To prepare for the meeting, the agency is undertaking an intensive review of pediatric studies of the drugs.

During this time, Feigin led the nation in grants for pediatric studies in 2003 and 2004.

The officials said they had decided to require such pediatric studies because drug companies were not doing enough on their own.

Under the statutes, if a company voluntarily does pediatric studies of a new drug, the product may be shielded from competition for six additional months.

The goal of the pediatric study is to determine if the same is true in children.

Rather than impose a rigid, uniform rule for all new drugs, the Government said the timing of pediatric studies would depend on various factors.

But pediatric studies could begin later if similar medications were already available for children.

Since 1997, we've seen a 20-fold increase in critically-needed pediatric studies compared to the same period before that.

Not many people were interested in doing pediatric studies until Congress offered drug companies a [financial incentive].

"That's why you see the proliferation of these pediatric studies."