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The Streetlight Effect: Regulating Genomics Where the Light Is

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2021

Abstract

Regulatory policy for genomic testing may be subject to biases that favor reliance on existing regulatory frameworks even when those frameworks carry unintended legal consequences or may be poorly tailored to the challenges genomic testing presents. This article explores three examples drawn from genetic privacy regulation, oversight of clinical uses of genomic information, and regulation of genomic software. Overreliance on expedient regulatory approaches has a potential to undercut complete and durable solutions.

Type
Symposium Articles
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of Law, Medicine and Ethics 2020

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(last visited October 20, 2019); DHHA, FDA, Transcripts of Public Workshop-Framework for Regulatory Oversight of Laboratory Developed Tests (LDTs), January 8-9, 2015, available at (last visited on October 20, 2019) and (last visited on October 20, 2019).' href=https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=The+surveyed+transcripts+of+relevant+FDA+Public+Workshops+included+2,845+pages+of+transcriptions+of+proceedings+at+the+following+meetings:+DHHS,+FDA,+supra+note+62;+DHHS,+FDA,+supra+note+66;+DHHS,+HHS,+Transcripts+of+Public+Workshop+-+Fostering+Digital+Health+Innovation:+Developing+the+Software+Precertification+Program+(January+30-31,+2018),+available+at++(last+visited+October+20,+2019)+and++(last+visited+October+20,+2019);+DHHS,+FDA,+Transcript+of+Public+Workshop+-+Weighing+the+Evidence:+Variant+Classification+and+Interpretation+in+Precision+Oncology+(January+29,+2018),+available+at++(last+visited+October+20,+2019);+Transcript+of+Public+Workshop+-+Adapting+Regulatory+Oversight+of+Next+Generation+Sequencing-Based+Tests+(September+23,+2016),+available+at++(last+visited+October+20,+2019);+DHHS,+FDA,+Transcript+of+Public+Workshop+-+Patient+and+Medical+Professional+Perspectives+on+the+Return+of+Genetic+Test+Results,+March+2,+2016,+available+at++(last+visited+October+20,+2019);+DHHS,+FDA,+Transcript+of+Public+Workshop+-+Next+Generation+Sequencing-Based+Oncology+Panels,+February+25,+2016,+available+at++(last+visited+October+20,+2019);+DHHS,+FDA,+Transcript+of+Public+Workshop+-+Use+of+Databases+for+Establishing+the+Clinical+Relevance+of+Human+Genetic+Variants,+November+13,+2015,+available+at++(last+visited+October+20,+2019);+DHHS,+FDA,+Transcript+of+Public+Workshop-Standards+Based+Approach+to+Analytical+Performance+Evaluation+of+Next+Generation+Sequencing+In+Vitro+Diagnostic+Tests,+November+12,+2015,+available+at++(last+visited+October+20,+2019);+DHHS,+FDA,+Transcript+of+Public+Workshop+-+Optimizing+FDA's+Regulatory+Oversight+of+Next+Generation+Sequencing+Diagnostic+Tests+Public+Workshop,+February+20,+2015,+available+at++(last+visited+October+20,+2019);+DHHA,+FDA,+Transcripts+of+Public+Workshop-Framework+for+Regulatory+Oversight+of+Laboratory+Developed+Tests+(LDTs),+January+8-9,+2015,+available+at++(last+visited+on+October+20,+2019)+and++(last+visited+on+October+20,+2019).>Google Scholar
See DHHS, FDA, Clinical and Patient Decision Support Software: Draft Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff, December 8, 2017 (providing FDA's first draft guidance on clinical decision support software, which has been withdrawn).Google Scholar
Id. at 7 (emphasis added).Google Scholar
See DHHS, FDA, Clinical Decision Support Software: Draft Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff, September 27, 2019, available at <https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/clinical-decision-support-software> (last visited October 20, 2019) (providing FDA's current draft guidance on clinical decision support software).+(last+visited+October+20,+2019)+(providing+FDA's+current+draft+guidance+on+clinical+decision+support+software).>Google Scholar
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See 21 U.S.C. § 321(h) (codifying § 201(h) of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which defines the medical devices that Congress has authorized FDA to regulate).Google Scholar
Id. at § 360j(o)(1)(E).Google Scholar
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See 21 U.S.C. § 360j(o)(1)(E).Google Scholar
See 21 U.S.C. § 360j(o)(1)(E)(i)-(ii) (describing software for the purpose of “(i) displaying, analyzing, or printing medical information about a patient or other medical information (such as peer-reviewed clinical studies and clinical practice guidelines); (ii) supporting or providing recommendations to a health care professional about prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of a disease or condition”); see also Clinical Decision Support (CDS), HealthIT.gov (last updated January 15, 2013), available at <https://www.healthit.gov/policy-researchers-implementers/clinical-decision-support-cds> and <https://perma.cc/JWV8-YUGQ> (last visited February 26, 2018) (offering another helpful definition).+and++(last+visited+February+26,+2018)+(offering+another+helpful+definition).>Google Scholar
21 U.S.C. § 360j(o)(1)(E).Google Scholar
See generally Price, W. N., “Regulating Black-Box Medicine,” Michigan Law Review 116, no. 3 (2017): 421474 (discussing black-box software used in medical applications).Google Scholar
21 U.S.C. § 360j(o)(1)(E)(iii).Google Scholar
DHHS, FDA supra note 87, at 27.Google Scholar
21 U.S.C. § 360j(o)(1)(E)(iii).Google Scholar
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See supra notes 24–28 and accompanying text.Google Scholar
21 U.S.C. § 360j(o)(1)(E).Google Scholar
21 U.S.C. § 360j(o)(1)(E)(i)-(ii).Google Scholar