House Bills - 110th Congress

H. R. 3334 —The SMA Treatment Acceleration Act

On August 2, 2007, Representative Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) introduced H.R. 3334, the SMA Treatment Acceleration Act. The aim of the bill would be to advance treatments for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) through requirements for NINDS and NICHD to establish and support the creation of a clinical trials network and a joint Data Coordination Center, and for the expansion and intensification of pre-clinical activities on SMA by these Institutes. The Secretary, HHS, would be required to enhance and provide support for the existing SMA patient registry and establish an SMA Coordinating Committee to coordinate activities across NIH and with other Federal health programs with respect to SMA. The Coordinating Committee would be required to conduct a study to identify current and potential future barriers to the development of drugs for the treatment of SMA and other similar genetic disorders. In addition, the bill would require a trans-NIH cooperative research initiative on SMA to follow up on the SMA project begun by NINDS. There are additional requirements for both the Secretary and FDA. H.R. 3334 was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Legislative Update (May 2008): SMA Treatment Acceleration Act