“The Blue Sheet” Vol. 36, no. 8

February 24, 1993

"The Blue Sheet"

-5 -
In testimony given on Feb. 23 before the House
Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Finance/Energy and Commerce, Lindberg noted that "the
President's economic stimulus package for FY 1993
includes $47 mil. across a number of federal agencies
for networking and computing applications. More than
$1 bil. will be invested over FYs 1994 - 1998 in this
area."
Biotechnology and computer-based medical imaging
are "the two areas of biomedical research which have a
compelling need for high-speed computers and computer
networks," Lindberg told the subcommittee. He noted
that with current systems, transmitting images such as
x-rays "is simply not feasible. It would take more than
10 hours to send just one x-ray picture."
With higher-speed processing and transmission
capabilities, and with more advanced software programs,
two-dimensional images from widely used technologies
such as computed tomography could display threedimensional images, Lindberg said. "For the foreseeable
future," he added, "such specialized computers will be
located at a relatively small number of sites, and access
to such machines will require the capability of moving
millions of bits per second, representing complex medical images, over digital networks."
HPCC Could Speed Drug Development - Lindberg
Biotechnology would likewise benefit from a more
advanced information infrastructure, the NLM director
said. "If we could via computer-based molecular modeling predict both the structure of the disease-causing
microbial agent, and the structure of the drug which
would bind to and inactivate the agent, the development
of therapeutics could be dramatically accelerated."
In addition to NLM, the National Center for Research Resources, the Division of Computer Research
and Technology, the National Institute of Arthritis and
Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the National
Institute on Aging, and the National Cancer Institute
have now "joined together in support of the federal
HPCC program," according to Lindberg.
Other PHS agencies that will play a part in HPCC
are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
which could use high-speed networks for managing
disease surveillance data, and the Food and Drug Administration, which could use improved networks for
transmitting data on candidate therapies, Lindberg said.
The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research is
also working with HPCC staff to devise ways of "accelerating the development of computer-based patient records which are accurate, comprehensive, and provide

the privacy and security needed for such sensitive information," Lindberg stated.
HPCC plays a key part in legislation now being
considered in both the Senate and the House, the National Competitiveness Act. The Senate version (S 4),
introduced by Ernest Hollings (D-S.C.) on Jan. 21,
focuses on the technological applications of HPCC. For
health care, the bill calls for establishing a "national
research and education network" linking hospitals, clinics, practicing physicians, medical schools and more.
The bill stipulates that applications of such a network shall include "software and visualization technology for visualizing the human anatomy and analyzing
imagery from x-rays, CT scans, PET scans and other
diagnostic tools"; "collaborative technology to allow
several health care providers in remote locations to
provide real-time treatment to patients"; and "database
technology to provide health care providers with access
to relevant medical information and literature."
The bill authorizes $20 mil. in FY 1993 for NLMis
part in HPCC, $40 mil. in FY 1994 and $60 mil. in FY
1995. On the House side, the House Subcommittee on
Technology, Environment and Aviation/Science is holding several hearings on the National Competitiveness
Act. HR 820 was introduced by Rep. Tim Valentine
(D-N.C.) on Feb. 4.

REP. WYDEN TO PROPOSE CRADA CO-LICENSE
REQUIREMENT AT SEN. PRYOR'S DRUG PRICE HEARING
Rep. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) will propose a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA)
co-licensing provision in legislation to be unveiled at an
appearance before Sen. David Pryor's (D-Ark.) Senate
Special Aging Committee on Feb. 24.
Wyden will be the lead-off witness at Pryor's hearing on government funding of drug R&D. Wyden held a
similar hearing a month ago on Jan. 25 ("The Blue
Sheet" Jan. 27, p. 8). Wyden's appearance as the first
witness indicates that he and Pryor are working in conjunction to explore the extent of the government control
over commercialization of projects from public funding.
At a Feb. 22 House Energy and Commerce/Health
Subcommittee hearing, Wyden announced his intention
to introduce legislation by the end of February to
"direct the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to colicense multiple companies as R&D partners - an arrangement that should also produce more real price
competition in the marketplace."

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