The end of the year will be the end of an era at the FDA, as Bob Temple shuts his door at CDER for the last time Dec. 31. After more than half a century at the FDA’s drug center, Temple has become the backbone of CDER’s new drug program, providing expertise and stability as other personnel have come and gone.
With no time to spare, the U.S. Congress is coming together on a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the federal government running beyond Dec. 20. Intended to fund the government at current levels through March 14, the CR itself is temporary. But of the 1,500-plus pages in the package House leadership released late Dec. 17, only about 100 pages pertain to the actual CR. More than a third of the package is devoted to the health-care sector.
If a bipartisan group of U.S. House members has its way, at least some of the legislation congressional committees have passed to target pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) practices could yet make it into law this year. That is if congressional leaders listen to the rank-and-file members.
