Sharing Data Under the 21St Century Cures Act

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Sharing Data Under the 21St Century Cures Act © American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics REVIEW Sharing data under the 21st Century Cures Act Mary A. Majumder, JD, PhD1, Christi J. Guerrini, JD, MPH1, Juli M. Bollinger, MS1, Robert Cook-Deegan, MD2 and Amy L. McGuire, JD, PhD1 On 13 December 2016, President Obama signed the 21st Century “identifiable, sensitive” information and strengthens the associated Cures Act (“the Act”) into law. Many of its provisions support protections. At the same time, the Act exacerbates or neglects the creation of an “Information Commons,” an ecosystem of several challenges, for example, increasing complexity by adding a separate but interconnected initiatives that facilitate open and new definition of “identifiable” and failing to address the financial responsible sharing of genomic and other data for research and sustainability of data sharing and the scope of commercialization. clinical purposes. For example, the Act supports the National In sum, the Act is a positive step, yet there is still much work to be Institutes of Health in mandating data sharing, provides funding done before the goals of broad data sharing and utilization can be and guidance for the large national cohort program now known achieved. as All of Us, expresses congressional support for a global pediatric study network, and strengthens patient access to health Genet Med advance online publication 25 May 2017 information. The Act also addresses potential barriers to data sharing. For example, it makes the issuance of certificates of Key Words: 21st Century Cures Act; certificates of confidentiality automatic for federally funded research involving confidentiality; data sharing; HIPAA; privacy INTRODUCTION (see Table 1). The Act is a positive step toward the creation of On 13 December 2016, President Obama signed the 21st an Information Commons, yet there is still much work to be Century Cures Act (“the Act”) into law.1 As the title of the Act done before the goals of broad data sharing and utilization suggests, its overarching goal is to accelerate development of can be achieved. treatments through investment and changes to the policy environment surrounding discovery, drug and device CREATING AN INFORMATION COMMONS development, and health-care delivery. The omnibus 996- Four features of the Act are particularly notable for their page law works to achieve these goals through numerous, potential to enhance the Information Commons: (i) support- diverse provisions. ing the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in mandating data Many of those provisions are directed at promoting data sharing, (ii) promoting the assembly of a representative sharing and, in our view, support the creation of an national cohort in the United States (the All of Us research “Information Commons,” which the National Research program), (iii) encouraging global data sharing through a Council recognized as critical to improving the health of pediatric clinical study network, and (iv) strengthening individuals and communities.2 The Information Commons patient access to information. can be understood as a robust ecosystem of separate but interconnected initiatives that facilitate open and responsible Pushing for open and responsible data sharing sharing of genomic and other data for use in research and First, Section 2014 of the Act authorizes the NIH Director to clinical practice. The American College of Medical Genetics require award recipients to share data in a manner consistent and Genomics recently affirmed the value of sharing data for with applicable federal laws and regulations. The NIH has both these uses.3 already adopted policies mandating data sharing, for example, We analyze the Act through the lens of its impact on data through its Genomic Data Sharing Policy.4 Thus, the Act is an sharing and the creation of an Information Commons. While endorsement of existing NIH policies and a statutory basis for our assessments of the Act’s data-sharing provisions are expanding their scope. It is also a basis for stepped-up generally positive, the legislation exacerbates some existing enforcement of these policies. However, it does not address concerns and leaves several challenges unresolved, raising difficult questions about funding. In an environment in which important questions related to, among other things, commer- investigators are frequently asked to slash budgets, data- cialization and the identifiability of research participants sharing mandates that impose additional costs (e.g., for 1Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA; 2School for the Future of Innovation in Society, Arizona State University, and FasterCures, a Center of the Milken Institute, Washington, DC, USA. Correspondence: Mary A. Majumder ([email protected]) The last two authors contributed equally to this work. Submitted 8 January 2017; accepted 3 April 2017; advance online publication 25 May 2017. doi:10.1038/gim.2017.59 GENETICS in MEDICINE | Volume 19 | Number 12 | December 2017 1289 REVIEW MAJUMDER et al | 21st Century Cures Act Table 1 21st Century Cures Act provisions relevant to data sharing Topic What the Act does Potential impact on data sharing Complications Large-scale NIH Authorizes up to a total of $4.8 billion Supports rapid advance of cohort study Funding remains contingent on annual research initiatives for these initiatives (§ 1001) and formation and growth of brain- and appropriations by Congress cancer-focused data commons PMI cohort study (All Imposes high-level requirements related Possible source of innovative policies Requirements may not be effectively of Us) to privacy and security protection, and practices in these areas and model operationalized ensuring diversity, securing trust for other initiatives (via access policies), and transparency (§ 2011) Research subject Expands reach and strengthens Reduces risks to research participants Potential to reinforce siloing of research privacy protections under certificates of related to disclosure of information and clinical care; increased complexity due confidentiality (§ 2012); authorizes FOIA collected or compiled in the course of to adoption of identifiability definition exemption for biomedical information; research that differs from other regulatory low threshold for determination that definitions information is identifiable, triggering protections (§ 2013) NIH promotion of Authorizes NIH Director to require award Endorsement of existing NIH policies Balancing commitment to data sharing data sharing recipients to share data in a manner mandating data sharing and basis with protection of trade secrets and consistent with applicable laws and for expansion and for stepped-up commercial information; does not address regulations (§ 2014) enforcement financial sustainability issue HIPAA clarifications Directs Secretary to issue clarifying Reduces burden on researchers Defers consideration of important and revisions guidance on remote access for reviews conducting preparatory reviews and questions related to health data–based preparatory to research and likely to advance broad consent research and markets in health data authorizations for future research paradigm, which should facilitate (e.g., whether to permit sale of PHI to use/disclosure of PHI; sends data sharing researchers without patient authorization) controversies to working group (§ 2063) Global pediatric Supports NIH participation in formation Confirms Congressional receptivity to Leaders need to be aware of and address clinical study and operation of global pediatric clinical global data-sharing trend, which has potential public resistance to global network study network (§ 2072) many benefits sharing Patient access to Builds on existing patient access right Should increase patient use of Need investment in infrastructure if direct electronic health under HIPAA, promoting awareness and access right to contribute directly to contributions are to grow in line with information attention to barriers (§§ 4006–4008) commons proponents’ hopes; may exacerbate diversity problem FOIA, Freedom of Information Act; HIPAA, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act; NIH, National Institutes of Health; PHI, protected health information; PMI, Precision Medicine Initiative. preparation and transmission of data, and participant room for a free market to develop around commercially recontact in cases where it is unclear that consent extends protected data. to broad data sharing) may not be financially sustainable. The Act does speak to the tension between data sharing and Launching a diverse, trustworthy, transparent national trade secrecy, although perhaps not with the degree of nuance cohort program that those who study these issues might wish to see. This Section 1001 of the Act authorizes up to $4.8 million in tension has become more salient in recent years as a result of funding over 10 years for three NIH research initiatives that two trends: the growing importance of large data sets and aim to build large data sets of health information: the related interpretive algorithms to research and innovation, Precision Medicine Initiative, including its All of Us program; and patent law developments that have increased incentives to Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnol- protect that information as trade secrets.5–9 The Act seems to ogies; and the Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot. The All of Us affirm that proprietary interests trump data-sharing interests program in particular aims to enroll at least 1 million US through its recognition
Recommended publications
  • 21St Century Cures Sign on Letter
    November 16, 2016 The Honorable Mitch McConnell The Honorable Harry Reid Majority Leader Minority Leader United States Senate United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Paul Ryan The Honorable Nancy Pelosi Speaker Minority Leader US House of Representatives US House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515 Dear Leader McConnell, Leader Reid, Speaker Ryan, and Leader Pelosi: We, the undersigned 217 organizations, represent a widely diverse community of patients and family caregivers with distinct perspectives; yet we stand united in support of the 21st Century Cures Act and urge you to support and move this legislation forward by the end of 2016. This legislation, which passed the House in July 2015 with broad bipartisan support, will help deliver treatments and cures to people who desperately need them. It is based on thoughtful recommendations of the entire health community, and we thank the Energy and Commerce and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committees for their tireless work to incorporate our feedback into the legislation. This is a patient-focused bill that will advance the discovery and development of treatments, strengthen the patient voice in the research and regulatory environment, increase funding for the National Institutes of Health and Food and Drug Administration, and greatly improve our innovation ecosystem. Millions of Americans are desperately waiting for effective treatments and cures for their chronic disease or disability. The organizations that represent these people with chronic conditions urge Congress to pass the 21st Century Cures Act in 2016 in order to speed the development of treatments and cures. Patients simply can't afford to wait -- time is running out.
    [Show full text]
  • Public Health and Other Related Provisions in P.L 115-271, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act
    Public Health and Other Related Provisions in P.L 115-271, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act December 3, 2018 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov R45423 SUMMARY R45423 Public Health and Other Related Provisions in December 3, 2018 P.L 115-271, the SUPPORT for Patients and Elayne J. Heisler, Communities Act Coordinator Specialist in Health On October 24, 2018, President Donald J. Trump signed into law H.R. 6, the Substance Services Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (P.L. 115-271; the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, or Johnathan H. Duff, the SUPPORT Act). Coordinator Analyst in Health Policy The SUPPORT Act is a sweeping measure designed to address widespread overprescribing and abuse of opioids in the United States. The act includes provisions For a copy of the full report, involving law enforcement, public health, and health care financing and coverage. please call 7-5700 or visit Broadly, the legislation imposes tighter oversight of opioid production and distribution; www.crs.gov. imposes additional reporting and safeguards to address fraud; and limits coverage of prescription opioids, while expanding coverage of and access to opioid addiction treatment services. The law also authorizes a number of programs that seek to expand consumer education on opioid use and train additional providers to treat individuals with opioid use disorders. The SUPPORT Act builds on recent efforts by the federal government to address the opioid epidemic, including the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 (CARA; P.L. 114-198) and the 21st Century Cures Act (Cures Act; P.L.
    [Show full text]
  • 21St Century Cures Act Understanding Sex- and Gender-Based Differences in Disease and Participation of Women in Clinical Research
    Exploring the Impact of the 21st Century Cures Act Understanding Sex- and Gender-Based Differences in Disease and Participation of Women in Clinical Research BRENDA HUNEYCUTT, EMILY ORTMAN, ANNA DEGARMO, SARAH WELLS KOCSIS, TANISHA CARINO, AND AMY MILLER MILKEN INSTITUTE EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF THE 21ST CENTURY CURES ACT 1 EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF THE 21ST CENTURY CURES ACT Understanding Sex- and Gender- Based Differences in Disease and Participation of Women in Clinical Research The Milken Institute recognizes the integral role of equality, diversity, and inclusion in driving shared prosperity. Our research and programmatic work reflect the value in all human talent and the right to build a meaningful life regardless of biological sex, gender, race, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status. The Institute is committed to elevating these principles across industries, from finance and business to government and health care. Women are essential stakeholders in health care, serving as workers, caregivers, and consumers—yet they have not been afforded an equal voice in its leadership or research. This inequality is why the nonprofit Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR) was founded in 1990 to ensure the appropriate inclusion of women in medical research at a time when they were intentionally excluded. Thanks in part to SWHR’s advocacy efforts, women are now routinely included in most clinical trials, and offices dedicated to women’s health exist across the federal government. SWHR has a long and successful history of encouraging investment in women’s health and urging researchers to consider sex as a biological variable to uncover differences between women and men in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease.
    [Show full text]
  • Twenty-Three States Reported Allowing Unenrolled Providers to Serve Medicaid Beneficiaries
    Other general comment U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General Twenty-Three States Reported Allowing Unenrolled Providers To Serve Medicaid Beneficiaries OEI-05-19-00060 Christi A. Grimm March 2020 Principal Deputy Inspector General oig.hhs.gov Report in Brief U.S. Department of Health and Human Services March 2020 OEI-05-19-00060 Office of Inspector General Twenty-Three States Reported Allowing Why OIG Did This Review An effective provider enrollment Unenrolled Providers To Serve Medicaid process plays a vital role in Beneficiaries safeguarding Medicaid from Key Takeaway fraudulent and abusive providers. To What OIG Found The Medicaid program strengthen Medicaid provider We found that—contrary to Federal and its beneficiaries are enrollment, the Cures Act stipulated requirements—23 States had not enrolled all exposed to providers that that States must require all Medicaid providers serving Medicaid beneficiaries in have not been screened providers—both those in Medicaid their respective Medicaid programs, exposing by the States. FFS and Medicaid managed care—to them to potentially harmful providers that had enroll with their respective State not been screened for fraud, waste, and abuse. Medicaid agencies. The Cures Act These 23 States reported that they had not enrolled all providers in Medicaid mandated that OIG submit a report managed care or that they had not enrolled all ordering, referring, or to Congress—by March 31, 2020— prescribing (ORP) providers in Medicaid fee-for-service (FFS). that assesses the extent to which ➢ Twenty-one of the 23 States had not enrolled all providers in Medicaid States had enrolled all providers that managed care.
    [Show full text]
  • The 21St Century Cures Act — Will It Take Us Back in Time? Jerry Avorn, M.D., and Aaron S
    The NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL of MEDICINE Perspective The 21st Century Cures Act — Will It Take Us Back in Time? Jerry Avorn, M.D., and Aaron S. Kesselheim, M.D., J.D., M.P.H. n May 2015, the 21st Century Cures Act was intro- tem. An underlying premise of duced in the U.S. House of Representatives, with the bill is the need to accelerate I approval for new products, but the goal of promoting the development and speeding this process is already quite effi- the approval of new drugs and devices.1 Championed cient. A third of new drugs are currently approved on the basis by the pharmaceutical, biotech- provide an additional $2 billion of a single pivotal trial; the me- nology, and device industries, the per year for 5 years to create an dian size for all pivotal trials is bill was approved unanimously “NIH Innovation Fund.” Together, just 760 patients. More than two (51 to 0) in committee and con- this support would help counter- thirds of new drugs are approved tinues to be debated. If enacted act the effects of sequestration on the basis of studies lasting into law, some of its provisions and budget cuts that have re- 6 months or less3 — a potential could have a profound effect on duced the purchasing power of problem for medications de- what is known about the safety the NIH to its lowest level in signed to be taken for a lifetime. and efficacy of medical products, years. Given the crucial role that Once the Food and Drug Admin- as well as which ones become NIH-funded research plays in istration (FDA) starts its review, it available for use.
    [Show full text]
  • Bipartisanship in the 21St Century Cures Act in a Partisan Environment
    Bipartisanship in the 21st Century Cures Act In a partisan environment, what characteristics of political compromise lead to the passage of legislation? Courtney Scoufis Undergraduate Honors Thesis Sanford School of Public Policy Duke University Durham, NC December 2017 BIPARTISANSHIP IN THE 21ST CENTURY CURES ACT SCOUFIS 2 Acknowledgements This project would not be have been possible without the help of many people. Thank you to Julie Barnes-Weise for sparking my interest in pharmaceutical research and development my sophomore year through the Global Health Innovation Alliance Accelerator. I would also like to thank her for agreeing to be my thesis adviser and for her continuous support. I would like to thank Ken Rogerson for making what at first seemed like a daunting task doable and always helping me brainstorm my next steps. I would also like to thank Adam Hollowell for his encouragement and advice. Additionally, I would like to thank Jane Bahn for her help pulling committee reports. Thank you to my family, friends, and thesis companions for their support over the past year. Finally, thank you to the Sanford School of Public Policy for providing funding for this research. BIPARTISANSHIP IN THE 21ST CENTURY CURES ACT SCOUFIS 3 Table of Contents List of Tables …………………...………………………………………………....……...…...... 4 Abstract …………………...…………………………………………………....……………...... 5 Introduction ……..……………………………………………………………………………… 6 Literature Review …….……………………………………………………………………..…. 8 I. Bipartisanship ……………………………………………………………………… 8 II. Partisan Opinions
    [Show full text]
  • Encouraging Vaccine Innovation: Promoting the Development of Vaccines That Minimize the Burden of Infectious Diseases in the 21St Century Report to Congress
    Encouraging Vaccine Innovation: Promoting the Development of Vaccines that Minimize the Burden of Infectious Diseases in the 21st Century Report to Congress December 2017 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Encouraging Vaccine Innovation: Promoting the Development of Vaccines that Minimize the Burden of Infectious Diseases in the 21st Century Table of Contents I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 3 Summary .................................................................................................................................. 3 II. DEVELOPMENT OF THE REPORT ...................................................................................... 3 III. BACKGROUND .................................................................................................................... 4 IV. SCOPE OF THE REPORT ................................................................................................... 5 V. CURRENT STATUS OF VACCINE DEVELOPMENT ........................................................... 6 Small and Large Companies ................................................................................................... 7 Role of Federal Agencies ........................................................................................................ 8 National Institutes of Health (NIH) .............................................................................................. 8 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ........................................................................................10
    [Show full text]
  • SAMHSA/HHS FY 2020 Justification of Estimates for Appropriations
    DEPARTMENT of HEALTH and HUMAN SERVICES Fiscal Year 2020 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Justification of Estimates for Appropriations Committees Page intentionally left blank ii 5600 Fishers Lane • Rockville, MD 20857 www.samhsa.gov • 1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1-877-726-4727) Letter from the Assistant Secretary I am pleased to present the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) fiscal year (FY) 2020 Budget Request. SAMHSA is requesting a total of $5.6 billion. As the primary federal agency responsible for addressing the mental and substance use disorders that affect millions of Americans, SAMHSA takes seriously its responsibility to ensure that the best, most evidence-based care is reaching all communities in our nation. Now, more than ever, we must ensure individuals living with these conditions gain access to high quality prevention, treatment, and recovery services. Consistent with the goals of the 21st Century Cures Act, SAMHSA's budget demonstrates a commitment to addressing pressing public health challenges, including the opioids crisis and serious mental illness (SMI). This budget aligns with the Administration’s priorities to address mental and substance use issues for children, adults, families, and communities. Through a sustained focus on implementing evidence-based practices, SAMHSA's budget aims to improve the lives of people across the country. SAMHSA’s FY 2020 budget request includes investments to: • Expand access to care for opioid use disorders (OUD) through continued investment
    [Show full text]
  • East Meets West
    News February 2, 2016 HEALTH CARE POLICY OUTLOOK FOR 2016 In 2016, the Affordable Care Act will continue to be a contentious issue involving opposing legislative efforts and presidential debates. Clients and industries affected by health care regulations can, however, expect the emphasis of this debate to shift this year. Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s Health Care Outlook for 2016 provides insight on what to expect. Topics: Presidential Campaigns The Cost of Prescription Drugs The ACA: Repeal or Embrace? CMS and Reimbursement-Related Activities FDA-Related Issues Other Health-Related Topics Presidential Campaigns; Candidates’ Positions on Health Care System Since the presidential election of 2012, many of the major provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) have taken effect. Of the people who were not covered by health insurance when President Obama was elected to his second term, an estimated 20 million now have coverage through the ACA, either through Medicaid or through state exchanges. The positions of the two parties on the ACA are well known. The administration will likely spend 2016 defending “Obamacare” and marketing its accomplishments so that continuing and expanding the ACA will be part of the message of the Democratic candidates for president. Conversely, Republican candidates will likely endorse the repeal efforts and some of the replacement proposals introduced by the Republican-led Congress. Currently, the leading candidates in both parties have started to outline their health care positions as they prepare for debates in the 2016 election. Both former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders have made health care a central component of their campaigns early.
    [Show full text]
  • Ohio's Response to 21St Century Cures Act in Addressing the Opioid Crisis: a Targeted Response Initiative, November 2017 – April 2019, Follow-Up Assessment
    OSAM Ohio Substance Abuse Monitoring Network Ohio’s Response to 21st Century Cures Act in Addressing the Opioid Crisis: A Targeted Response Initiative, November 2017 – April 2019 Follow-up Assessment May 2020 Mike DeWine, Governor Lori Criss, Director Prepared by: Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Office of Quality, Planning and Research Ohio Substance Abuse Monitoring (OSAM) Network OSAM Research Administrators: R. Thomas Sherba, PhD, MPH, LPCC — OSAM Principal Investigator Sarah Balser, MPH, MSW, LSW, CHES — OSAM Coordinator Jessica Linley, PhD, MSW, LSW — OSAM Quantitative Data Analyst OSAM Regional Epidemiologists: Gretchen Clark-Hammond, PhD, MSW, LSW, LCDCIII, TTS Louis Guardiola, Jr., MSW, LSW, LICDC-CS Jennifer Olejownik, PhD Alycia Taylor, MPA Jennifer Tulli, MSW, LISW-S, LCDC III Acknowledgments: We would like to acknowledge the OSAM Regional Epidemiologists listed above for their efforts to this study in data collection and data organization. We would also like to acknowledge Donna Baker, BA, Kathleen Gallant, BA, Mandy McGlone, MS, LCDC III, OCPS II, TTS and Alina Sharafutdinova, BS for their assistance in data collection. Recommended citation for this report: Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services [OhioMHAS]. (2020). Ohio Substance Abuse Monitoring (OSAM) Network. Ohio's Response to 21st Century Cures Act in Addressing the Opioid Crisis: A Targeted Response Initiative, November 2017 – April 2019, Follow-up Assessment. Columbus, OH. Ohio Substance Abuse Monitoring Network TARGETED RESPONSE
    [Show full text]
  • 21St Century Cures Act
    L:\XML\CPRT-114-HPRT-RU00-HR6.XML JULY 2, 2015 RULES COMMITTEE PRINT 114-22 TEXT OF H.R. 6, 21ST CENTURY CURES ACT [Showing text based on H.R. 6 as ordered reported by the Committee on Energy and Commerce.] 1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 2 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 3 ‘‘21st Century Cures Act’’. 4 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 5 this Act is as follows: Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. Sec. 2. NIH and Cures Innovation Fund. TITLE I—DISCOVERY Subtitle A—National Institutes of Health Funding Sec. 1001. National Institutes of Health reauthorization. Subtitle B—National Institutes of Health Planning and Administration Sec. 1021. NIH research strategic plan. Sec. 1022. Increasing accountability at the National Institutes of Health. Sec. 1023. Reducing administrative burdens of researchers. Sec. 1024. Exemption for the National Institutes of Health from the Paper- work Reduction Act requirements. Sec. 1025. NIH travel. Sec. 1026. Other transactions authority. Sec. 1027. NCATS phase IIB restriction. Sec. 1028. High-risk, high-reward research. Sec. 1029. Sense of Congress on increased inclusion of underrepresented com- munities in clinical trials. Subtitle C—Supporting Young Emerging Scientists Sec. 1041. Improvement of loan repayment programs of the National Institutes of Health. Sec. 1042. Report. Subtitle D—Capstone Grant Program Sec. 1061. Capstone award. L:\vr\070215\R070215.001.xml July 2, 2015 (11:47 a.m.) VerDate Nov 24 2008 11:47 Jul 02, 2015 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6211 C:\USERS\MCHINN\APPDATA\ROAMING\SOFTQUAD\XMETAL\7.0\GEN\C\CPRT-114-HPR L:\XML\CPRT-114-HPRT-RU00-HR6.XML 2 Subtitle E—Promoting Pediatric Research Through the National Institutes of Health Sec.
    [Show full text]
  • The 21St Century Cures Act
    H.R. 6: The 21st Century Cures Act Judith A. Johnson, Coordinator Specialist in Biomedical Policy Susan Thaul, Coordinator Specialist in Drug Safety and Effectiveness Erin Bagalman, Coordinator Analyst in Health Policy August 10, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R44071 H.R. 6: The 21st Century Cures Act Summary On July 10, 2015, the House passed H.R. 6, the 21st Century Cures Act, on a vote of 344 to 77. Eight amendments were offered; five were approved by voice vote, two failed by recorded vote, and one was withdrawn. The House Energy and Commerce Committee, on May 21, 2015, unanimously ordered to be reported H.R. 6 and the House Committee on Rules published a committee print of the bill on July 2, 2015. On July 7, 2015, H.R. 6 was reported by the Committee on Energy and Commerce (H.Rept. 114-190), and the House Committee on Ways and Means was discharged from further consideration of the bill. The bill would reauthorize the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through FY2018 and provide other funding to the agency through FY2020. In addition, the bill would promote and encourage more strategic planning for research conducted by NIH; change loan support for young, emerging scientists; promote pediatric research; and encourage more collaborative research activities. The bill also focuses on changes to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) regulatory procedures for drugs and devices by requiring the issuance of more guidance and increasing regulatory flexibility in areas such as precision (or personalized) medicine, types of data that could serve as evidence of safety and effectiveness, antibiotic drug development, orphan drugs, and medical devices.
    [Show full text]