In 2011, the head of the Food and Drug Administration was adamant that the United States should not cut corners to fast-track the approval of medical devices.
In this country, he said, “we don’t use our people as guinea pigs.”
But, according to a new investigation from the Associated Press, that all changed in 2012 when the FDA adopted a new policy aimed at being the "first in the world" to approve new devices it deemed important to public health.
That began a push for faster device reviews by the FDA and, according to the AP, a sharp rise in approvals.
Matthew Perrone, the reporter behind this story, joined The Show to explain the "first in the world" policy.
