House Approves Bipartisan Bill Adding Zika To FDA’s Priority Review Voucher Qualifying Diseases List; President Obama Expected To Sign

The Hill: House approves bill to speed up Zika drugs
“The House on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a bill to offer incentives to companies seeking cures for the Zika virus amid Congress’s growing battle over funding for the epidemic. The bipartisan legislation would add the Zika virus to a list of diseases that qualifies for a ‘priority review’ voucher from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It passed the Senate last month…” (Ferris, 4/12).

Reuters: Congress sends Obama bill on Zika drug development
“…White House spokeswoman Katie Hill said Obama was expected to sign the bill, which she called a ‘small step’ that could encourage the private sector to tackle Zika. ‘But it contains no funding and is ultimately insufficient on its own, since it doesn’t provide the $1.9 billion in funding that our public health experts have said is needed right now to prepare Americans for the imminent local transmission of Zika in this country,’ she said in a statement…” (Clarke, 4/12).

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