The 21st Century Cures Act needed three days to get through a procedural vote and a final vote on the floor of the U.S. Senate, but the legislation performed well on arrival, passing by a margin of 94-5 to the applause of the life science industries. The bill, which would pump $500 million into the FDA's coffers and $6.3 billion into the NIH account, needs only President Obama's signature to become law, providing what proponents say will be a new era of hope for patients afflicted by a variety of diseases, including cancer.