Congress passes FDA Amendments act of 2007

WASHINGTON Congress has passed the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007. The FDA was particularly pleased to see Congress reauthorize the Prescription Drug User Fee Act and the Medical Device User Fee and Modernization Act. The two programs accounted for almost a quarter of the agency’s budget.

FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach had sent a notice to about 2,000 employees at the beginning of the week warning them of being laid off if Congress did not finalize the legislation by Sept. 21.

The legislation also includes the reauthorizations of the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act and the Pediatric Research Equity Act–two statutes that have provided invaluable information to the agency about medical products’ interaction with pediatric populations.