The Senate will begin pondering a new bill that will provide big cash incentives to pharmaceutical companies for taking on the development of drugs to combat rare pediatric diseases. The bill would help drug companies gain quicker approval and first to market will get bigger shot at blockbuster revenues -- especially with shorter approval cycle. At least that is the theory underpining the bill.
The bill gives priority review vouchers to firms pursuing rare diseases -- and is an extension of a bill originally passed for rare tropical diseases. It also closes a loophole that allowed manufacturers to use vouchers with existing drugs (for new applications). The bill is geared to "encourage" (force) developers to come up with new therapies. See Fierce Biotech.
Posted by Bruce Lehr August 10th 2010.
From Medical News Today http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/197445.php
Posted by: bigredbruce | 08/11/2010 at 12:58 PM
More on this story from the PharmaTech Talk blog
http://blog.pharmtech.com/2010/08/10/building-the-right-incentives/
Posted by: bigredbruce | 08/11/2010 at 12:24 PM