According to U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioner Scott Gottlieb, approximately 400 workers from the FDA have resumed duties from furlough as the U.S. government shutdown reached its 25th day.
Gottlieb made the proclamation on Twitter, with many of the workers returning without pay. About 100 of the returning staff will be concentrating on inspections of high-risk medical device manufacturing facilities, about 70 focused on inspections of high-risk drug manufacturing facilities and about 90 focused on inspections of high-risk biological manufacturing facilities.
Drugmakers are expected to face near-term regulatory gridlock and the potential for a backlog of delayed filings, meetings, and regulatory decisions.
Read the Reuters report