AdvaMed pleased with
Senate for raising
FDA program funds
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- AdvaMed President and CEO Stephen J. Ubl issued the following statement following the Senate Appropriations Agriculture, FDA, Rural Development and Related Agencies Subcommittee's mark up of fiscal year 2008 appropriations legislation, which includes funding for FDA's medical device program:
"AdvaMed is pleased the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee has voted to increase funding for FDA's medical device program for FY 2008 beyond the President's budget request. Under the Subcommittee's mark, the device program's budget authority would be $243,255,000 - $3.2 million above the amount sought by the Administration. The additional funds will go for important "Critical Path" research at FDA to find ways to speed the development and approval of new medical devices.
"The Subcommittee's budget mark recognizes FDA's need for adequate resources to fulfill its mission to promote and protect the public health and to oversee the increasingly sophisticated medical technologies that play such a vital role in improving patient care.
"AdvaMed would like to thank Subcommittee Chair Herbert Kohl (D-WI) and Ranking Member Robert Bennett (R-UT) for their leadership in supporting increased funding for FDA's medical device program which will help ensure patients continue to have timely access and confidence in the latest advancements in medical technology.
"We encourage the Senate and House to maintain the level of funding for FDA's medical device program called for in the Subcommittee's mark as the appropriations process proceeds."
For more information, visit www.advamed.org.
