Bipartisan bio-defense bill

Sens. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) released proposed legislation on Thursday that would provide incentives for industry to invest in bio-defense products. The Bioterrorism Preparedness Act includes provisions instructing NIH and FDA to expand grants for bio-defense research and authorize the government to guarantee markets for vaccines and drugs by awarding long-term contracts. The bill also mandates the finalization of draft FDA rules allowing the approval of bioterror countermeasures based on animal data and the establishment of procedures to grant bio-defense products expedited review. ...