Nanotech Update: FDA Announces Collaboration With Alliance for NanoHealth To Speed Development of Medical Products

By Ricardo Carvajal –      

FDA has announced a collaboration with the Alliance for NanoHealth ("ANH") that will aim 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 Houston-based ANH [www.nanohealthalliance.org] describes itself as “the first multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional collaborative research endeavor aimed solely at using nanotechnology to bridge the gaps between medicine, biology, materials science, computer technology and public policy.”   ANH members include 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, University of Texas Medical Branch and The Methodist Hospital Research Institute.  FDA cites its collaboration with ANH as an example of FDA’s Critical Path Initiative, which was begun in 2004 with the goal of facilitating development of innovative medical products.