FDA Policy/General

Senate HELP Committee to Mark-up Biomed Innovation Bills

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee has planned a 4/6 mark-up for five FDA/biomedical innovation bills. This follows a 3/9 mark-up that favorably voted out seven bipartisan bills on biomedical innovation and seven previous bills voted out 2/9 (see earlier story). The Senate is wrapping up its legislative push to match the efforts in the House on the 21st Century Cures Act. The five bills scheduled for mark-up are: S. 2700, FDA and NIH Workforce Authorities Modernization ActS. 185, Promise for Antibiotics and Therapeutics for Health ActS. 2713, Advancing Precision Medicine Act of 2016S. ____, NIH Strategic Plan and Inclusion in Clinical ResearchS. ____, Promoting Biomedical Research and Public Health for Patients Act

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