An omnibus spending bill was passed earlier this month through the U.S. House and Senate; it now waits for President Obama to sign it into law.
The bill, which would provide funding for the government until Sept. 2016, includes small increases for rare disease research.
The National Institute of Health (NIH) would get $2 billion more in funding this year, up seven percent from 2015.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would receive a five-percent increase, which translates to an extra $132 million in fiscal year government funding. A $2.5 million portion of that funding would go toward a grant program to fund orphan drug products -- therapies to treat rare diseases.
Additionally, the FDA's rare pediatric disease PRV program, which is set to expire in March, would be extended through September.
