The Subcommittee on Health is holding a hearing entitled, "Medical Devices:  Are Current Regulations Doing Enough for Patients?" on Thursday, June 18, 2009.  The hearing will examine the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) regulation of medical devices.  Specifically, the hearing will look at whether additional regulatory steps are necessary to ensure the safety, effectiveness and quality control of medical devices such as X-rays, pacemakers, and heart valves.

The Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on a new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report titled, "Emerging Health Care Issues:  Follow-on Biologic Drug Competition" on Thursday, June 11, 2009.  The report set forth FTC findings with respect to its investigation into the effects of a follow-on biologics pathway on competition and innovation.  In particular, the report addressed  whether additional incentives, beyond those provided by patents and pricing, are needed to ensure continued innovation in the biologics market.

The Subcommittee on Health held a legislative hearing on the discussion draft of the "Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009," on Wednesday, June 3, 2009, in 2123 Rayburn House Office Building.  The purpose of this hearing was to elicit views from FDA and other stakeholders on this legislation.

The Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on H.R. 1346, the Medical Device Safety Act of 2009 on Tuesday, May 12, 2009, in 2123 Rayburn House Office Building.  H.R. 1346 would overturn a 2008 Supreme Court decision that, for the first time, denied patients injured by certain medical devices the right to seek compensation through state product liability lawsuits.