McCarthy introduces valley fever bill

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) – Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, and a handful of colleagues on Thursday introduced a valley fever bill.

The bipartisan FORWARD Act – Finding Orphan-disease Remedies With Antifungal Research and Development Act – is meant to advance sustained efforts to combat valley fever, according to McCarthy’s office.

The Kern County Public Health Services Department earlier this year said valley fever cases have increased locally for four straight years.

Valley fever can affect both people and animals and is caused by a fungus in the soil. Infections are caused by breathing in spores from the fungus. Most people don't develop symptoms, similar to the cold or flu, but people can die from valley fever complications.

There isn’t a vaccine or cure, and existing treatments vary in effectiveness.

McCarthy’s office said the FORWARD Act would have short- and long-term benefits:

SHORT-TERM: Immediately support and prioritize basic research for valley fever and other fungal diseases, establish a blockchain pilot program so that medical researchers can more easily access clinical data for research while preserving patient privacy, and create a federal working group to coordinate research efforts on valley fever.

MEDIUM-TERM: Streamline the Food and Drug Administration approval process to get new antifungal diagnostics, treatments and vaccines approved for use in humans and add antifungal diagnostic tool and treatment development to the successful public-private partnership CARB-X program within the Department of Health and Human Services.

LONG-TERM: Encourage the development of a valley fever vaccine by extending Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN) Act market incentives to antifungal vaccines and create a FDA priority review voucher program for endemic orphan fungal diseases, similar to the existing voucher program for rare pediatric and tropical diseases, to further incentivize the development of new treatments, cures and vaccines for diseases, such as valley fever.

"With cases on the rise, we must redouble our efforts to develop a vaccine for this disease, as well as improve the diagnostic tools and treatment options available to those who suffer from it. This legislation is designed to do just that,” McCarthy said in a news release.