

00:18 Listener's Question: Trusting FDA Approvals
01:11 Deep Dive: FDA's Role and Responsibilities
03:35 Case Study: Cold Medicine and Phenylephrine
04:18 Thalidomide: A Historical Lesson
10:11 The Role of Frances Kelsey
13:44 FDA's Evolution and Current Challenges
23:22 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

References from this episode:

  1. https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/forefront/biological-sciences-articles/courageous-physician-scientist-saved-the-us-from-a-birth-defects-catastrophe
  2. https://www.gao.gov/assets/hrd-82-3.pdf
  3. https://www.fda.gov/food/hfp-constituent-updates/fda-revoke-authorization-use-red-no-3-food-and-ingested-drugs
  4. https://cen.acs.org/food/food-ingredients/Editorial-Fewer-risky-food-colors/102/i26

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