ARTICLE SUMMARY:
In this week’s roundup: Some early medtech-related outcomes and things to watch from the US midterm elections; upcoming European regulatory policy meetings targeting the MDR and IVDR; and updates from UK NICE, China NMPA and US FDA.
US Midterms Picks
Some early election observations as control of Congress remains too close to call:
[Update: The first Pick has been revised to note that Sen. Murray is expected to take the leadership post on the Appropriations Committee and Sen. Sanders is likely to be the top Democrat at HELP]
Who will head HELP? Either Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) or Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) are expected to be the next chair of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, which oversees FDA and other health legislative policy issues, depending on which party wins control of the Senate. (As of Wednesday morning, this will be decided based outcomes in Arizona, Georgia, and Nevada.) Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), who decisively won reelection (despite a surprisingly stiff challenge) for her sixth term in the Senate, has held the top post at HELP,. But Murray is expected to become the chairman or ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee next session. And Paul will step up as Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), the outgoing top Republican on HELP, retires this year. Both Sanders and Paul would direct the committee toward different, but more challenging position for FDA and HHS broadly compared to the status quo. Sanders tends to favor more substantial FDA safety oversight and government health care coverage, relative to Murray. And Paul is primed to investigate the Biden administration’s handling of COVID-19 and, specifically, Anthony Fauci. The other key Senate committee for medtech is Finance, where Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Mike Crapo (R-ID), will retain leadership posts.
