Since 2012, the Creating Hope Act pediatric priority review voucher program (pediatric PRV or Creating Hope Act) has created almost $1 billion in R&D incentives for pediatric cancer and pediatric life threatening disease drugs.
Today, we are proud to announce that the Senate Appropriations Committee released a short-term continuing appropriations measure to maintain government operations through December 9th and in it, an extension of the Creating Hope Act through December 9th, 2016.
The next step is reauthorization of the pediatric PRV as part of the November lame duck session, when we hope Congress passes 21st Century Cures. We urge Congress to pass 21st Century Cures for so many reasons, including reauthorization of the Creating Hope Act.
In addition, in a belt-and-suspenders approach, today the Senate voted on the Advancing Hope Act, (S 1878) to extend the Creating Hope Act, until the end of this year. There will be further deliberations between now and then towards what we hope is a reauthorization.
We ask for your support and we look forward to hearing from you if you join us in asking Congress to reauthorize the Creating Hope Act by the end of this year.