,,iv  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,h4 ,,res4 #bdb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of
 ,,representatives  ,march #ah1         
#bjai,mr4 ,butterfield 7for himself and 
,mr4 ,bilirakis7 submitted the following
 resolution2 which was referred to the  
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce     
,,resolution  ,affirming the importance 
of the ,orphan ,drug ,act1 celebrating  
the over #gej new orphan therapies      
approved since its creation1 and        
recognizing the need to continue        
supporting research and development for 
rare diseases4  ,whereas #cj million    
people in the ,united ,states1 or nearly
 one out of every #aj individuals in the
 ,united ,states1 lives with at least   
one of more than #g1jjj known rare      
diseases2 ,whereas the ,orphan ,drug    
,act 7,public ,law #ig-dad7 was enacted 
to provide research and development     
incentives to encourage the development 
of new therapies for diseases affecting 
fewer than #bjj1jjj people in the       
,united ,states2 ,whereas in the #aj    

years prior to enactment of such ,act1  
only #aj therapies for rare diseases    
were developed by private industry and  
approved by the ,food and ,drug         
,administration2 ,whereas since         
enactment of such ,act1 research and    
development of therapies addressing rare
 diseases has resulted in more than #gej
 new therapies for rare diseases2       
,whereas experts estimate that without  
the tax credit under section #de;,c of  
the ,internal ,revenue ,code 7relating  
to a tax credit for clinical testing    
expenses for certain drugs for rare     
diseases or conditions71 one of the     
incentives for innovation established in
 the ,orphan ,drug ,act 7,public ,law   
#ig-dad71 at least one-third of such new
 therapies would likely not have been   
developed2 ,whereas the ,orphan ,drug   
,act 7,public ,law #ig-dad7 continues to
 lead to increased research and         
successful therapeutic development along
 the full range of rare diseases2       
,whereas people with rare diseases      

benefit from new orphan drugs by having 
a longer life and a higher quality of   
life2 ,whereas society benefits from new
 orphan drugs through increased         
productivity from individuals affected  
by rare diseases as well as a potential 
decline in the resources devoted to     
health care1 disability1 caregiving1 and
 related spending with respect to those 
individuals2 ,whereas despite the       
success of the ,orphan ,drug ,act       
7,public ,law #ig-dad71 fewer than #aj  
percent of the more than #g1jjj         
identified rare diseases have at least  
one treatment option that is approved by
 the ,food and ,drug ,administration2   
and ,whereas the significant1 lifesaving
 accomplishments of such ,act over the  
course of the #cf years since its       
enactment should be recognized3 ,now1   
therefore1 be it  ,that the ,house of   
,representatives-- 7#a7 applauds the    
tremendous growth in research and       
development into new therapies for rare 
diseases and the resulting number of    

therapies for people living with rare   
diseases approved by the ,food and ,drug
 ,administration2  7#b7 recognizes that 
significant research and development    
efforts and related investments are     
needed to develop therapies to treat and
 cure the thousands of rare diseases for
 which no treatment options are         
currently available2 and  7#c7 affirms  
the need to continue supporting public  
investment and encouraging private      
investment in research and development  
of new treatments for rare diseases4