U.S. House passes $6.4 billion user fee reauthorization bill

As expected, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the $6.4 billion FDA device and drug industry user fee reauthorization bill Wednesday, MassDevice reports. By voice vote, the bill gained approval with a two-third majority. Last week, the Senate passed its own version of the measure by a vote of 96-to-1. Industry and other supporters of both bills say they strike a good balance between the needs of the agency, industry and patients. But consumer groups had wanted stricter requirements, such as harsher premarket standards. Now, both sides must hash out a final bill and reconcile any differences. Story