S. 1052Senate115th Congress (2017-2019)Passed Senate

BENEFIT Act of 2017

Introduced May 4, 2017

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 15, 2026 at 3:25 PM UTC

The BENEFIT Act of 2017 changes the federal drug law so that the Food and Drug Administration must consider patient‑experience information when weighing the risks and benefits of a new drug. It tells the FDA to look at data such as patient preference studies, patient‑reported outcomes, and other patient‑focused information as part of the approval process. This affects drug sponsors, the FDA, and ultimately patients who will receive the medicines.

Key Provisions

  • Amends Section 569C of the FD&C Act to add a new requirement (sub‑paragraph C) that the risk‑benefit assessment for new drug approvals must include relevant patient‑focused data, such as preference studies, patient‑reported outcomes, or other patient experience data.
  • Requires sponsors (or other parties) to describe in their applications how they considered this patient‑experience data in the risk‑benefit assessment.

Legislative Activity

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8 earlier actions
HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

August 11, 2017

View full timeline
SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

May 4, 2017

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

May 4, 2017

SenateCommittee

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions discharged by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S4787-4788)

August 3, 2017

SenateDischarge

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions discharged by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S4787-4788)

August 3, 2017

SenateFloor

Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (text: CR S4788)

August 3, 2017

SenateFloor

Message on Senate action sent to the House.

August 3, 2017

HouseFloor

Received in the House.

August 4, 2017 • 1:05 PM

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

August 4, 2017

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

August 11, 2017

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about S. 1052 on the floor

1 Republican
Lamar Alexander
Sen. Lamar AlexanderR-TN · Aug 3, 2017

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be discharged from further consideration of S. 1052 and the Senate proceed to its immediate…

Bill Text

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Referred in HouseIssued August 4, 2017

IC

115th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1052

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

August 4, 2017

Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

AN ACT

To strengthen the use of patient-experience data within the benefit-risk framework for approval of new drugs.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Better Empowerment Now to Enhance Framework and Improve Treatments Act of 2017 or the BENEFIT Act of 2017.

2.

Strengthening the use patient-experience data within benefit-risk framework

Section 569C of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 360bbb–8c) is amended—

(1)

in subsection (a)(1)—

(A)

in subparagraph (A), by striking ; and and inserting a semicolon;

(B)

in subparagraph (B), by striking the period and inserting ; and; and

(C)

by adding at the end the following:

(C)

as part of the risk-benefit assessment framework in the new drug approval process described in section 505(d), considering relevant patient-focused drug development data, such as data from patient preference studies (benefit-risk), patient reported outcome data, or patient experience data, developed by the sponsor of an application or another party.

; and

(2)

in subsection (b)(1). by inserting , including a description of how such data and information were considered in the risk benefit assessment described in section 505(d) before the period.

Passed the Senate August 3, 2017.

Julie E. Adams,

Secretary