FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Doctors for America
PO Box 53313
1921 Florida Ave NW
Washington, DC 20009-9997
June 7, 2023
Doctors for America’s FDA Task Force Meets with Legislators Ahead of the FDA Advisory Committee Meeting on the Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs
WASHINGTON, D.C. –This week, Doctors for America’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Task Force is meeting with leaders on Capitol Hill and providing public comment at the FDA’s Advisory Committee Meeting on the Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs on June 8th.
On Thursday, Doctors for America’s FDA Task Force will meet with a bi-partisan roster of legislators, representing six states, to discuss the need to ensure FDA continues to serve as the “gold standard,” that CMS retains sole discretion over coverage decisions, and that undue industry influence does not undermine trust in our institutions. The Task Force is committed to keeping patients safe by ensuring that therapeutic approvals are free from any conflict of interest and that they rely on the highest evidentiary standards.
On Friday, members of the Task Force will make public comment at the FDA Advisory Committee meeting to discuss the clinical effectiveness of LEQEMBI (lecanemab), an intravenous infusion for the treatment of early Alzheimer’s disease. Members have been following the development of this therapy and are eager to find an effective and safe cure. The Task Force supports CMS’ decision to utilize a registry for monoclonal antibodies directed against amyloid to treat Alzheimer’s disease. As physicians, we are invested in making sure that the drugs and therapeutics available to patients are not only clinically effective but also safe. CMS’ statutory authority to regulate Medicare coverage to items and services that are reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of an illness or injury should be respected and not influenced by external third-party organizations.
For press inquiries for members of the FDA Task Force Doctors for America please contact Claire Onyechi with Continuum Health Group ([email protected]).
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About Doctors for America:
Doctors for America mobilizes doctors and medical students to be leaders in putting patients over politics to improve the health of our patients, communities, and nation. We are 27,000 physicians and medical students in all 50 states, representing all areas of specialization. Our impact areas focus on access to affordable care, community health and prevention, and health justice and equity. DFA focuses solely on what is best for our patients, not on the business side of medicine, and does not accept any funding from pharmaceutical or medical device companies. This uniquely positions DFA as the organization that puts patients over politics and patients over profits. Find out more at doctorsforamerica.org and on Twitter @drsforamerica.