Table of Contents
FDA Consumer magazine
May-June 2000

By John Henkel

Consumers interested in learning about ongoing medical research studies can find descriptions on a new Website of more than 4,000 federal and private clinical studies at more than 47,000 locations nationwide. "ClinicalTrials.gov," managed by the National Institutes of Health, pinpoints the location of clinical trials, their design and purpose, and criteria for participation. In many cases, the site gives further information about the disease and treatment under study, and users can browse by disease or by sponsoring organization. Clinical trials are conducted to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of new drugs, medical procedures, or other means of treating, diagnosing or preventing diseases. These trials can help researchers learn, for example, how different people respond to medications, sometimes leading to new and improved treatments. For more, go to www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Ever wonder if the colors used in lipstick and other types of makeup are safe? How about hair coloring and hair removal products? Curious about tattoos or skin-peel products? What does "hypoallergenic," a term found on many cosmetic labels, mean? Whatever questions you may have about cosmetics, chances are you'll find the answers on a Website run by FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. At www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-toc.html, you can browse through subjects such as animal grooming aids, aromatherapy, eye products, sunscreens, and thigh creams. The site defines common labeling terms such as "alcohol free" and "fragrance free," and it provides special information for teenagers and cancer patients. It also explains how to report to FDA any problems with cosmetics.

Pollution can be harmful to anyone, but it is especially unhealthy for children. To help consumers safeguard their kids from environmental hazards, the Environmental Protection Agency has created a Website, www.epa.gov/children/, that reviews the many types of pollutants to which children may be exposed and suggests how to minimize exposure to them. For example, the site presents a compelling case for eliminating cigarette smoke at home when it points out that children exposed to tobacco smoke indoors miss 7 million more school days than other children, due mainly to respiratory conditions. Also surveyed on the site are allergens, radon, formaldehyde, lead, pesticides, and carbon monoxide, along with contaminants that show up in drinking water and food.

Americans benefit from having access to the safest and most advanced pharmaceuticals in the world. But how does a drug get from brainstorm to finished product, and what happens in the months and years after a new drug is introduced? In an online publication called From Test Tube to Patient: Improving Health Through Human Drugs, FDA walks readers through the various steps in the lengthy process of developing and testing new drugs. The 99-page document, also released in hard copy as a special report, can be browsed by clicking on chapters in the table of contents. Included are subjects such as laboratory and animal studies, human trials, over-the-counter drugs, TV drug ads, and pediatric drug studies. The report also explains how to comment on FDA's proposed rules and how to get more information about specific drugs. At www.fda.gov/cder/about/whatwedo/testtube.pdf, the document is in PDF format and requires a free, downloadable reader.

John Henkel is a member of FDA's public affairs staff.

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