Congress starts loading the user-fee train

The user fee reauthorization train pulled into its first stop on Feb. 3, a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s health subcommittee, and members started talking about the boxes they hope to load onto it.

The manifest for the first car, agreements negotiated between FDA and industry, has been almost completed. Letters outlining commitments from FDA and funding from life sciences companies have been finalized for prescription, generic and biosimilar drugs. The medical device user fee commitment letter is past due. ...