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FDA funding added to 21st Century Cures Act

May 22, 2015 1:15 AM UTC

The U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee passed the 21st Century Cures Act (H.R. 6) on Thursday by a 51-0 vote following the last minute addition of FDA funding provisions. The bill includes a "Cures Innovation Fund" that provides FDA $110 million per year for five years. The $550 million total falls short of the $960 million FDA estimates it will cost to implement the bill, but is nonetheless a major achievement for FDA because prior versions did not appropriate additional money for the agency.

The bill also includes requests to the House Appropriations Committee to appropriate additional funding to FDA, and a provision exempting user fees from sequestration. ...