FISCAL 2008 BUDGET WOULD INCLUDE $7.2 MILLION FOR DEVICE SAFETY, REVIEW

The FDA is requesting nearly $2.1 billion as part of the president's fiscal 2008 budget -- a more than 5 percent increase over the budget submitted to Congress last year, according to agency.

The budget request, which covers the period from Oct. 1, 2007, through Sept. 30, 2008, includes $7.2 million for improving medical device safety and review. "As medical devices become increasingly complex and integral to the delivery of healthcare, there is a growing need to bolster the system that ensures the safety of these products over their entire life cycle," the FDA said Feb. 5.

"The resources will improve device safety by improving [the] FDA's ability to identify, analyze and act on postmarket safety information, hire additional staff to handle product recalls and deploy analytical tools to detect adverse events in medical devices on the market," the agency said, adding that it will also use the resources to meet its device review performance goals.