WASHINGTON (Reuters)—The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed a bill aimed at speeding new drugs to the market after lawmakers defeated last-minute amendments that threatened to derail it.
The House voted 344 to 77 in favor of the bill, known as the 21st Century Cures Act, which would require the FDA to streamline the drug approval process, consider more flexible forms of clinical trials and incorporate patient experience into its decision-making process.
The bill was developed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee and spearheaded by Republican Fred Upton and Democrat Diana DeGette. A similar bill in the Senate is expected to be voted on before the end of the year.
The House bill would increase funding to the National Institutes of Health by nearly $8.75 billion over five years and increase funding to the Food and Drug Administration by $550 million over the same period.
