The NIH emerged as the big winner in a House subcommittee markup of the fiscal 2016 Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education spending bill. Set at $31.2 billion – $100 million above the president’s request – NIH spending would account for about 20 percent of the $153 billion allocated for the three federal departments. The bill would terminate HHS’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and rescind $100 million from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Trust Foundation, which was created under the 2010 Affordable Care Act to help fund the independent Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute.

The FDA wouldn’t get everything it wants in a House subcommittee’s fiscal 2016 spending bill, but at least it wouldn’t flat line or be put on the cutting board. The same can’t be said for the agency’s device center. The proposed bill calls for $4.6 billion for the agency – $106 million more than it received this year. However, all but $30 million of the additional funds would come from user fees. While any increase is welcome, it’s not as much as the FDA had requested. Its fiscal 2016 request, included in President Barack Obama’s budget, was for $4.9 billion. The House legislation allocates the lion’s share of the funding increase to support food safety efforts, with an additional $4.2 million for improving the safety of medical products, of which $2.5 million is for antimicrobial efforts. None of the increase is slated for the Center for Devices and Radiological Health.

The Department of Health and Human Services proposed a rule for drugmakers that explains how the 340B ceiling price for drugs is to be calculated and when civil monetary penalties will be imposed for overcharging a health care facility covered by the 340B program. Comments on the proposed rule are due by Aug. 16.