FDA Policy/General

Patient Engagement Advisory Committee Meeting

Federal Register notice: FDA has announced an 11/15 Patient Engagement Advisory Committee meeting to discuss and make recommendations on the topic “Connected and Empowered Patients: E-Platforms Potentially Expanding the Definition of Scientific Evidence.” The recommendations will address how FDA can leverage patient-driven platforms, such as social media and registries, to better engage patients and consumers as empowered partners in the work of protecting public health and promoting responsible innovation. Increasingly, patients and health care consumers are using these platforms to share their health experiences and seek information from other patients and consumers, rather than their health care providers alone. Novel approaches and methodologies are being used to tap into some of these platforms as potentially rich sources of patient-generated health data, which could be used as relevant and reliable real-world evidence (https://www.fda.gov/ucm/groups/ fdagov-public/@fdagov-meddev-gen/ documents/document/ucm513027.pdf). The meeting is also intended to help advance FDA’s objective to assure the needs, experiences, and perspectives of patients are included as part of FDA’s deliberations involving the regulation of medical devices and their use by patients. To view the notice, click here.

Gupta Raises Concerns About Overton’s Independence, Ideology

FDA commissioner nominee Heidi Overton’s responses on vaccines, contraception and abortion medication during her 9/24 Senate confirmation hearing raise concerns that ideology could influence her decision-making if she takes over the agency, MSNBC senior medical analyst Dr. Vin Gupta said Friday. Gupta was particularly critical of Overton’

Overton Confirmation Remains Uncertain After Senate Hearing

FDA commissioner nominee Heidi Overton emerged from her Senate confirmation hearing Thursday (see earlier story) without resolving questions about whether she has enough Republican support to advance — and with a rapidly narrowing window for confirmation before the midterm elections. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing provided few

FDA Classifies Boston Scientific Imager II Catheter Recall as Class I

FDA has classified Boston Scientific's recall of its Imager II Angiographic Catheters as Class I because a manufacturing problem could cause catheter tips to degrade and detach, potentially resulting in life-threatening complications. The agency announced the Class I classification 9/25, updating an Early Alert it issued

FDA Approves Gazyva for Childhood-Onset Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome

FDA has approved Roche’s Gazyva (obinutuzumab) for reducing the risk of relapse in adults and children aged 2 and older with frequently relapsing or steroid-dependent, childhood-onset idiopathic nephrotic syndrome who are in remission. The expanded approval covers the use of the CD20-directed antibody beyond its existing

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Gupta Raises Concerns About Overton’s Independence, Ideology

Overton Confirmation Remains Uncertain After Senate Hearing

FDA Classifies Boston Scientific Imager II Catheter Recall as Class I

FDA Approves Gazyva for Childhood-Onset Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome