Posted by Michael Wonder on 22 Jan 2019
Shutdown risks delaying FDA approval of potentially life-saving drugs and therapies
22 January 2019 - It's not accepting new applications or fees during the shutdown.
The government shutdown, now in its fifth week, threatens to delay Food and Drug Administration approval of potentially life-saving drugs and treatments.
The FDA is at risk of running out of funding next month if the budget impasse doesn't get resolved soon, FDA chief Dr. Scott Gottlieb said. The agency's been able to keep most of its lights on since about 45 percent of its budget comes from fees the industry pays to review drug applications. But it's not accepting new applications or fees during the shutdown, forcing the agency to stretch its remaining funding to last roughly four more weeks before it may have to curtail reviews and delay applications, he said.
