Walorski Votes to Save Lives, Improve Medical Research

Press Release

Rep. Jackie Walorski (IN-02) today voted for legislation that will help save lives by accelerating the discovery and development of therapies to transform the quest for faster cures.

H.R. 6, the 21st Century Cures Act, would modernize clinical trials to expedite the development of new drugs and devices, remove regulatory uncertainty in the development of new medical apps, and break down barriers to facilitate increased research collaboration.

"It's unacceptable that it takes 15 years for a new drug to move from the lab to the local pharmacy. We must bring our health care innovation infrastructure into the 21st Century," Walorski said. "Today brings us one step closer to delivering hope for patients and loved ones while providing necessary resources to researchers, including those in my district like Victoria Zellmer, who are working to develop the next generation of cures and treatments."

Last week, Walorski met with Zellmer, a local cancer researcher and Notre Dame student, to discuss the device she created along with her colleagues to detect and diagnose cancer earlier in patients. H.R. 6 would boost funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which could potentially fund medical research, like Zellmer's.

"I want to thank Rep. Walorski for her support," Zellmer said. "This is an important step to revamp health innovations. Not only does the 21st Century Cures Act provide funding for basic research but also delivers a huge impact on development of future cures."

The bill passed by a vote of 344-77 and now heads to the Senate for further consideration.

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