Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
House Leaders Unveil New Bill To Speed Drugs To Market
The Hill: Landmark Overhaul Of Drug Research Is Proposed In The House
Leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday unveiled a long-awaited draft of legislation that would speed up the approval of new drugs and treatments. The bipartisan, multi-billion dollar initiative, known as 21st Century Cures, includes major overhauls of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as well as the National Institutes of Health (NIH). (Ferris, 4/29)
Modern Healthcare: New Draft Of Medical Innovation Bill Boosts NIH Funding
A new draft of House legislation that creates significant new regulatory leeway for drug and device companies includes more funding for the National Institutes of Health, representing a compromise with Democrats who withdrew support for the bill. Leaders of the House Energy & Commerce Committee are circulating a new “discussion draft” of the 21st Century Cures bill that would raise NIH funding to $31.8 billion in fiscal 2016 and to $34.85 billion in fiscal 2018. Congress appropriated $30.3 billion for the NIH in fiscal 2015, and President Barack Obama requested $31.3 billion for fiscal 2016. (Tahir, 4/29)
