Bipartisan legislation introduced on Thursday by U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) would expedite the implementation of an initiative he led in 2013 to develop a national pediatric research network.
The Pediatric Research Improvement Act, S. 3115, would build on the National Pediatric Research Network Act that Wicker and U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) led to passage in 2013.
The original bill sought to improve pediatric care, strengthen research and offer more opportunities to families across the country by rethinking how doctors and hospitals share information.
“The 2013 law fundamentally changed the way that pediatric research findings are shared,” Wicker said. “It also equipped researchers with new resources to develop better treatments for thousands of American children — with the ultimate goal of finding cures for these devastating diseases.”
The Pediatric Research Improvement Act would require the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to follow through on creating a national pediatric research network to provide more access to clinical trials and treatments, especially for children with rare diseases.
“It is disappointing that the law’s implementation has faced numerous delays,” Wicker said. “This new legislation aims to rectify that problem so that families across the country can start to see the benefits of the law as soon as possible.”
Under the bill, the director of the NIH would be given the authority to create a national pediatric research network. It would also require the dissemination of scientific findings to ensure that taxpayer-funded research is used for the development of treatments and cures.
“The National Pediatric Research Network Act has the power to improve pediatric care and expand opportunities for children and their families across the country by strengthening research and changing the way doctors and hospitals share information,” Brown said. “But right now, children with rare and sometimes debilitating diseases are still waiting – with time they may not have – for this law to become a reality. It’s time to get this law off the ground so our nation’s hospitals can continue their important work to study and cure pediatric diseases.”
The NIH director would also be encouraged to ensure that consortia that consider pediatric rare diseases and conduct clinical trials receive federal support.