Rep. Butler Outlines Innovative Plan for Curing Major Diseases

State Representative Jim Butler (R-Oakwood) held a press conference today to announce recently introduced legislation that will create a new and innovative model for curing major diseases. Rep. Butler was joined by members of the House Majority Leadership team, including Speaker of the Ohio House Cliff Rosenberger (R-Clarksville), Speaker Pro Tempore Kirk Schuring (R-Canton), Majority Floor Leader Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati) and Assistant Majority Floor Leader Sarah LaTourette (R-Bainbridge Township).

The Cure Bill, House Bill 345, will create a multistate compact, with Ohio as its charter member. In this compact, member states will work together to drastically increase financial incentives for any and all organizations that discover reliable and verifiable cures of major diseases.

“Pharmaceutical companies currently have no real incentive to cure us, only to treat us,” said Rep. Butler. “Government and charity research is generally focused on incremental, scientific advances.  Neither approach will result in a major cure.  We have not cured a major disease since polio over fifty years ago.  I truly believe that America has the resources and capacity to aggressively pursue and discover cures to some of the most devastating diseases we face.  The only obstacle standing in the way in our current system is the absence of incentives, which House Bill 345 seeks to correct.  I’d like to thank Speaker Rosenberger, as well as Reps. Schuring, Seitz and LaTourette for standing with me in support of this important legislation.”

The Cure Bill will set up a multistate compact to offer prizes for curing major diseases equal to five years of taxpayer savings.  After several states have joined, the amount of prize money for a disease like Alzheimer’s, for example, would be over $10 billion – enough to incentivize the private sector to fund true, cure-driven research.  If there is no cure, then there is no payment from states, so taxpayers have no risk.  This innovative new model has the potential to cure major diseases in the very near future, once sufficient prizes have been established and companies and organizations have large enough incentives to fund cure-driven research.

“In Ohio, we strive to be leaders in ground-breaking developments, especially in the healthcare industry,” said Speaker Rosenberger. “I was glad to join with Rep. Butler and members of our leadership team today to discuss this bill in detail and to stress that innovative thinking such as this has the potential to solve some of our state’s biggest challenges.”