On December 13th, President Obama signed the H.R. 34, the 21st Century Cures Act, into law after the bill was passed unanimously by both the House and the Senate. The bill was touted by politicians for its initiatives to combat opiate addiction, but the new law has several components that will benefit biotechnology companies and pharmaceuticals alike. The law, which was influenced by the presence of some 1,455 lobbyists, will allow drug companies to directly advertise a drug for off-label usage and use real world evidence to seek FDA approval if the compound has been previously approved for another indication. Acadia Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ACAD) is one company that stands to benefits as its drug, Nuplazid, has been approved for treating PDP and is undergoing clinical trials for various other indications to include Alzheimer’s disease psychosis and schizophrenia.
