ACLA Welcomes Califf Confirmation as FDA Commissioner
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following the Senate confirmation of Robert Califf, M.D. as Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA), the nation’s leading organization representing clinical laboratories, today extended their congratulations to the next FDA commissioner.
“ACLA extends our warm congratulations to Dr. Califf upon his confirmation to serve once again as FDA Commissioner,” said Tom Sparkman, ACLA Senior Vice President, Government Affairs and Policy. “We look forward to working with Dr. Califf on a variety of issues impacting our nation’s cutting-edge laboratories and the innovative services they provide to patients. Clinical laboratories are driving the next generation of patient-centered care delivery, utilizing both laboratory developed tests (LDTs) and in-vitro diagnostic test kits.
For more than two years, clinical laboratories have played a crucial role in innovating and expanding access to a broad range of COVID-19 tests, including at-home specimen collection kits, specimen pooling, multiplex testing and the launch of novel RNA extraction methods to scale and maintain testing capacity and meet the growing demand. We know that testing will remain integral to our nation’s pandemic response.
As Dr. Califf lends his leadership and expertise to FDA, we look forward to working closely with him to advance policies and regulations that support a comprehensive approach to statutory diagnostic reform, including eliminating unnecessary and counterproductive regulatory policies that create uncertainty and impose unnecessary burdens on test development, especially as the country continues to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting toll on patient health.”
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The American Clinical Laboratory Association (ACLA) is the national trade association representing leading laboratories that deliver essential diagnostic health information to patients and providers. ACLA members are at the forefront of driving diagnostic innovation to meet the country’s evolving health care needs and provide vital clinical laboratory tests that identify and prevent infectious, acute and chronic disease. ACLA works to advance the next generation of health care delivery through policies that expand access to lifesaving testing services.
