NEUROTECH BILL INTRODUCED IN BOTH SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
National
Neurotechnology Initiative Act seeks to accelerate development of new
treatments for brain and nervous system conditions
SAN
FRANCISCO & WASHINGTON, D.C., March 12 - A team of prominent
members of both houses of Congress introduced today the National
Neurotechnology Initiative (NNTI) Act (H.R. 1483 & S. 586), a bill designed to foster new
discoveries and accelerate the development of new and safer treatments
for the one in three Americans living with a brain-related illness,
injury or disease.
The sponsors of the NNTI Act, Senator Patty
Murray (D-WA) and Representatives Patrick J. Kennedy (D-RI 1st) and
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL 18th), have called upon Congress to reverse
the growing economic burden generated by brain-related illness, which
exceeds $1 trillion per year in the U.S. due to healthcare costs and
lost income.
"The huge numbers speak for themselves: There are
100 million Americans suffering from a brain-related illness, with an
enormous economic burden that continues to grow as the population
ages," said Zack Lynch, Executive Director of the Neurotechnology
Industry Organization. "For a modest investment, Congress has the
opportunity to streamline research efforts, accelerate the development
of new treatments, promote innovation and job creation by small
businesses and have a meaningful impact on the lives of those suffering
from devastating diseases and injuries."
Designed to increase
private investment and accelerate the development of treatments
reaching the market, the NNTI employs targeted increases in funding to
improve Federal research coordination and ease bottlenecks that inhibit
the development of treatments for brain-related illnesses. The bill
accomplishes these goals with less than 4 percent of the total Federal
neuroscience research budget - $200 million - and reflects a more
balanced disease-cost to research-dollars-expended ratio.
"While
our ability to understand how the brain works grows each day, our
ability to understand and repair brain illnesses remains limited," said
Senator Murray. "For the millions of Americans that suffer from a brain
related illness, and the thousands of Americans coming home from Iraq
and Afghanistan with Traumatic Brain Injury and PTSD, a new federal
commitment to research and treatment can't wait. This bill will place a
premium on sharing the information researchers gain everyday and will
support ongoing but underfunded programs at NIH."
"With so many
Americans suffering from brain-related illnesses, it is crucial for us
as a society to maximize our efforts and continue learning about the
many facets of the brain, leading to a healthier life for all
Americans," said Congressman Patrick Kennedy.
"This legislation
will turn America into a nation where brain injuries and diseases are
tackled through innovative technology, state of the art medical
equipment and top notch neuroscientists. Together we can make this a
reality," said Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.
The National
Neurotechnology Initiative is designed to address four key bottlenecks
that slow the process of developing brain treatments:
- Agencies
do not coordinate their neurotechnology research. The NNTI establishes
a National Neurotechnology Coordinating Office within the Department of
Health and Human Services to ensure that NIH, DOD, and VA are working
together and not duplicating effort.
- The 16 Institutes within
the NIH that focus on brain research are insufficiently coordinated.
The NNTI fully funds and supports the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience
Research, an ongoing inter-institute research effort.
- NIH has
insufficient funding to push treatments out of the lab and into
development. The NNTI funds SBIR and STTR programs at NIH to
accelerate this process.
- FDA approval processes for
brain-related drugs, devices, and diagnostics are slower and more
expensive than for other treatments, and approval pathways are
uncertain. The NNTI provides funding for FDA to hire and train
neurotech experts and set much-needed neurotechnology standards.
The bill also creates a research center that will focus on the ethical, legal, and social implications of neurotechnology.
About NIO
The
Neurotechnology Industry Organization represents companies involved in
neuroscience - drugs, devices and diagnostics, academic brain research
centers, and patient advocacy groups across the world. Since NIO's
founding in August 2006, over 90 organizations have joined to "give the
brain a voice."
More information: www.neurotechindustry.org
Press Contact:
Zack Lynch
Executive Director
Neurotechnology Industry Organization
zack@neurotechindustry.org
415-341-0193
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