FDA reauthorization approved by House

A bill reauthorizing and expanding a user-fee program for drugs and medical devices was approved by the House on Wednesday, sending the bill to a likely conference with the Senate.

The House approved H.R. 5651, the Food and Drug Administration Reform Act, in a 387-5 vote. The bipartisan bill is similar to a Senate-passed bill that would extend the FDA's user-fee program for generic drugs and biosimilars.

Industry has been negotiating the details of this program for several months, and supports it as a way to fund FDA staff that will examine drug and device approvals.

The Senate approved its version of the bill last week.

The FDA bill was one of three bills approved by roll call vote Wednesday evening. One of these was H.R. 4201, the Servicemember Family Protection Act, which was approved 390-2.

The other was H.R. 915, the Jaime Zapata Border Security Task Force Act, which was approved 391-2.