HARRISBURG – This week,the Pennsylvania Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 1206 introduced by Sen. Tracy Pennycuick of Montgomery and Berks counties to help get new life-saving treatments and devices to market more quickly. Senate Bill 1206 allows companies to gain temporary approval under Pennsylvania’s virtual manufacturers’ law, so that once federal approval is granted, these companies can quickly move forward without having to clear additional administrative roadblocks. Under current law, a pharmaceutical or medical device manufacturer must first complete the lengthy federal FDA process before it can even begin the state licensure process in Pennsylvania. The process creates unnecessary delays after a company has already invested years of research, clinical work and capital into bringing a new treatment or technology closer to market. Senate Bill 1206 does not weaken existing safety standards nor bypass the FDA approval process. In addition, it does not allow unapproved products to enter the market and keeps the FDA as the gatekeeper for safety and effectiveness.
