Medscape Medical News Trump Vows to Speed Up FDA Approval, Cut...

Medscape Medical News
Trump Vows to Speed Up FDA Approval, Cut Regs for Pharma
Robert Lowes

January 31, 2017

President Donald Trump told pharmaceutical industry leaders gathered in the White House today that his administration would reduce taxes, regulations, and the time it takes for product approval, but that they must lower drug prices and bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States.

The president laid out the terms of this deal in introductory remarks covered by journalists before he and the drug company executives met behind closed doors. Trump's tone was considerably more genial than when he said in a press conference earlier this month that the pharmaceutical industry was "getting away with murder" by charging prices that patients can't afford.

"You folks have done a terrific job over the years, but we have to get the prices down," Trump said. "We have no choice."

Drug companies represented in the room included Eli Lilly, Novartis, Amgen, and Merck.

Trump repeatedly stressed the need to speed up the review process for new drugs and devices by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), also a goal of the Republican-controlled Congress. His nominee for FDA commissioner, yet to be announced, would help reach that goal, Trump said.

"We have a fantastic person that I think I'll be naming fairly soon who's going to streamline the FDA," Trump said. "You're going to get your products approved or not approved, but it's going to be a quick process. It's not going to take 15 years…. Surprised you can't get them to move faster."

Hope this means Avita will get full FDA approval soon