Fischer cosponsors bill expanding access, research into neurodegenerative diseases

U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) on Dec. 2 signed on as a cosponsor of a bipartisan bill that would authorize $100 million annually to implement new grants that support expanded access and research addressing neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

“ALS is a heartbreaking disease and unfortunately right now, far too few patients are able to access treatments to slow its progression,” Sen. Fischer said on Dec. 6. “This bipartisan bill would help address that problem by bolstering research and development of new treatments.”

The Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies (ACT) for ALS Act, S. 1813, which was introduced in May by U.S. Sens. Chris Coons (D-DE) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), would direct both the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to award the grants, according to the congressional record bill summary.

If enacted, the bill would authorize HHS to award grants to eligible entities to facilitate patients’ access to investigational drugs that diagnose or treat ALS, while the FDA would award grants to public and private entities to cover the costs of research and development of drugs that diagnose or treat ALS and other severely debilitating neurodegenerative diseases, the summary says.

Specifically, HHS would establish the Public-Private Partnership for Neurodegenerative Diseases between the National Institutes of Health, the FDA, and at least one other eligible entity to support the development and regulatory review of drugs that address ALS and other rare neurodegenerative diseases.

And the FDA would be tasked with publishing a five-year action plan on its website for fostering the development of drugs that improve or extend the lives of people living with rare neurodegenerative diseases, according to the summary.

S. 1813, which to date has a total of 53 cosponsors, is under consideration in the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.

“Let’s get this passed so we can help those suffering from ALS and eventually find a cure,” said Sen. Fischer.