House Passes 21st Century Cures Act

The House passed legislation Friday that aims to speed the development of new drugs and medical devices by increasing health research funding and streamlining the approval process for new treatments. The bill, called 21st Century Cures, was cheered by rare across-the-aisle support from politicians, with 230 co-sponsors nearly evenly split between Democrats and Republicans. The pharmaceutical industry, Biotechnology Industry Organization, patient advocacy groups, and medical organizations also support the bill, which calls for an additional $8.75 billion for the National Institutes of Health. Now the debate on whether the benefits of this legislation are worth its risks moves to the Senate. Read full story