DeLauro Introduces HEAL Act to Address Antibiotic-Resistant Superbugs
WASHINGTON, DC — Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) today announced she has introduced the Helping Effective Antibiotics Last (HEAL) Act, to address the problem of antibiotic-resistant superbugs. The HEAL Act prioritizes regulatory resources for new antibiotics that would have the greatest public health benefits, outlines a streamlined development process to maximize the appropriate use of antibiotics, help conserve novel antibiotics, and ensures patient safety in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval process while encouraging the development of needed antibiotics.
“Antibiotic resistance is a crisis that needs immediate attention, and patient safety and stewardship must be at the heart of the solution. I introduced the HEAL Act to fill an existing gap in the way we approach antibiotic resistance. While there have been a number of legislative approaches to this, the HEAL Act is unique in that it applies scientific best practices to the development of safe and effective antibiotics to protect patient safety and conserve life-saving antibiotics,” said DeLauro.
Dr. Diana Zuckerman, President of the National Center for Health Research, said of the bill, “HEAL is a wonderful step forward in the fight against antibiotic resistance. Unlike other legislative efforts, HEAL puts the patients first: protecting them from inferior antibiotics. At the same time it encourages pharmaceutical companies to develop new antibiotics for the patients who urgently need them."
Vijay Das, healthcare policy advocate at Public Citizen, said, “Antibiotic resistance is a striking public health emergency. The best way to attack this threat is to conserve existing antibiotics and incentivize research on safe new treatments. The HEAL Act echoes these goals and is a victory for patients.”
“The National Physicians Alliance strongly endorses the HEAL Act, which goes further than current proposals to address antibiotic resistance. The Act supports streamlined development of effective new antibiotics, the responsible use of existing antibiotics, and the safety of patients. It ensures new treatments are not merely new, but are also effective and safe—the heart of what matters to patients and physicians alike. The Act is grounded in science and it will save lives,” said Lisa Plymate, MD, Chair of the NPA FDA Taskforce.
DeLauro is the senior Democrat of the subcommittee responsible for funding the departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services and is the former Chairwoman of the subcommittee responsible for funding the FDA. She is a longtime advocate for drug safety standards that protect and inform American consumers, and has made the safety and transparency of drugs a top priority.
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