Title: FREED of Opioids Act
Policy area: Health

Summary:
FDA Review of Efficacy of EERW Double-Blinds of Opioids Act or the FREED of Opioids Act
This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take certain actions to determine whether to permit the use of a certain methodology for drug clinical trials.
Specifically, the FDA must seek to contract with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) for the NAS to conduct a study on the effectiveness of using enriched enrollment randomized withdrawal methodology in demonstrating the efficacy of opioid drugs in treating chronic pain.
The FDA must also convene a meeting of two specified FDA advisory committees to review the NAS study and vote on whether to permit the use of this methodology in drug clinical trials.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1634 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1634

  To require the Food and Drug Administration to determine whether to 
permit the use of enriched enrollment randomized withdrawal methodology 
                    with respect to clinical trials.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 13, 2021

Mr. Manchin (for himself and Mr. Braun) introduced the following bill; 
     which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To require the Food and Drug Administration to determine whether to 
permit the use of enriched enrollment randomized withdrawal methodology 
                    with respect to clinical trials.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``FDA Review of Efficacy of EERW 
Double-Blinds of Opioids Act'' or the ``FREED of Opioids Act''.

SEC. 2. CONSIDERATION OF ENRICHED ENROLLMENT RANDOMIZED WITHDRAWAL 
              METHODOLOGY.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (referred to in 
this section as the ``Secretary''), acting through the Commissioner of 
Food and Drugs, shall convene a meeting of the Anesthetic and Analgesic 
Drug Products Advisory Committee and the Drug Safety and Risk 
Management Advisory Committee of the Food and Drug Administration to 
vote on whether to permit the use of the enriched enrollment randomized 
withdrawal methodology in clinical trials of drugs, including opioid 
drugs. In conducting such review, the Secretary shall consider the 
report issued by the National Academy of Sciences under subsection (c).
    (b) Presentations.--If the Secretary allows for formal 
presentations in support of the use of the enriched enrollment 
randomized withdrawal methodology at the meeting described in 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall also allow for equal time at such 
meeting for presentations that are critical of such methodology.
    (c) NAS Study and Report.--The Secretary shall seek to enter into a 
contract with the National Academy of Sciences under which the National 
Academy--
            (1) conducts a study on the effectiveness of enriched 
        enrollment randomized withdrawal methodology in demonstrating 
        the efficacy of opioid drugs in treating chronic pain; and
            (2) not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
        this Act, submits a report on such study to the Secretary.
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