Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (formerly AACC) Submits Testimony to Congress Opposing FDA’s Proposed LDTs Rule

“Today, we at the Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM, formerly AACC) provided testimony to Congress regarding the impact of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) proposed rule to impose FDA oversight on laboratory developed tests in addition to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) oversight. While we share FDA’s goal of ensuring that laboratory developed tests are safe and effective, we have serious concerns about the agency’s proposal. If finalized, this rule would create a burdensome dual regulatory structure that would limit patient access to many life-saving tests.

Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (formerly AACC) Statement on Proposed FDA Rule on Laboratory Developed Tests

We at the Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine were disappointed to see the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) attempt to circumvent Congress with its new proposed rule to duplicate the regulation of laboratory developed tests by placing these tests under FDA authority, in addition to their current regulation under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Medical and Patient Communities Unite to Urge Congress to Stop Bill That Would Impede Patient Access to Essential Diagnostic Tests

AACC joins more than 100 other medical and patient organizations that have expressed concerns about the Senate HELP committee rushing to pass the VALID Act, a bill that would limit patient access to vital laboratory developed tests and the lifesaving diagnoses these tests enable. Specifically, the medical and patient communities urge Congress to remove the VALID Act from the FDASLA Act, a piece of must-pass legislation that the Senate is on the cusp of ratifying.

AACC Calls on Congress to Halt Legislation That Would Hinder Patient Access to Essential Medical Tests

AACC has sent comments to the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee urging the committee not to include the VALID Act in its omnibus Food and Drug Administration (FDA) user fee legislation. VALID would limit the availability of vital laboratory-developed tests, decreasing patient access to life-saving diagnostic tools.

AACC Statement on Non-Invasive Prenatal Screening Tests

We share the FDA’s goal of alerting the public to the potential misuse of non-invasive prenatal screening (NIPS) tests. This is why we’ve been advocating for the modernization of how laboratory-developed tests (LDTs) are regulated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

The Importance of Laboratory Developed Tests in Diagnosing COVID-19

Laboratory developed tests play a vital role in getting patients accurate diagnoses and effective care, and at no time has their importance been clearer than during the current pandemic. In this briefing, AACC’s leading experts in laboratory medicine will discuss why laboratory developed tests are crucial to fighting the coronavirus, as well as the regulatory barriers that nearly prevented labs from developing and introducing these tests for the virus.

AACC Welcomes HHS Decision to Clarify Federal Regulation of Laboratory Developed Tests

AACC welcomes a decision from the Department of Health and Human Services that the Food and Drug Administration does not have authority to regulate laboratory developed tests (LDTs) without formal notice-and-comment rulemaking.