Laboratory Developed Tests (LDTs)
Many hospitals and health care systems develop and use LDTs, particularly larger hospitals, including academic medical centers. LDTs are diagnostic tests that are not commercially distributed to other laboratories but, instead, are developed, validated and performed in-house by individual laboratories. They range from routine tests such as blood counts to more complex molecular and genetic tests for cancer, heart disease, and rare and infectious diseases. LDTs are critical in providing timely patient access to accurate and high-quality testing for many conditions for which no commercial tests exist or where an existing test does not meet current clinical needs. They also provide physicians with important clinical information to diagnose and treat patients and are essential to the practice of all areas of medicine. Indeed, these tests are typically developed at the request of, and in close collaboration with, clinical caregivers.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 29 issued a final rule that will phase out, over four years, its general enforcement discretion approach for in vitro diagnostic tests (IVDs), which include laboratory developed tests (LDTs).
The Food and Drug Administration April 29 issued a final rule that would phase out its general enforcement discretion approach for most laboratory developed tests over four years, citing concern that some of the tests may not provide accurate results or perform as well as FDA-approved in vitro…
The Food and Drug Administration’s proposal to regulate laboratory developed tests would undermine innovation and reduce access to effective and appropriate care for patients, AHA April 1 told the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee Ranking Member.
The Food and Drug Administration’s proposal to regulate laboratory developed tests would undermine innovation and reduce access to effective and appropriate care for patients, AHA March 21 told the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health.
AHA statement before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce
Subcommittee on Health on the impact of the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) proposed regulation of diagnostic tests.
AHA Dec. 1 urged the Food and Drug Administration not to apply its device regulations to hospital and health system laboratory developed tests.
December 1, 2023The Honorable Robert M. Califf, M.D.CommissionerU.S. Food and Drug Administration10903 New Hampshire Ave.Silver Spring, MD 20993Re: Docket No. FDA-2023-N-2177: Medical Devices: Laboratory Developed Tests Proposed Rule (Vol. 88, No. 190), October 3, 2023.Dear Commissioner Califf: