TRIP

Funding bill may address drug shortages-aides

Reuters Health News, 2012

Fri, Jan 27 2012 Wed, Jan 25 2012 Fri, Jan 20 2012 Thu, Jan 19 2012 Wed, Jan 18 2012
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Legislation aimed at relieving shortages of crucial drugs used to treat cancer and other illnesses may get momentum next week when lawmakers decide whether to attach it to a must-pass funding bill for the U.S.
A House of Representatives hearing next week about FDA funding will address the shortage of life-saving medicines, said the aides, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The number of drugs in short supply rose to 220 in 2011 from 56 in 2006, the year a clear trend started emerging.
Some doctors have had to postpone care or use second-best drugs or more costly alternatives to compensate for shortages.
President Barack Obama made shortages a national priority with an executive order in October, and urged Congress to quickly pass legislation to address the issue.
Two bills that would force drug companies to tell the FDA about looming shortages have been stuck in a deadlocked Congress this year, despite bipartisan support.
Next week's House hearing is part of the process to renew FDA user fees, or the funds companies pay to the agency in exchange for faster review of drugs and devices.
"We're hoping that the user fee bill can be a vehicle for the (drug shortages) language," said one congressional staffer familiar with the matter.
Since fees from makers of drugs and medical devices provide more than a third of the FDA's funding, the bill often serves as a vehicle for broader FDA-related changes.
The Senate is also working on including the issue of drug shortages in the FDA user fee legislation, another aide said.