Bilirakis Questions Witnesses Regarding Rare Diseases, Combination Products
Washington, D.C. – Representative Gus Bilirakis, member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, today questioned witnesses from the FDA and NIH during a 21st Century Cures hearing about repurposing drugs to treat rare diseases and combination products.
"There are over 7,000 rare diseases, impacting 30 million Americans – that is nearly one in ten people. Over 95% of these diseases have no treatments, because each rare disease impacts a small number of patients. My bill, the OPEN Act will leverage the free market to incentivize drug makers to repurpose drugs to treat rare diseases. This bill can help millions of people by ensuring medications are safe and effective for rare conditions. Thirty million lives could be saved or improved, and I will do everything I can to fight for them," Bilirakis said.
Although the second draft bill of the 21st Century Cures has yet to supply language for the section entitled Repurposing Drugs for Serious and Life-Threatening Diseases and Conditions, Bilirakis is hopeful this section will eventually include the Orphan Products Extension Now ~ Accelerating Cures and Treatments (OPEN ACT) Act. The OPEN ACT, authored by Congressman Bilirakis, would incentivize drugmakers and innovators to "repurpose" major market drugs for life-threatening rare diseases and pediatric cancers, opening the door to the development of hundreds of safe, effective, and affordable treatments for rare disease patients.
Bilirakis also questioned witnesses regarding combination products: "In the first version of the 21st Century Cures draft legislation, a provision I authored helped ensure timely approval of combination products. Although that provision is not included in the most recent draft, both representatives from the FDA recognized the Office of Combination Products (OCP) desperately needs improvement, and I look forward to working with them to increase the FDA's efficiency," Bilirakis said.
To view the Congressman's questions, click here.