21st Century Cures Act passes Senate, heads to Obama’s desk
WASHINGTON — The Senate voted 94-5 on Wednesday to pass the 21st Century Cures Act, sending it to the desk of President Barack Obama. The act, which was passed by the House of Representatives on Nov. 30, includes funding to support the fight against prescription drug abuse and funding for the National Institutes of Health’s cancer initiative, known as Vice President Joe Biden’s “cancer moonshot” initiative, which was renamed by the Senate after Biden’s son, Beau, who died of cancer in 2015.
Obama said in his Dec. 3 weekly address that he would “sign it as soon as it reaches my desk, because like a lot of you, I’ve lost people I love to cancer. I hear every day from Americans whose loved ones are suffering from addiction and other debilitating diseases. And I believe we should seize every chance we have to find cures as soon as possible.”
When the final draft of the bill was released before being considered and passed by the house, the Generic Pharmaceutical Association pushed for its passage, largely on the basis of it including funding to support the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act. The bill also provides tools to prevent prescription drug abuse under Medicare Parts C and D.
“This legislation puts patients first,” Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said when the Senate decided to move forward with the bill on Tuesday. “It helps strengthen the kind of research and treatments needed to cure the most devastating diseases. And it includes provisions to help enhance mental health programs and to provide funding to help fight opioid abuse.”
The Biotechnology Innovation Organization president and CEO James Greenwood praised the passage of the act, noting its potential to foster innovation and faster drug development by creating the Council for 21st Century Cures, which will work to accelerate discovery, development and delivery of innovative cures, treatments and preventive measures.
“The 21st Century Cures Act ... is an important victory for medical innovation that will help expedite the development of the next generation of breakthrough medicines to save lives and reduce suffering for millions of patients, while helping to lower other healthcare costs,” Greenwood said. “We applaud the work of the Senate for making sure that this important legislation remained a priority. We particularly want to recognize Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Chairman Lamar Alexander and Ranking Member Patty Murray, as well as the members of the Committee, for their tireless, bipartisan cooperation in crafting this important legislation”
After the House passed the bill, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America president and CEO Stephen Ubl said, “The legislation includes pro-patient, science-based reforms which enhance the competitive market for biopharmaceuticals and drive greater efficiency in drug development. It also increases FDA’s regulatory capabilities to foster the timely review and approval of new treatments for patients.”
When calling for the bill’s passage, GPhA president and CEO Chip Davis outlined further legislative goals for the industry in the coming year.
“We will continue working with Congress to find solutions to rising drug costs that bring safe and effective generic drugs to market more quickly and ensure more patients and payers have access to them,” Davis said. “Towards that end, GPhA will continue to support and seek enactment of the bi-partisan CREATES Act ... and the FAST Generics Act."