Sens. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Lamar Alexandar (R-Tenn.) plan to introduce a bill that would quicken the development of Ebola treatments and vaccines.
The Harkin-Alexander bill proposes adding Ebola to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's priority review voucher program, a program which incentives developing new drugs for "neglected tropical diseases." Ebola is currently not listed as a qualifying disease.
"The world is in desperate need of a vaccine to prevent Ebola and a drug to treat it," Sen. Alexander said. "This bill will help fight Ebola with a tool that encourages the development of necessary but unprofitable drugs — offering a reward for drugmakers who invest the time and resources to develop drugs to treat, and hopefully cure, Ebola."
The senators plan to introduce the bill when Congress reconvenes.
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