35

Number of new drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the year ending in September 2011 — an approval rate that has been exceeded just once in the previous decade. The FDA said it was the first in the world to approve 24 of the drugs, including many that were "truly medically important," according to FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg, such as the first drug for lupus in 50 years, the first drug for Hodgkin's lymphoma in 30 years, and the first drug to prolong survival in late-stage melanoma patients. The FDA pointed to its increase in approvals in part to counter increasing criticism that the agency's overly stringent approval process is hindering American innovation and competitiveness. [via The New York Times]