FDA Will Not Submit Proposal to Congress To Seek Authority To Approve Generic Biotechnology Medications
FDA spokesperson Christopher Kelly on Tuesday said that, despite comments from an agency official on Monday, the agency will not submit to Congress a legislative proposal to seek authority to approve generic versions of biotechnology medications, CongressDaily reports (Edney, CongressDaily, 2/6).FDA Chief Operating Officer John Dyer on Monday said that the agency had begun to draft language for such a proposal. In addition, a congressional aide said that FDA informed the House Energy and Commerce Committee about plans to submit such a proposal but did not disclose a timeline (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 2/5).
Kelly said that the comments from Dyer resulted from a misunderstanding. Fiscal year 2009 budget documents refer to a legislative proposal that will provide recommendations on an FDA approval process for generic versions of biotech medications. Kelly said that the reference to such a proposal was an "expression by FDA of our interest in moving this forward, not an actual proposal" (CongressDaily, 2/6). This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
