May 24, 2017

Trump budget impact: It's a prescription for crippling medical research, critics say

 

Hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for Denver-area medical research facilities could evaporate under White House budget proposals, and the cost for companies to develop drugs and medical devices could jump, too.

The Trump administration's proposed budget, unveiled Monday, calls for $5.8 billion in cuts to funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and changes to how it helps pay for research centers including the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora.

Other changes to U.S. Food & Drug Administration programs would make companies shoulder the costs of FDA safety reviews required to bring drugs and medical devices to market.

Congressional leaders from both parties say President Donald Trump's spending plan is unlikely to pass in its current form, and lawmakers are expected to draft their own budget priorities.