Biotechnology Product Regulation Target of Upcoming Public Meeting

Three federal agencies are convening an October 30, 2015, public
meeting in Silver Spring, Maryland, to discuss a July 2015 memorandum
issued by the Executive Office of the President (EOP) directing the
agencies to clarify their roles in the oversight of biotechnology products,
develop long-term regulatory strategies and commission an independent
study of the biotech landscape. The EOP memo defines biotechnology
products as those “developed through genetic engineering or the targeted
or in vitro manipulation of genetic information of organisms, including
plants, animals, and microbes.” The meeting will include presentations
by representatives of the Department of Agriculture, Environmental
Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about each
agency’s current approach to biotech product regulation.

Information about registration, oral presentations and viewing the
meeting via live webcast is available on FDA’s website. See Federal
Register, October 16, 2015.

Issue 581