Last week the FDA introduced the “Nanotechnology Initiative”, a collaborative effort between FDA and the Alliance for NanoHealth (ANH) and its eight member institutions. The alliance’s eight academic institutions are the Baylor College of Medicine, the University of Texas’ M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Rice University, the University of Houston, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Texas A & M Health Science Center, the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and the Methodist Hospital Research Institute in Houston.

The initiative is designed to push for the development of safe and effective implementation of nanotechnology into medical products. Under a Memorandum of Understanding, the FDA/ANH Nanotechnology Initiative will work to expand knowledge of how nanoparticles behave and affect biologic systems, and to facilitate the development of tests and processes that might mitigate the risks associated with nanoengineered products. The nanotechnology initiative with the Alliance for NanoHealth is an effort to engage resources and technical expertise in this rapidly advancing field.

FDA recognizes that nanotechnology holds great promise for the advancement of novel medical products. All outcomes from this public-private partnership will be placed in the public domain.
Readers of MassTortDefense know that nanotechnology involves the creation and use of materials at the level of molecules and atoms; it presents opportunities but also challenges for the FDA’s entire regulatory product jurisdiction, from food to medical devices to therapeutics. Products from the new technology may also present product liability issues for manufacturers.