To support endemic fungal disease research, incentivize fungal vaccine development, discover new antifungal therapies and diagnostics, and for other purposes.
The FORWARD Act of 2023 aims to accelerate research and development of treatments for endemic fungal diseases, particularly Valley Fever (coccidioidomycosis), which primarily affects people in the southwestern United States. The legislation authorizes $20 million annually from 2024 through 2028 for the National Institutes of Health to conduct and support fungal disease research, while establishing an interagency Endemic Fungal Disease Working Group to coordinate efforts across federal health agencies and provide recommendations to Congress on research priorities and product development strategies. The bill expands the FDA's priority review voucher program to include coccidioidomycosis treatments, providing companies an incentive to develop new therapies faster, and creates a $500 million program through 2028 for developing new antimicrobial and antifungal drugs, with at least 20 percent dedicated specifically to antifungal product development. The working group, which includes federal agencies, physicians, researchers, patients, and patient advocacy organizations, will meet annually for five years and submit public reports on its findings and recommendations.
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