In a 94-5 vote, the U.S. Senate today passed the 21st Century Cures Act (H.R.34). This vote comes just days after the House of Representatives voted in favor of the bill. The bill now heads to President Obama, who has been a vocal proponent of the bill and has stated that he will sign it as soon as it reaches his desk.
The 21st Century Cures Act will bring a broad array of changes to how the government funds, develops and evaluates new devices and medicines, particularly for serious or rare diseases. Read our previous coverage of the bill here, here and here.