{ "content": "

The Food and Drug Administration<\/a> (FDA)<\/h1>

The Food and Drug Administration<\/a> is a federal agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services<\/a>. Its primary mandate is to protect Public Health<\/a> by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary Pharmaceutical Drugs<\/a>, Biological Products<\/a>, and Medical Devices<\/a>. The agency also oversees the safety of the nation's Food Supply<\/a>, Cosmetics<\/a>, and products that emit Radiation<\/a>.<\/p>

The history of the FDA<\/a> began with the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act<\/a> in 1906, a landmark piece of legislation championed by Harvey Washington Wiley<\/a>. This authority was later expanded by the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act<\/a> of 1938, which required manufacturers to provide evidence of product safety before marketing. Today, the agency is responsible for regulating more than $2.4 trillion worth of food, drugs, and cosmetics, as noted by the Official FDA Mission Statement<\/a>.<\/p>

Key regulatory functions include the oversight of Clinical Trials<\/a>, the enforcement of Good Manufacturing Practice<\/a> (GMP), and the management of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act<\/a> (PDUFA). The FDA<\/a> is organized into several specialized centers, such as the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research<\/a> (CDER) and the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research<\/a> (CBER). Additional details on regulatory procedures can be found via the Federal Register<\/a>.<\/p>