HHS Deputy Secretary and Dr. Frieder Meyer-Krahmer of the Federal Republic of Germany Meet on Innovation

September 13, 2006 - On September 6, 2006, The Honorable Alex M. Azar II, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), set the tone for his meeting with the Honorable Dr. Frieder Meyer-Krahmer, State Secretary of Education and Research of the Federal Republic of Germany, by asking, "How are we, the major economic powers, supporting biomedical and health care innovation?" In return, State Secretary Frieder Meyer-Krahmer noted his interest in this topic, as well as other issues such as government support for biomedical research and the assessment and regulation of the pharmaceutical industry. The State Secretary oversees a number of major initiatives to improve education and research in Germany.

"We are interested in initiating a dialogue with Germany on biomedical research and creating a positive environment for introducing pharmaceutical and medical devices into the market place," said HHS Deputy Secretary Azar.

Dr. Frieder Meyer-Krahmer is in the United States to meet with U.S. Government officials to discuss such topics as how to fund research institutions to be more competitive with other world-class institutions, such as the HHS National Institutes of Health (NIH), and to better coordinate biomedical research at the Federal level. Germany is about to begin a security-related research program aimed at protection against terrorism, crime or sabotage and the consequences of natural disasters or particularly severe accidents.

Last revised: November 21, 2007