Nanotechnology Public Meeting

The US Food and Drug Administration regulates a wide range of products, including foods, cosmetics, drugs, devices, and veterinary products, some of which may utilize nanotechnology or contain nanomaterials. The FDA has not established its own formal definition, though the agency participated in the development of the NNI definition of "nanotechnology." Using that definition, nanotechnology relevant to the FDA might include research and technology development that both satisfies the NNI definition and relates to a product regulated by FDA.

With the advent of nanotechnology, the regulation of many products will involve more than one Center, for example a "drug" delivery "device". In these cases the assignment of regulatory lead is the responsibility of the Office of Combination Products. To facilitate the regulation of nanotechnology products, the Agency has formed a NanoTechnology Interest Group (NTIG), which is made up of representatives from all the Centers. The NTIG meets quarterly to ensure there is effective communication between the Centers. Most of the Centers also have working groups that establish the network between their different components. There are also a wide range of products involving nanotechnologies, which are regulated by other federal agencies. The breadth of products regulated by FDA and the other agencies is shown in below.

Crowell & Moring's Ann Klee will represent the United States Council for International Business (USCIB) at the FDA's upcoming Nanotechnology Public Meeting.