Extended-release drugs to face extra scrutiny from FDA's new Office of Pharmaceutical Quality

"Modified release is a high-risk area, so we're going to put a lot of emphasis on it," said the deputy director of the FDA's new Office of Pharmaceutical Quality, Lawrence Yu during a press conference describing the new division. In addition, Janet Woodcock, who will head the new office, said there is a "huge scientific effort underway" at the FDA to find new ways of testing the effectiveness of modified or extended-release medications, such as recently approved Rytary for Parkinson's. Extended-release medications use drug delivery technologies to slow down the absorption of the active ingredient in the body. Recently there has been a rash of worries about the safety and efficacy of imported generics, including a withdrawal of Teva's ($TEVA) extended-release medication Wellbutrin for depression. Story | More on the Office of Pharmaceutical Quality