The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is tasked with protecting patients by ensuring that drugs and medical devices meet strict standards of safety and efficacy before they are placed on the market.[1] The FDA decides which drugs reach consumers around the world, as well as conducts post-marketing surveillance to ensure the safety of drugs already in use.[1] The FDA budget for 2026 is $6.8 billion.[1] The agency faces a difficult balancing act between maintaining high scientific standards and rigorous review on the one hand, and quickly making needed drugs and equipment available to patients on the other.[1] It is a fundamental principle of the FDA that drugs should not reach patients without strong safeguards.[1]