Scientific EXPERT Act of 2025

This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to facilitate and participate in externally led, science-focused drug development meetings to discuss the development of treatments for rare diseases and conditions.

The FDA must enter into an arrangement with the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA under which the foundation agrees to convene such meetings. Meetings must be held at least four times a year, and each meeting must focus on a different rare disease or condition.

The foundation must establish a permanent steering committee to review and recommend topics for each meeting. In evaluating potential topics, the committee must consider unmet therapeutic needs, patient population sizes for different diseases and conditions, and whether a disease or condition would benefit from clarity and alignment on drug development questions, among other factors.

In planning each meeting, the foundation must develop a list of medical experts, drug sponsors, scientific organizations, patient organizations, and other entities to be invited to participate. Representatives of the FDA’s review divisions must attend each meeting.

Summary by the Congressional Research Service.