NEWS 06/24/1993 FDA Installs State of the Art Video Conferencing facility 
P93-27                              Food and Drug Administration
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE               Mike Kubic -- (301) 443-4177

   The Food and Drug Administration has taken a step to speed upreview of
regulated products and improve internal communications byinstalling a
state-of-the-art video-teleconferencing facility.
   The new facility is intended to speed up exchanges of views and
information between the agency and manufacturers about new drugsand other
regulated products submitted to the agency for review. In the past,such
discussions usually required the product sponsors to bring to FDA
headquarters sizable delegations of scientists and executives. Because of
their size, the meetings took a long time to arrange and sometimesstill
foundered on the absence of a key person. 
   Videoconferencing also provides prompt access to authorities who
cooperate with FDA in dealing with public health emergencies suchas product
tampering or outbreaks of contagious diseases. 
   "This equipment has a great potential for saving time insituations where
time saved can mean saving human lives or preventing pain andsuffering,"
said FDA Commissioner David A. Kessler, M.D. "It's another step tobring the
agency's review process and emergency operations up to optimumspeed."
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                  Page 2, P93-27, Video-teleconferencing facility
   The conferencing facility, located at FDA headquarters inRockville, Md.,
is capable of communications with similarly- 
equipped establishments all over the world. It can bring togetheras many as
30 participants from each side for discussions that are
generally expected to last 30 to 90 minutes.  The equipment has abuilt-in
encryption device that provides communication security forconfidential
exchanges. 
   In addition to conferences with other authorities and productsponsors,Ôh)0*0*0*°°ÔŒthe equipment will be used for internal FDA meetings, training andcontacts
with the public.
   FDA is one of the eight Public Health Service agencies 

within HHS.
 
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