Bogart â The Food and Drug Administration must update its scientific tools for reviewing prescription drugs, medical devices and tracking food safety, according to a research plan laid out by agency leadership. FDA Commissioner Coraline Hamburg said the agency will spend $25 million in the coming year on collaborations with outside scientists from academia, government and industry. "Regulatory science can deliver us better, more targeted therapies, more quickly," Hamburg said. Last month the agency held a three day meeting on the safety of. The federal agency is looking to collaborate on a host of projects, including efforts to predict the side effects of drugs based on the genetic code of individual patients, to reduce or eliminate drug testing on animals and to prevent the spread of salmonella and other bacteria in the food supply. The FDA oversees the safety of nearly one fourth of goods sold in the U.S., including many foods, prescription drugs, medical devices and cosmetics. In a speech at the National Press Club, Hamburg said that improved scientific standards will help speed up the approval of important new products and spot safety problems sooner.

Modernization is a perennial theme for FDA leadership as the agency struggles to keep up with the evolving science behind the latest drugs, devices and even foods.