Mikulski introduces bill to spur R&D for chronic diseases
Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) introduced the Spending Reductions through Innovations in Therapies (SPRINT) Act, which would create a program to fund awards, grants, contracts and cooperative agreements to spur R&D for high-cost chronic health conditions. The proposed legislation would appropriate $50 million to HHS for FY13 for the program and would facilitate "innovative and expedited review" by FDA of products for chronic conditions. The proposed legislation would also require that every $1 in federal funding be matched by $2 in private investments. A high-cost chronic health condition would be defined as one of the top 10 leading causes of death as designated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with a high current and projected cost for federal healthcare programs. ...