Washington, DC ― Peter Sullivan reports in The Hill that the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee on April 6 advanced a final round of medical innovation bills as lawmakers intensify their push for a deal on funding medical research.
The panel advanced five bills aimed at speeding up Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of new drugs and devices. The measures will be combined with several other bills to become the Senate’s version of the House’s 21st Century Cures Act, which passed last July 10.
But a crucial element of the bill still remains to be worked out: new funding for medical research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which Democrats have made a dealbreaker.
The NIH funding could go to initiatives like the Obama administration's “moonshot” to cure cancer, and the FDA reforms are aimed at speeding up the approval of treatments, particularly for rare diseases.
The panel advanced five bills aimed at speeding up Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of new drugs and devices. The measures will be combined with several other bills to become the Senate’s version of the House’s 21st Century Cures Act, which passed last July 10.
But a crucial element of the bill still remains to be worked out: new funding for medical research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which Democrats have made a dealbreaker.
The NIH funding could go to initiatives like the Obama administration's “moonshot” to cure cancer, and the FDA reforms are aimed at speeding up the approval of treatments, particularly for rare diseases.
Both sides expressed optimism they could work out a deal on how much mandatory NIH funding to provide and how to pay for it. The starting point for those negotiations is the House bill’s number of roughly $9 billion over five years.
Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said he and the top Democrat, Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.), are “making progress” toward a deal.
For the full story, click here.
See also Senate HELP Committee’s Senate Health Committee Approves Last of 19 Bipartisan Bills, Completing Work on Companion to House-Passed 21st Century Cures Act.
Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said he and the top Democrat, Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.), are “making progress” toward a deal.
For the full story, click here.
See also Senate HELP Committee’s Senate Health Committee Approves Last of 19 Bipartisan Bills, Completing Work on Companion to House-Passed 21st Century Cures Act.
