House BioShield bill excludes incentives
The House version of Project BioShield excludes two elements believed to be key in enticing drug makers into developing biomedical countermeasures.
Approved almost unanimously (421-2), the House act (HR 2122) would limit government spending to $5.6 billion over 10 years and fail to provide companies legal protection if their drugs cause harm.
Project BioShield is the Bush administration’s plan to speed development and availability of medical countermeasures in response to current threats. It is designed to streamline government research, create incentives for companies and give the government the ability to make products widely available in a public emergency.
Bush presented the plan to the American people during his State of the Union address in late January, saying it likely would cost the government $6 billion over a decade. Within a month, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, led by Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH), unanimously passed Bush’s proposal (referred to as S 18), complete with a mandatory or indefinite funding provision. The full Senate has not voted on the bill.
Lawmakers spent weeks picking the proposal to pieces. In particular, the administration’s request for mandatory funding sparked debate.
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Government Reform Committee, both of which took up the issue, was among the lawmakers who vehemently opposed giving this president or any president who comes behind Bush a blank check to buy pharmaceuticals and biologics.
Matthews Lyons, director of government relations at the Biotechnology Industry Organization, said BIO told the House and Senate that their bills do nothing for liability, "and that is a major hurdle for the industry."
The House version of Project BioShield excludes two elements believed to be key in enticing drug makers into developing biomedical countermeasures.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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