No US "Christmas Tree Bill" For Rx User Fees

Extension of the prescription drug user fee will be the first and top priority for the Food and Drug Administration when the new Congress convenes, Indiana's Democrat Governor Evan Bayh has told the Robertson Stephens & Co medical conference.

He told the Marketletter that while generally popular, the user-fee extension bill could get into trouble if it turned into a "Christmas Tree Bill," ie with many extra, often extraneous provisions attached, in hopes of getting them passed rather than jeopardize the original bill. Overall, he expects the Washington bipartisanship being discussed to prevail because "President Clinton is looking ahead to his historical legacy, and the Congress wants to survive to be re-elected in two years."

Gov Bayh warned industry to be particularly attentive to quality assurance issues because "they could have significant impact on industry while being politically attractive, even to Republicans." However, unlike the Administration's initial attempt at health care overhaul, he expects health care changes to be incremental.