House Committee Passes 21st Century Cures Act

On Thursday, lawmakers on the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously passed the 21st Century Cures Act (HR 6) after reaching a deal to fund the measure, which aims to increase the speed of new medication and treatment approvals. The agreement comes after committee lawmakers delayed a markup of the bill that had been scheduled for Wednesday over funding disagreements. The measure would alter the antibiotic process, create new disease research initiatives, establish new incentives for drugmakers to study rare conditions and place a much greater focus on patient data to encourage more "personalized medicine."

• "Medical Cures Bill Unanimously Passes House Panel" (Sullivan, The Hill, 5/21).
• "21st Century Cures Bill's Progress Hits Possible Funding Roadblock" (Ross Johnson, Modern Healthcare, 5/20).