FDA to resume drug inspections in Israel

Food and Drug Administration investigators are gearing up to resume drug preapproval inspections in Israel after an almost two-year hiatus due to safety concerns from the unrest in the region. "The FDA has worked closely with the U.S. Embassy in Israel and we have begun the process of scheduling some

significant inspections in Israel," FDA spokesman Brad Stone stated. "We anticipate these inspections will occur within the next few months." The inspection ban has been in effect since September 2000 when the State Department issued a warning on travel to Israel for U.S. citizens. Historically, FDA investigators are not permitted to travel to regions where a travel advisory has been issued.