Following Senate Rejection of Trumpcare, Murray Works to Secure Major Drug and Medical Device Legislation; Bipartisan Bill Helps Promote Innovation, Maintain FDA's "Gold Standard" for Patients, Families

Press Release

Today, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed the FDA Reauthorization Act of 2017, bipartisan legislation spearheaded by Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) and Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) of the Senate HELP Committee to reauthorize FDA's so-called "user fee agreements." These agreements allow industry to support the FDA's work to facilitate the development and review of new drugs, generics, biosimilars, and medical devices and uphold the agency's mission to protect the public by assuring these products are safe and effective for patients and families.

These agreements reflect years of thorough negotiations and support urgent priorities, such as: restructuring the generic drug user fees to help more small businesses compete in the market, placing a goal review date on all backlogged generic applications, building up the biosimilars program to provide clarity and support for product developers, making sure patients' perspectives are considered in drug and device development, and advancing many of the policies passed as a part of 21st Century Cures.

"I'm very pleased that we were able to show people across the country just what is possible when Democrats and Republicans put partisanship aside and work together to put patients and families first," said Ranking Member Murray. "With this bill, we have taken an important step in the right direction to advance safe, effective, and innovative medical products for patients and families across the country. I appreciate the work put in by the Obama administration to negotiate the user fee agreements and the work by Chairman Alexander and so many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get this bill across the finish line. I am hopeful that we can build on this bipartisan action and keep working to make health care more affordable, more accessible, and higher quality."

By passing this bill, Murray and her colleagues prevented layoff notices from being sent to more than 5,000 FDA employees and delays in the reviews of critical drugs and devices. In a floor speech before the bill's vote, Murray applauded members for coming together "toward the common goal of ensuring our health care system works for families and puts their needs first."

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