Dr. Andrew Farb: What you need to know about the FDA

Understanding the role of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in keeping afib patients safe

October 26, 2020

  • Summary: Dr. Andrew Farb: What you need to know about the FDA
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The 2020 Get in Rhythm. Stay in Rhythm.® Virtual Atrial Fibrillation Patient Conference is just four days from now, October 30–November 1, and we’re so excited! We can’t wait to share with you the high caliber experts who are joining us from around the world. 

Sunday morning, November 1, we will focus on understanding the role of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in keeping afib patients safe.

This is the first time a representative from the FDA has been able to participate in our patient conference, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. The FDA plays such an important role in keeping afib patients safe when it comes to medications, medical-grade devices, and even consumer devices for digital health.

We finally have the chance to hear from someone inside of the FDA who will help us to better understand their role in keeping us safe, and how it all works.

Andrew Farb, MD is the Chief Medical Officer in the Office of Cardiovascular Devices at the FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) and is joining us at the conference for the first time this year.

Dr. Farb has served as the lead FDA clinical reviewer for medical devices designed to close the heart’s left atrial appendage (LAA closure devices are intended to reduce the risk of stroke in afib patients who are seeking an alternative to anticoagulants).

Dr. Farb joined the FDA in 2004. He has concentrated on clinical study development for interventional cardiology, structural heart, and peripheral vascular devices. Since 2013, he has focused on regulatory approaches to facilitating medical device innovation and early-stage medical device studies in the U.S.

To continue to understand the needs of heart patients, he also engages in direct patient care as an attending physician in clinical cardiology.

Dr. Farb will share with patient conference attendees how devices are approved by the FDA, whether the approval process for medications is similar, the difference between medical-grade and consumer-grade devices, and which digital devices have to be approved. He will also talk about how patients can get involved with the FDA and get their voices heard.

This is an exciting opportunity for those living with afib to hear directly from the agency that regulates the newest innovations in afib.

After his presentation, Dr. Farb will participate in a Q&A session.

Dr. Farb helps keep doctors up to date on the regulatory process, especially related to devices for treating afib. He speaks regularly at the major afib medical conferences, and now, we get to hear from him, too.

When you register for the Get in Rhythm. Stay in Rhythm.® Virtual Atrial Fibrillation Patient Conference, you’ll get to hear directly from Dr. Farb and other top experts, too. You can do so here:

Get Dr. Farb’s Expert Perspective On Medical Devices For Afib Patients.

P.S. Because the Get in Rhythm. Stay in Rhythm.® Virtual Atrial Fibrillation Patient Conference is virtual this year, you can register now without having to make any travel arrangements! If you can’t watch the weekend’s sessions live (or even if you can), consider upgrading your registration to an All Access pass, so you have access to the regular session recordings when they become available.

October 30 is just around the corner, and we sincerely hope you’ll join us virtually and take advantage of the rare chance to hear directly from these renowned afib experts.

Register Here For The Patient Conference.

P.P.S. We’ve gathered the profiles of our Get in Rhythm. Stay in Rhythm.® distinguished faculty members all in one place. Access them as we release them, here.