Bill · H.R. 2542· House(119-HR-2542)
Old Drugs, New Cures Act
- Introduced
- 4/1/2025
- Last activity
- 4/1/2025 — Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Sponsored by
- Donald Davis
- Cosponsors
- - 0 - 1
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The "Old Drugs, New Cures Act" aims to amend the Social Security Act regarding how drugs are treated under Medicare and Medicaid. It introduces a new designation called a "priority research drug" for certain covered outpatient drugs. To qualify, a drug must have been approved for at least 10 years and the manufacturer must be investigating it for a new indication that addresses a significant unmet medical need. This new indication must also be for a disease or condition with high prevalence among beneficiaries of Federal health care programs. The bill ensures these priority research drugs are not treated as line extensions of existing drugs when calculating manufacturer rebates.
Yes· 3 of 9
Would business owners be better off under this?+2
The bill benefits pharmaceutical manufacturers by exempting certain priority research drugs from line extension rebate requirements.
Does this put more money into scientific research?+2
The bill creates a pathway to incentivize pharmaceutical companies to invest in research for new indications.
Does this make health care easier to get in general?+2
The bill aims to stimulate research into new treatments for significant unmet medical needs.
The opposite
Does this lower the price of prescription medicines?-3
The bill exempts specific new indications from rebate calculations, which could potentially reduce the downward pressure on drug prices.
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?-2
By exempting priority research drugs from certain rebate rules, the bill may reduce the total rebate revenue returned to the government.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Encouraging Research for Unmet Needs: By allowing drugs to be designated as priority research drugs, the bill targets drugs being investigated for new indications that address a significant unmet medical need where no alternative exists (Section 2(a)(II)(bb)).
-
Focusing on Common Conditions: The designation process requires that the new indication addresses a disease or condition with a high prevalence among those using Federal health care programs (Section 2(a)(II)(cc)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts are explicitly stated in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Business Owners+2Good For Retirees+1Good For Seniors+1Good For Veterans+1
- Economy And Finance
- Reduces Government Spending-2
- Education And Technology
- Increases Scientific Research Funding+2
- Healthcare
- Improves Healthcare Access+2Increases Research Funding+2Improves Veterans Healthcare+1Reduces Prescription Drug Costs-3
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Improves Veterans Benefits+1
- 4/1/2025
- Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
August PflugerRepublican · Texas