Obama Signs Rare Disease Trial Compensation Bill

President Barack Obama last week signed into law a bill to compensate patients who participate in clinical trials involving rare diseases.

The Ensuring Access to Clinical Trials Act of 2015, S. 139, exempts participants from claiming trial reimbursement of up to $2,000 a year in Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid applications. The law has not been assigned a Public Law number.

The president’s signature comes just over a week after the legislation cleared its final checkpoint in the House of Representatives.

Meant to reduce barriers to enrolling enough patients in rare disease studies, the new law also repeals a five-year sunset clause in the 2009 law it updates.

Read the law here: www.fdanews.com/09-30-15-compensation.pdf. — Victoria Pelham