House passes FDA bill increasing overseas inspections

(CBS/AP) WASHINGTON - In a move of bipartisanship, the House has passed a bill that would increase inspections of drug manufacturing facilities overseas, while also accelerating approval of new drugs at home.

Under the House bill, passed 387-5 late Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration would have more flexibility to inspect manufacturing sites in China, India and other foreign countries. The number of U.S. drugs produced overseas has more than doubled over the last decade.

The underlying bill also renews an agreement between the FDA and the pharmaceutical industry under which companies pay the FDA to review new products. For the first time, the FDA will collect fees from generic drugmakers to speed up product reviews. The FDA has a backlog of roughly 2,700 generic drugs awaiting review.

House Republican Whip Kevin McCarthy praises the bill's passage. "I applaud the overwhelming bipartisan passage of this bill which is essential to keeping American innovation and jobs on our shores as well as ensuring we remain the world leader in this vital industry," McCarthy said.

Representative Diana DeGette (D-Co.), co-sponsored the bill and applauded it. "I am so proud we passed a bipartisan bill to create an early warning system so the FDA, drug companies and doctors can better respond to shortages, quickly and efficiently. Today, the U.S. House came together across party lines to take a significant step towards getting drug shortages under control and protecting the health of America's families," DeGette said in a statement.

The Senate overwhelmingly passed their version of the bill last Thursday 96 - 1. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) was the sole opposition vote.

Senate passes life-saving drug shortage bill

The two chambers must go to conference to reconcile the differences in the two bills before the legislation can be signed into law by President Obama.

[sjc_1]

Bush made sure Medicare Part D could NOT negotiate prices for drugs, then said that no one could get drugs from Canada made by the same company in sealed boxes.

It looks like the fix is in for drug companies to charge more for the same drugs sold in the U.S. This has more do to with profits for the big drug companies than public safety.

The rest of the world has "median pricing" which says drug companies are not allowed to charge more than the average world price in their country. We pay THREE times as much for the same drugs in the U.S. and the bill is sent to the taxpayers.

[slownewsday_6000]

"House Republican Whip Kevin McCarthy praises the bill's passage. "I applaud the overwhelming bipartisan passage of this bill which is essential to keeping American innovation and jobs on our shores as well as ensuring we remain the world leader in this vital industry," McCarthy said."

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Then why are we going to foreign countries to inspect THEIR plants?

Sounds like a pile of BS from House Republican Whip Kevin McCarthy

[sandiegopete]

In other words, even more of our drugs will be coming from the People's Republic of China.