Consolidated Appropriations Act: Implications for Healthcare and Life Sciences Companies

30 December 2020
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Key takeaways:
  • On December 27, 2020, President Trump signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act (the “Act”), which provides funding for economic relief and public health measures to address the pandemic, and also includes regulatory provisions with significant implications for healthcare and life sciences companies.
  • The Act includes provisions aimed at ending so-called “surprise billing”; extending the priority review voucher program for rare pediatric diseases; modernizing generic drug labeling; increasing the transparency of licensure, patent, and exclusivity information for biological products; funding vaccines, therapeutics, testing, and medical supplies to combat the COVID-19 pandemic; and providing the Federal Trade Commission with the ability to seek civil penalties for deceptive claims related to COVID-19.