21st century cures and life sciences innovation has been saved
After almost three years fo public meetings, debate, and consensus building, the 21st Century Cures Act (Cures Act) became law on December 13, 2016. The bipartisan legislation allocates a total of $6.3 billion to advance biomedical innovation by funding basic science research at the national Institutes of Health (NIH) ($4.8 billion) and allowing for innovation and flexibility for product regulation at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ($500 million). Other provisions target health information technology (HIT) and public health priorities.