Rules and Reactions

Agricultural biotechnology is advancing quickly – but the regulatory path to market can be anything but straightforward. In this episode, hosts Lauren Petrin and Dr. Alex Stanton explain how the Coordinated Framework splits oversight across USDA, FDA, and EPA, and why gene editing raises new questions that legacy rules weren't designed to answer. They also examine how the heightened focus on agriculture as a matter of national security is shaping calls for risk-based regulatory modernization – and how policy and litigation setbacks, including the invalidation of USDA's Secure Rule, can slow that progress.

Welcome to Rules and Reactions, a joint podcast from Wiley's Environmental and FDA Regulatory practices. Hosted by Lauren Petrin and Dr. Alex Stanton, the podcast combines legal and scientific perspectives on evolving federal and state regulations that are shaping innovation in environmental policy and FDA-regulated industries. The inaugural episode shines a light on sunscreen – and the FDA's recent proposal to add the first new active ingredient in over 25 years. We break down how the product is regulated in the United States and what this historic shift could mean for future innovation.