Biomed Firms Laud Cox

The Health Industry Manufacturers Assn. has lots of favorites on Capitol Hill, and Rep. Christopher Cox is one of them.

The Washington-based trade group of biomedical manufacturers likes the way the Newport Beach Republican helped pass legislation last year that’s supposed to streamline government regulation of the industry. He serves on the House Commerce Committee, which handled the bill designed to speed up Food and Drug Administration approvals of new medical devices.

The trade group passed out crystal plaques to about 50 main sponsors of the bill, including Cox. David Mercer, chief executive of Irvine-based Interpore International, presented Cox with his award one morning last week before a gathering of employees. Cox noted that he is particularly proud of a provision in the law that allows non-government organizations to take over a job traditionally handled by the FDA: reviewing and testing medical devices before they’re approved for sale. The industry has long been frustrated with FDA delays. Some see third-party reviews under the new system as a way to allow the approval rate to keep pace with technological innovations.

Barbara Marsh covers health care for The Times. She can be reached at (714) 966-7762 and at barbara.marsh@latimes.com.