BIO Statement on Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018

Washington, DC (April 24, 2018) – BIO President and CEO Jim Greenwood issued the following statement today regarding S. 2680, the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018:

“BIO and our member companies are committed to unleashing the power of scientific innovation to develop solutions that will allow for an America free of prescription opioid addiction. I applaud Chairman Alexander and Ranking Member Murray for their tireless commitment to finding solutions to the devastation caused by opioid abuse and addiction. The Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 would take important steps that will help get new innovations to the patients whose lives depend on them by establishing policies to ensure that the regulatory environment keeps pace with advances happening in the lab.

“In particular, by providing the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with Other Transaction Authority (OTA) for public health threats such as the opioid crisis, the Act would allow the NIH to more quickly and efficiently distribute funds for promising research in the fields of pain and addiction, and to engage with nontraditional research partners in ways that would otherwise not be feasible.

“Further, the Act would require the Food and Drug Administration to hold stakeholder meetings and develop and update guidance documents on several topics that have been identified as barriers for the development of novel and safer treatments for pain and addiction.

“We believe these provisions will stimulate research and development of novel treatments that effectively treat pain and opioid addiction and help prevent abuse. 

“We look forward to working with Chairman Alexander, Ranking Member Murray, and other members of the Senate HELP Committee as this legislation moves forward to ensure that the promise of biopharmaceutical innovation is most effectively employed in developing solutions for opioid abuse and addiction.”

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