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Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jun 29, 2017
Orphan Products Extension Now Accelerating Cures and Treatments Act of 2017
This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to extend by six months the exclusivity period for an approved drug or biological product when the product is additionally approved to prevent, diagnose, or treat a new indication that is a rare disease or condition (also known as an orphan disease). The FDA may revoke an extension if the application for the new indication contained an untrue material statement. The FDA must notify the public of products that receive this extension and patents related to those products. Products may receive only one of these extensions. This extension is in addition to other extensions. Only products approved after enactment of this bill for a new indication that is a rare disease or condition are eligible for an extension.
For a medication to be approved as an orphan drug with seven years of marketing exclusivity when it is the same medication for the same condition as an already approved orphan drug, the sponsor of the new medication must demonstrate that the new medication is clinically superior to the approved medication.
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The bill expands to cover brand name drugs provisions that allow generic drugs to be approved and marketed without labeling for pediatric indications when the pediatric indications are protected by patent or marketing exclusivity.
People & committees
Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT] · R–UT
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Aug 11, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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