What is the main goal of FDA-approved therapeutic evaluations?

The main goal of FDA-approved therapeutic evaluations is to assess the safety and effectiveness of medicines. This process ensures that any drug that enters the market has undergone rigorous testing to establish that it provides the intended health benefits while posing an acceptable risk of side effects.

The FDA evaluates clinical trial data, which includes various phases of testing to determine how well a drug works in targeted populations, its interactions with other treatments, and any potential adverse effects that may arise during use. This fundamental mission of safeguarding public health guides all FDA activities, as patients rely on medications that have been proven to be both effective and safe for their intended use.

Ensuring that drugs are available as generics, ranking drug manufacturers, or minimizing prescription drug costs, while relevant to the broader pharmaceutical landscape, do not directly capture the essential purpose of the therapeutic evaluations managed by the FDA. These secondary aspects often follow once the safety and effectiveness criteria have been met, but they are not the primary focus of the evaluation process itself.