Yes, this was a ridiculous article. In addition, the FDA actually has fast-track approval for drugs in areas with no good treatment and any drug showing exceptional efficacy will make it through the approval process very quickly.
edit: They actually did quickly mention FDA fast-track:
>There have been some moves in the right direction. Between 1992 and 2002, the FDA launched three special programs to allow for faster approval of drugs for certain serious diseases, including cancer. And current FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb shows at least some appetite for further reform.
This law could be terrible, but if that's true, it should be provable without pretending to have data (the safety ratings are the same after non-safety legislation was passed!).
Then there was that one time they published an anti-first amendment screed on the website.
Reason annoys the bejesus out of me.
Which probably isn't as valuable as it seems. Case in point: look at how AKAO's fast-tracked antibiotic got slammed by the FDA.