“The 21st Century Cures Act” is in Congress. Scores of patient groups, professional organizations and healthcare industry officials like it.
The bill’s congressional backers say that the legislation, HR 6, would “accelerate the discovery, development and delivery of life-saving and life-improving therapies.” Proponents argue that the bill ought to become law because major advances in genetics now get to patients too slowly.
But foes say the bill would loosen Food and Drug Administration rules at the expense of patient safety.
Some hospital officials says the measure would eliminate regulatory bottlenecks delaying access to better drugs — good news for institutions struggling to improve patient outcomes and prevent readmissions. But others say that the legislation would pour unsafe drugs, including new antibiotics, onto the market and cause many serious health effects — bad news for hospitals.
