Part of the issue is the incentive system at work. The FDA isn't really rewarded for getting a drug to market quickly, but they are punished politically when th

Part of the issue is the incentive system at work. The FDA isn't really rewarded for getting a drug to market quickly, but they are punished politically when they approve a drug that is later found to have problems. This means that they are incentivized to be cautious, sometimes excessively so.