FDA’s China Efforts Described and more

Advocacy at a Glance offers you the bullet point summary of current advocacy issues associated with the goals of the Alliance for a Stronger FDA.

  • FDA, As Seen By This Week’s Congressional Tweets. Congress is out of session for 2 weeks, but Members of Congress are still tweeting about the FDA -- both “back home” and policy issues. Here are some highlights:

    • FDA’s Animal Feed Rule (Impacting Bourbon and Beer makers): This proposed rule had Senator Ron Wyden (D, OR) and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R, KY) concerned that breweries and distilleries in their states might have to abandon their practice of making used grain products available to dairy farmers.

    • Painkillers: FDA’s recent decision to approve Zohydro ER (hydrocome bitartrate) led Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D, NH) to write to FDA with her concerns.

    • E-Cigarettes: Senator Richard Durbin (D, IL) and Representative Henry Waxman (D, CA) led a group of legislators in issuing a report encouraging FDA to regulate e-cigarettes.

    • Honey Laundering: FDA’s crackdown on misbranding and adulteration of imported honey drew favorable comment from Senator Charles Schumer (D, NY)

  • Commissioner Hamburg Interviewed on Improvements to Drug Review Process. In an interview with Sanofi CEO Chris Viehbacher at PhRMA’s annual conference, Commissioner Hamburg emphasized the critical importance for pharmaceutical products to meet quality standards and FDA’s renewed focus to incentivize better practice and more accountability around quality.

  • FDA’s China Efforts Described. Christopher Hickey, PhD -- FDA’s Country Director for the People’s Republic of China -- described the agency’s efforts to assure medical product safety in imports from that country. His comments are featured in the April 17 issue of FDA Voice, which is the blog site for FDA.

  • FDA Outlines Hemophilia Work. Thursday was World Hemophilia Day. In observance of the day, the FDA outlined the work the agency is conducting to approve new treatments to help people with the condition better manage their symptoms.

  • FDA and Alzheimer’s Groups Collaborate. The FDA is collaborating with a number of Alzheimer’s groups within the community, including the Alzheimer’s Association, to support the development of new biomarkers and improved diagnosis.

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