Bill Spurs Research and Drug Development into Most Deadly, Costly Diseases Like Alzheimer’s
 
WASHINGTON – On Thursday, February 2, 2012 at 11:30 a.m., Congressman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, will join U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), a senior member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), Congressman Chris Smith (R-N.J.), and George Vradenburg of US Against Alzheimer’s to unveil the Spending Reductions through Innovations in Therapies (SPRINT) Act, bipartisan legislation which would spur innovation in research and drug development for chronic health conditions such as Alzheimer’s, that are leading causes of death as well as the most costly to taxpayers.
 
The SPRINT Act will help speed the development of drugs and therapies to combat the most deadly and costly chronic diseases, including Alzheimer’s, cancer, diabetes and heart diseases. It invests in public-private partnerships to ensure scientists and researchers are able to develop new safe and effective drugs.
 
The bill compresses the product development timelines and increases the volume of drugs in the development pipeline so that priority is given to the most promising pharmaceuticals. Additionally, it expedites the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review process so that drugs can be brought more quickly to market to the patients who need them.
 
The legislation saves the federal government and taxpayers by working to cure the diseases that bear the greatest health care costs. It requires that every $1 in federal funds is matched by $2 in private investment so that federal dollars are best spent on market-tested and market-ready drugs.  Alzheimer’s disease alone will cost the nation $183 billion in 2012, 70 percent of which is covered by Medicare and Medicaid.
 
WHO:
Congressman Ed Markey (D-Mass.)
U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.)
U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine)
Congressman Chris Smith (R-N.J.)
George Vradenburg, Co-Founder & Chairman, US Against Alzheimers
 
WHEN:
Thursday, February 2, 2012
11:30am
**Media are asked to pre-set by 11:15am**
 
WHERE:
U.S. Capitol Visitor Center
Room SVC208
Washington, D.C. 20510
 
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