Legislation Aimed At Treating Brain Disorders

Lawmakers yesterday introduced legislation designed to speed the development of new, safer therapies for brain and nervous system disorders and injuries, which affect an estimated 100 million Americans and costs an estimated $1.3 trillion annually to treat, Scientific American reports.

The National Neurotechnology Initiative Act (NNTI), which has bipartisan support, calls for $200 million in federal funds to be set aside annually to research potential treatments and to establish an info clearinghouse from federal agencies to help coordinate efforts, the mag writes. The lawmakers charge a lack of coordination has impeded development of treatments for brain-related illnesses.

The funds would also go toward coordinating the work of 16 NIH branches that study brain-related injuries as well as to add and train employees at the FDA, which has been accused of dragging its feet on drug approvals because it is, among other things, understaffed, the mag adds.

“While our ability to understand how the brain works grows each day, our ability to understand and repair brain illnesses remains limited,” Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington, says in a statement. “This bill will place a premium on sharing the information researchers gain everyday and will support ongoing but underfunded programs at NIH.”

The bill would create a national neurotechnology coordination office at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to coordinate between HHS, the Department of Defense (DoD), the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and other key agencies.

The bill would also authorize and fund an NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research, which is an ongoing but underfunded coordination effort at NIH; bolster neuroscience-related Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs; and enable the FDA to hire and train more neurotechnology experts, and to set clear standards.