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President Trump on Tuesday called on the Food and Drug Administration to speed the approval of drugs to treat life-threatening diseases, deriding the agency’s current process as “slow and burdensome.” In an address to a joint session of Congress, Trump said that the FDA approval process “keeps too many advances … from reaching those in need.” He noted that his speech was taking place on Rare Disease Day and cited the case of Megan Crowley, who was diagnosed with Pompe disease, a rare condition that leads to muscle and respiratory damage, and who was among the first lady’s guests during the joint session of Congress. (Kaplan, 2/28)

A young woman whose father founded a biotechnology company in pursuit of a treatment for her rare disease will be front and center on Tuesday night for President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress. Megan Crowley, a college student who was diagnosed with Pompe disease at 15 months old, will be seated alongside first lady Melania Trump during the address. Beforehand, Crowley and her father, John, will meet with Trump in the Oval Office to discuss rare disease treatments. (Facher, 2/28)