Washington,USA – September 30, 2025

The landscape of US health policy and public health strategy is under scrutiny today as two critical meetings take place in Washington, D.C., focusing on the long-term management of Diabetes Mellitus and the financial accountability of the nation’s drug regulatory process. The simultaneous sessions underscore the federal government’s dual focus on tackling major chronic diseases and ensuring operational transparency within the pharmaceutical sector.

DMICC Focuses on COVID-19 and New-Onset Diabetes

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), through its Diabetes Mellitus Interagency Coordinating Committee (DMICC), is holding a key virtual meeting today to discuss a highly relevant and concerning topic: “COVID-19 and New-Onset Diabetes.”

The DMICC, chaired by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), serves as the central platform for federal agencies—including the NIH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—to align their research and public health strategies on diabetes.

This session comes at a pivotal time, as clinical data continues to suggest a link between COVID-19 infection and an increased risk of new-onset diabetes in both adults and children. The committee’s objective is to synthesize the latest scientific findings, identify research gaps, and coordinate a unified federal response to this emerging and complex post-pandemic health threat. Key outcomes of this meeting are expected to shape future federal funding priorities for both infectious disease and diabetes research, potentially leading to new clinical guidelines for screening and managing patients following a COVID-19 diagnosis. The focus on interagency collaboration aims to accelerate the translation of research into effective public health interventions across the country.

FDA Pushes for Financial Transparency in User Fee Acts

Separately, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is hosting its own vital public meeting on the financial transparency and efficiency of its major user fee programs: the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA), the Biosimilar User Fee Act (BsUFA), and the Generic Drug User Fee Amendments (GDUFA).

These Acts are crucial, as they authorise the FDA to collect substantial fees from pharmaceutical companies to fund the agency’s critical drug review processes. In the interest of public trust and accountability, the meeting is a performance commitment established under the latest reauthorisations of the Acts (PDUFA VII, BsUFA III, and GDUFA III).

The agenda includes:

 * Updates on 5-Year Financial Plans: The FDA is providing stakeholders with updates on how it is managing the collected user fees over the current five-year cycles, ensuring the funds are used efficiently for timely drug approvals.

 * Independent Evaluation of Resource Capacity Planning: An independent contractor is presenting its findings on the FDA’s capability to plan and allocate resources, which is vital for maintaining the efficiency and predictability of the drug review pipeline.

 * Implementation Updates: The Agency is outlining its progress on implementing new resource capacity planning tools to better manage the workload funded by the industry.

This public scrutiny is a core requirement to ensure that billions of dollars in industry fees directly translate into faster and more rigorous drug review processes, ultimately benefitting public health. The focus is on accountability for the funds and maintaining a regulatory system that is both efficient and transparent.

Headline Points on Today’s US Health Policy Meetings

 * Diabetes Focus: NIH’s DMICC meeting is strategizing the federal response to the emerging and complex link between COVID-19 and New-Onset Diabetes.

 * Policy Coordination: The DMICC will determine new opportunities for interagency collaboration to align research and clinical guidance across NIH, CDC, and FDA.

 * Financial Scrutiny: The FDA public meeting addresses Financial Transparency and Efficiency across the major Drug User Fee Acts (PDUFA, BsUFA, GDUFA).

 * Accountability Measures: Key agenda items include updates on 5-year financial plans and an independent assessment of the FDA’s Resource Capacity Planning, meeting a vital regulatory commitment.

 * Sector Impact: Outcomes from both meetings are expected to directly influence future federal health budgets, medical research direction, and the operational accountability of the pharmaceutical regulatory process.