Three months after President Biden signed an executive order to accelerate biotechnology innovation, the administration formally asked stakeholders and the public on Monday to identify gaps, ambiguities and inefficiencies in federal regulation of the sector. The FDA, EPA and USDA share jurisdiction over biotechnology.
In a notice scheduled to appear in the Federal Register on Tuesday, the administration set a 45-day comment period to name flaws in biotech regulation, “particularly with regard to new and emerging biotechnology products.” The White House science office, EPA, FDA and USDA will hold a listening session online on Jan. 12 on the matter.
When Biden signed Executive Order 14081, the White House said the National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative “will create jobs at home, build stronger supply chains and lower prices for American families.” The initiative was intended to assure American leadership in biotechnology by steps such as expanding market opportunities for biobased products, streamlining biotech regulations, expanding domestic biomanufacturing capacity, and encouraging biotechnology research and development.