Senate bill would increase FDA budget

The budget bill released by the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday would increase FDA's budget authority for the remainder of FY13 by $23.9 million over FY12, excluding the impact of sequestration, according to the Alliance for a Stronger FDA. In addition to the budget increase, the bill also would allocate to FDA an additional $50 million to implement the Food Safety Modernization Act and for activities related to improving the safety of drug supplies. The Senate budget bill would give FDA authority to spend new and increased user fees for the remainder of FY13 and would fund the federal government through Sept. 30 (see BioCentury Extra, March 12). ...