Tuberville Teams Up with Rand Paul to Pass Bipartisan FDA Modernization Act in Senate to Cut Drug Costs for Alabamians
Groundbreaking Legislation has the Potential to Spare Animals, Bring Safer and Better Treatments to Patients, and Drive Down Drug Prices
The bill, introduced by Senator Rand Paul, R-Ky., and backed by Senator Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., as well as 10 other bipartisan cosponsors, would eliminate a 1938 Depression-era federal mandate that requires animal testing for all new drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The legislation's House companion bill, H.R. 2565, led by Reps. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., and Nancy Mace, R-S.C., and Elaine Luria, D-Virg., is also backed by Rep. Barry Moore, R-Dothan, who was an early cosponsor of the bill and led the Alabama Delegation in this effort.
The Senate-passed bill also includes language from an additional proposed reform, the Reducing Animal Testing Act, authored by Senator Ben Ray Lujan, D-NM, to amend the Public Health Service Act to remove the animal testing requirement for biosimilars. S. 5002 mirrors provisions of the original FDA Modernization Act provision approved as an amendment to an FDA legislative package taken up in June by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee.
“The FDA Modernization Act is a win-win for people, animals and industry; and it has the potential reduce drug costs and ease the pain for American voters during an era where inflation has caused the average American family’s living costs to skyrocket,” said Marty Irby, a native Alabamian from Mobile, former chairman of the Mobile County Young Republicans, and executive director at Animal Wellness Action who was named one of The Hill's Top Lobbyists for 2019-2021. "We applaud Coach Tuberville and Dr. Paul for their tireless work in the U.S. Senate and appreciate them shepherding this groundbreaking legislation to passage."
“The FDA Modernization Act 2.0 will accelerate innovation and get safer, more effective drugs to market more quickly by cutting red tape that is not supported by current science, and I’m proud to have led the charge with our fellow cosponsors. The passage of this bipartisan bill is a step toward ending the needless suffering and death of animal test subjects – which I’m glad both Republicans and Democrats can agree needs to end,” said Dr. Rand Paul, R-Ky.
Animal Wellness Action, the Center for a Humane Economy, and nearly 200 organizations, medical associations, biotech, and patient advocacy groups back the FDA Modernization Act and are calling on the full U.S. House to take up the measure. This groundbreaking legislation has the potential in the coming years to reduce the use of millions of animals and to deliver safer, more effective drugs to patients.
Other cosponsors include Senators Mike Braun, R-Ind., Susan Collins, R-Maine, Angus King, I-Me., Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Mike Crapo, R-Idaho Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., and Rick Scott, R-Fla. A previous version of this legislation was also introduced by Sen. Paul with Senators John Kennedy, R-La., Marco Rubio, R-Fla, Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Tim Kaine, D-Virg. cosponsoring that version, S. 2952.
Data show that it typically takes 10 to 15 years and an average investment of $1 billion and up to $6 billion for a new drug. Animal tests are non-predictive of the human response to drugs. This antiquated process of pharmaceutical innovation slows delivery of palliatives and cures for patient groups, drives up drug costs, and sacrifices countless animals.
Animal Wellness Action is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(4) organization with a mission of helping animals by promoting legal standards forbidding cruelty. We champion causes that alleviate the suffering of companion animals, farm animals, and wildlife. We advocate for policies to stop dogfighting and cockfighting and other forms of malicious cruelty and to confront factory farming and other systemic forms of animal exploitation. To prevent cruelty, we promote enacting good public policies, and we work to enforce those policies. To enact good laws, we must elect good lawmakers, and that’s why we remind voters which candidates care about our issues and which ones don’t. We believe helping animals helps us all.
Marty Irby
Animal Wellness Action
+1 202-821-5686
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Marty Irby and Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., talk FDA Modernization Act
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