Heidi Alexander: “last year seems like a long time ago, but just 5 months ago, 94 Members of this body voted for a bill called the 21st…”

“last year seems like a long time ago, but just 5 months ago, 94 Members of this body voted for a bill called the 21st Century Cures Act. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called it the most important legislation of the year. The Presiding Officer, the Senator from Ohio, had a major role in that legislation, especially the part having to do with opioids. This was legislation to spur research and development of cures, devices, and treatments for some of the most deadly and some of the most stubborn illnesses and diseases. Dr. Frances Collins, head of the National Institutes of Health--which he calls the ``National Institutes of Hope''--last year offered what he called bold predictions about major advances that we could expect over the next decade with a sustained commitment to medical research. One prediction of Dr. Collins is that science will find ways to identify Alzheimer's before symptoms appear, as well as how to slow down or even prevent the disease. Another is that doctors could use the patient's own stem cells to rebuild his or her heart. An artificial pancreas will help diabetes patients by tracking blood glucose levels and by creating precise doses of insulin. He also predicts a Zika vaccine, a universal flu vaccine, and an HIV/AIDS vaccine in the next 10 years. To relieve suffering and deal with the epidemic of opioid addiction, Dr. Collins predicts new, nonaddictive pain treatments to manage pain.…”