Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker signed a law on Monday requiring health insurers to cover at least one kind of every type of FDA-approved birth control. The new law protects health care services and rights for women across the state, “irrespective of what goes on in Washington,” the Republican governor said at the bill’s signing, according […]
FDA
FDA wants to improve access to generic abuse-deterrent opioids: here’s how
The FDA commissioner, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, has made the opioid crisis a priority in his time at the agency. Yesterday, the regulatory body issued guidance to help promote the development of generic opioids designed to prevent abuse. To date, the FDA has approved 10 of these products, called abuse-deterrent opioids. But, as Gottlieb noted in […]
Here’s what the FDA is doing about IV fluid shortages following hurricanes Maria, Irma
Nine weeks after hurricanes Maria and Irma brought devastation to Puerto Rico, FDA commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb says hospitals across the U.S. are reporting shortages of IV fluids – medical products that are often sourced from Puerto Rico. Hospitals are specifically noting that 0.9% injection bags of saline, used to inject drugs intravenously, are of […]
23andMe is back: FDA allows marketing of genetic health risk tests
FDA this month allowed genetic testing company 23andMe to market genetic health risk tests for 10 diseases and conditions including Parkinson’s disease and late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. The de novo premarket review authorization, announced April 6, also included celiac disease, which results in the inability to digest gluten; alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, which raises the risk of […]
Statement from FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, M.D. announcing FDA Oncology Center of Excellence launch
Today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is establishing the Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE) and appointing Dr. Richard Pazdur as its director. This will make oncology the first disease area to have a coordinated clinical review of drugs, biologics and devices across the agency’s three medical product centers. The FDA is taking important steps to formalize […]
FDA Advisory Committees: Independent, Informed, Essential, and Evolving
By: Robert M. Califf, M.D. One of the most common concerns raised when I meet with medical leaders is the need to improve the function of FDA’s Advisory Committees (ACs). ACs play a key role in FDA’s decision-making process by providing independent expert advice on extraordinarily complex issues. Just as importantly, they offer a forum […]
Introducing IMEDS, a public-private resource for evidence generation
By: Robert M. Califf, M.D. FDA has been working to establish a national resource for FDA-approved medical products that can be used by public and private-sector entities, including regulated industry, to conduct large scale evaluations of safety issues in an environment that is secure and protects patient privacy. These evaluations include epidemiologic studies of medical […]
