MASSDEVICE ON CALL — A compromise in Congress would give the FDA a $2.5 billion budget for fiscal year 2012, a $50 million increase from 2011.
Most of the $50 million increase will focus on strengthening the federal watchdog agency’s food safety and bioterrorism programs, reported Medical Device Daily.
The federal watchdog agency’s medical device review and approval process has been getting some flak from lawmakers recently.
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Pennsylvania Rep. Joe Pitts (R) lambasted the FDA in a recent editorial, calling the watchdog agency an impediment to continued U.S. leadership in the global medical device field.
Pitts is chairman of the Health sub-committee of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, which has budget authority over the watchdog agency.
House Republicans introduced 10 bills last month aimed at the FDA’s medical device review and approval process.
The bills, sent to the Energy & Commerce Committee this week, detailed proposed measures to reform the predictability, consistency and transparency of the federal watchdog agency’s med-tech review process.
Computers that help docs help hospitals
A study out of Harvard University found a lower mortality rate, shorter hospital stay and better performance by doctors in hospitals that adopted the UptoDate clinical-information system, reported the Wall Street Journal.
St. Jude Medical on the move
Med-tech titan St. Jude Medical (NYSE:STJ) purchased a new building in its 13-year home of Sunnyvale, California. The company will relocate its R&D facility from 701 E. Evelyn Ave. to 645 Almanor Ave., reported MercuryNews.com.
White House launches health care fraud prevention
The Obama administration announced four new efforts to prevent healthcare fraud and reduce the error rate in Medicare and Medicaid, reported TheHill.com.