Bill to boost medical research funding and speed drug approval passes US house

After two years of negotiations, the controversial 21st Century Cures Act was passed by the US House of Representatives on Wednesday 30 November by a vote of 392 to 26.1 The bill boosts funding for medical research and mental health and substance abuse care—but also contains provisions to speed up drug and medical device approval that consumer groups say will lower safety standards and put patients at risk.

Representative Fred Upton, a Republican from Michigan, and Representative Diana DeGette, a Democrat …