ARTICLE SUMMARY:
In this week’s Pathways Picks: The committee leadership picture comes into view for the next Congress, including Brett Guthrie (R-KY) at House Energy and Commerce; budget deadline; FDA software report; EU stakeholders meet next week and mandatory shortage reporting process takes shape; the UK selects AI Airlock firms; South Korea and Singapore team up on machine learning clinical trial principles; Brazil updates; and dates to remember.
US Picks
Changeovers on Capitol Hill, budget deadline, and software report:
Guthrie to lead Energy and Commerce. An experienced healthcare legislator was tapped to chair the House Energy and Commerce Committee, with jurisdiction over FDA and CMS, in the next Congress. Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) will take the reins from retiring Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), the Republican House leadership decided December 9. Guthrie is generally aligned with industry, and he is a cosponsor of the Ensuring Patient Access to Critical Breakthrough Products Act to streamline Medicare coverage for Breakthrough Devices, one of medtech’s top legislative priorities. He is moving up from his current post as chair of the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, where he plays a central role in crafting healthcare legislation, including the most recent FDA user fee reauthorization bill. In his new post, he will oversee the next user fee bill among other healthcare packages. Guthrie’s ascension leaves an opening for Health Subcommittee Chair. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) will retain his role as ranking member of Energy and Commerce.
