The Senate Passes FDA User Fee Bill

The US Senate this week passed the FDA user fee bill with a vote of 92 to 4, reports the Associated Press. President Barack Obama is expected to sign it into law within days, the AP adds.

As The Sample's sister publication GenomeWeb Daily News reports, "this passage marks the final vote on the FDA Safety and Innovation Act (S. 3178), as members of the Senate and House of Representatives worked out a final version of the bill over the past few days."

With approval from both arms of Congress, the bill could enable FDA to "collect an additional $308 million over five years to fund its regulatory activities and to take steps to modernize its review and approval processes," GWDN adds.

"We applaud Congress for passing this legislation and commend the measures it takes to smooth the way for more personalized medicine products," says the Personalized Medicine Coalition at its blog.