BIO: Senate Passage of Ebola Treatments Bill a Critical Step to Incentivize Ebola Research and Development

BIO Applauds Senators Harkin, Alexander for their leadership on the bill

Washington, D.C. (December 3, 2014) – The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) applauds the unanimous Senate passage yesterday of the Adding Ebola to the FDA Priority Review Voucher Program Act. The Act would add Ebola to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) priority review voucher program, under which developers of a vaccine or treatment for a qualifying tropical disease receive a voucher for FDA priority review for another product of its choice, or sold to another developer.

The following statement may be attributed to BIO President and CEO Jim Greenwood:

“Efforts to stem the Ebola crisis would be greatly bolstered by the development of a preventative vaccine or therapeutic treatment for the disease. Biotechnology companies are working hard every day to expeditiously develop such products. The Adding Ebola to the FDA Priority Review Voucher Program Act, if passed into law, would further encourage these efforts, providing companies with an extremely valuable regulatory incentive to develop Ebola vaccines and treatments.

“I applaud Senators Tom Harkin and Lamar Alexander, Chairman and Ranking Member, respectively, of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee for their leadership in sponsoring and working to pass the Act. Their recognition of the need to further incentivize Ebola research by securing passage of the Act is a critical step in bringing us closer to the day when there will be an approved vaccine or treatment for this devastating disease.

“We look forward to working with the House of Representatives to ensure its prompt consideration and passage of this important legislation so that the Act becomes law this year.”
 

Upcoming BIO Events 

BIO Pacific Rim Summit on Industrial Biotechnology & Bioenergy
December 7-9, 2014
San Diego, CA

BIO CEO & Investor Conference
February 9-10, 2015
New York City, NY

BIO Asia International Conference
March 24-25, 2015
Tokyo, Japan

BIO International Convention
June 15-18, 2015
Philadelphia, PA
 

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