FDA'S KESSLER TO HEAD GLOBAL HARMONIZATION TASK FORCE; ADVAMED OFFICIAL JOINS AS VICE CHAIR

The FDA Dec. 27 announced that Larry Kessler, CDRH's director of the Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, will chair the Global Harmonization Task Force (GHTF) for medical device practices.

Kessler assumed the post Dec. 22 and will serve for the next nine months, the agency said.

Established in 1992, the GHTF is a coalition of medical device regulators and industry associations from Europe, the Asia-Pacific and North America. The GHTF's mission is to:

Encourage convergence in regulatory practices; Promote technological innovation; and Facilitate international trade.

Janet Trunzo, AdvaMed's executive vice president of technology and regulatory affairs, has been named vice chair of the GHTF, AdvaMed announced Dec. 20.