Statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., and Deputy Commissioner Anna Abram on the FDA’s new plan to advance plant, animal biotechnology innovation

Innovations in plant and animal biotechnology offer tremendous opportunities for advancing public health. Promising new technologies that can edit animal and plant genomes have the potential to improve human and animal health, animal well-being, food productivity and food security. New forms of biotechnology allow modification of living organisms, such as plants or animals, in order to produce a new product, such as a novel pharmaceutical, new food variety or disease-resistant crop. These are just some of the new plant and animal-based biotechnology innovations that are opening up new opportunities to improve public health.

At the FDA, we’re committed to fostering advances in this field while ensuring the safety of plant and animal biotechnology products used by consumers. The FDA is taking new steps to put in place modern regulation that fosters innovation in this emerging space. Today, we’re announcing our new Plant and Animal Biotechnology Innovation Action Plan. This new plan advances policy priorities that the FDA will pursue to clarify our science-and-risk-based approach for product developers; avoid unnecessary barriers to future innovation in plant and animal biotechnology; and advance safety and our public health mission.