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# Woodcock Sees Addiction as Top Public Health Threat
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/woodcock-sees-addiction-as-top-public-health-threat/
- Published: 2019-09-06T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-15T01:48:08.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: Drugs, #legacy-id-D5144939

CDER director **Janet Woodcock** says addiction currently is the most serious threat to public health. In a 9/6 [interview](https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2019-09-05/future-of-medicine-fda-janet-woodcock?ref=fdaweb.com) with the *Los Angeles Times*, Woodcock said the opioid abuse is improving at the moment, but there are many other concerns: “Alcohol abuse. Poly-drug abuse, when people combine multiple prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs and illegal drugs. Plus nicotine addiction, in all its phases. We’ve approved a lot of products to help people get off of it. But there’s a concern that many more young people are being exposed through vaping, which can lead to addiction to nicotine. It may change its spots over time, but the underlying theme is still the same: People are abusing substances, and it’s hurting them.”

The interview came before Woodcock was scheduled to deliver a keynote address at the Breakthroughs in Medicine conference in Rancho Palos Verdes. The *L.A. Times* is the presenting sponsor of the event.

Asked about the overuse of antibiotics, Woodcock said this was a big challenge, and a hard one to reverse. “Antibiotics don’t treat viruses, they just mess up your microbiome,” she said. “But patients who have a sore throat or a cold want antibiotics, and since they rate doctors on social media, there is pressure on doctors to prescribe them. I wish we could approve a really big placebo pill, and doctors could just write prescriptions for that. People would get better just as fast.”

Additionally, Woodcock said she in most proud about improvements with the Center’s generic drug program. She also touched on the maturing biosimilars program. In the past, biologic products did not have generic competition, and now CDER has [approved 23 biosimilar drugs](https://www.fda.gov/drugs/biosimilars/biosimilar-product-information?ref=fdaweb.com), which can be used instead of the original innovator drugs. “Over time, that should make these drugs more affordable.” she told the newspaper.