Energy & Commerce Leaders Ask for Fresh Opioid Briefing 

The House Energy & Commerce Committee on Tuesday demanded a fresh round of briefings on the nation’s opioid crisis from the FDA.

In a letter signed by leading members of both parties, the committee says it wants the FDA to address concerns about the risk evaluation and mitigation strategies for fentanyl, but also wants to do a deeper dive on some of the older decisions the agency made in bringing opioids to market.

The committee also wants to hear about the agency’s 2001 labeling decisions on Oxycontin and February 2019 guidance requiring opioid sponsors to conduct trials on efficacy and patients’ pain sensitivities.