Since the invention of the pacemaker and the formation of Medtronic, little has fired up the entire Minnesota congressional delegation like medical technology, an industry that has made a big mark in the state's economy. On Thursday, the state's six Democrats and four Republicans in Washington signed a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) calling for the government to cut the red tape in the review process for medical devices. "We are very concerned that delays in this process are hindering innovation, delaying patient access to new therapies, and undermining the US medical industry's global leadership," the bipartisan group of Minnesotans wrote to FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg. The letter continues, "While we support your mission of ensuring that safe and effective devices reach the marketplace, we feel that we can achieve that goal while still balancing our ability to develop innovative life-saving therapies." Signed: U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, and U.S. Reps. Erik Paulsen, Collin Peterson, John Kline, Betty McCollum, Keith Ellison, Michele Bachmann, Tim Walz, and Chip Cravaack. The Minnesota delegation highlighted that over recent years, the percentage of medical devices approved during the first review cycle has declined dramatically. The five largest medical device firms in Minnesota – Medtronic, 3M, Boston Scientific, St. Jude Medical, and American Medical Systems – generate more than $22 billion in sales, according to a 2010 state report.
