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# Commerce Committee Bill Introduced on Intercenter Collaboration
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/commerce-committee-bill-introduced-on-intercenter-collaboration/
- Published: 2016-06-13T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-14T21:09:17.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: Drugs, Devices, #legacy-id-D5135918

House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman **Fred Upton** (R-MI) and ranking member **Frank Pallone**, Jr. (D-NJ) have introduced [The FDA Cross-Center Collaboration Act of 2016](https://energycommerce.house.gov/sites/republicans.energycommerce.house.gov/files/documents/114/20160607%5FFDA%5FCrooss-Center%5FCollaboration%5FAct%5Fof%5F2016.pdf?ref=fdaweb.com), legislation to encourage collaboration between product centers at the agency. The bill would require FDA to establish one or more “Intercenter Institutes” for a major disease area or areas.

“With this bipartisan effort, each Intercenter Institute would be primed to coordinate activities and convene the right scientific and regulatory experts to help solve challenges that are unique to specific conditions and diseases,” said Upton and Pallone[**in a statement**](https://energycommerce.house.gov/news-center/press-releases/upton-and-pallone-introduce-bill-promoting-collaboration-and?ref=fdaweb.com)**.** “Throughout the [21st Century Cures](https://energycommerce.house.gov/cures?ref=fdaweb.com) process, we’ve seen that success is possible when we work together. This commonsense bill encourages centers to working together to help accelerate the discovery, development, and delivery of cures.”

According to the bill, such activities the institutes may consider include:

(**1**) Coordinating staff from the centers with diverse product expertise in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of the specific diseases relevant to the major disease area of focus of the institute.

(**2**) Streamlining, where appropriate, processes for reviewing medical products.

(**3**) Promoting scientific programs within the centers related to each institute’s major disease area.

(**4**) Developing and enhancing programs and strategies to recruit, train, and provide continuing education opportunities for the personnel of the centers with expertise related to the major disease area.

(**5**) Enhancing interactions with patients, sponsors, and the external biomedical community regarding the major disease area.

(**6**) facilitating collaborative relationships of the centers with other agencies within HHS regarding the major disease area.