INDUSTRY NEWS

Stay up-to-date on the latest industry, member, and policy related news.

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Cybersecurity Front and Center for Feds

July 7, 2022

Congress is considering several pieces of legislation requiring the FDA to regularly update cybersecurity guidance and better coordinate efforts with other agencies to better safeguard of medical and healthcare technologies from digital threats. A bipartisan proposal, the Strengthening Cybersecurity for Medical Devices Act, would require the agency to review and update premarket medical device cybersecurity guidance…

Senate Committee Advances PBM Transparency Legislation

July 7, 2022

The Senate Commerce Committee passed legislation, Pharmacy Benefit Manager Transparency Act of 2022 (S. 4293) , that is designed to address how PBMs control drug prices and can potentially reduce the amount independent pharmacies and consumers pay for medicine. PBMs manage prescription drug benefits for insurance plans and payers. They receive rebates and discounts on…

UFAs Advance Slowly

July 7, 2022

Reauthorization of the FDA user fee agreement (UFA) package – that sets terms, conditions and costs for review of prescription drug (PDUFA), medical device (MDUFA), generic drug (GDUFA), and biosimilar (BsUFA) applications – is inching forward in Congress. In addition to codifying the agreements, these bills are often vehicles for other FDA policy changes. On…

Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing Invests $160 Million with Award from U.S. Government to Support Continued and Future Growth

June 2, 2022

Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing (“GRAM”), a leading parenteral contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), has signed a multi-year contract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Defense. Under the agreement, GRAM will invest $160 million and receive $120 million from the U.S. government to fund the expansions of…

Gilbert Foundation invests $18M toward Gene Therapy Initiative

June 2, 2022

Original Source The Gilbert Family Foundation, a private fund established by Dan and Jennifer Gilbert, announced Thursday it is funding more than $18 million in grants toward a cure for Type 1 neurofibromatosis. The money will fund a three-year campaign as part of the organization’s Gene Therapy Initiative. Four grants totaling $4.4 million will be invested…

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Approves Camzyos™ (mavacamten) for the Treatment of Adults With Symptomatic New York Heart Association Class II-III Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) to Improve Functional Capacity and Symptoms

June 2, 2022

Original Source   Camzyos is the first and only FDA-approved cardiac myosin inhibitor that specifically targets the source of obstructive HCM Approval based on groundbreaking Phase 3 EXPLORER-HCM trial demonstrating benefit in patients receiving Camzyos versus placebo PRINCETON, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Camzyos™ (mavacamten, 2.5…

Vestaron Closes Series C Funding at $82M

June 2, 2022

May 16, 2022 – (RTP, North Carolina) – Vestaron, a leader in peptide-based biological crop protection, is pleased to announce the official closing of the Series C fundraising efforts at $82M as of May 12, 2022. The financing was significantly oversubscribed with high demand from both existing and new investors. Lead investors joining Vestaron in…

Michigan Awarded More Than $236 Million to Support Small Businesses, Create Jobs and Grow Michigan’s Economy

June 2, 2022

Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) to announce that Michigan has been approved for up to $236,990,950 in State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) funding from the U.S. Department of Treasury. “Ensuring small businesses can thrive and create good-paying jobs in every region of Michigan is critical as we continue growing…

Phenomics Health Advances Precision Medicine with Products that Integrate Medication Selection, Adherence, Dose Tailoring and Monitoring

June 2, 2022

Plymouth, MI – May 23, 2022 – Phenomics Health Inc., a bioinformatics-based precision medicine company, today announced the commercial integration of six PrecīsMed® pharmacometabolomic (PMx) and PredictScript™ pharmacogenomic (PGx) clinical products to comprehensively support individual patient medication treatment. Phenomics Health novel product platforms can now provide clinicians with multiple tools to enhance treatment outcomes through…

MMS Holdings Selects THREAD as Partner of Choice to Deliver Decentralized Clinical Trials

June 2, 2022

CANTON, Mich. (05/24/2022) – MMS Holdings Inc. (MMS) – an award-winning, data-focused contract research organization (CRO) – announced a collaboration with THREAD® as its partner of choice for its decentralized clinical trial platform (DCT) and DCT-enabled services. THREAD’s next-generation DCT technology enables faster, more efficient clinical trials while improving access for research participants with higher quality data…

UFAs on the Docket

May 31, 2022

The U.S. House Energy and Commerce (E&C) Health Subcommittee on Wednesday advanced to the full committee legislation reauthorizing user fee programs, including PDUFA and MDUFA. The legislation, H.R. 7667, the Food and Drug Amendment Act, passed 30-0 on a bipartisan vote with provisions to increase clinical trial diversity, modify the accelerated approval pathway and promote generics. On the…

Efforts to Prohibit Animal Research Continue

April 8, 2022

May 2022 Update: In last month’s newsletter we informed that State Rep. Matt Koleszar asked the Michigan Attorney General (AG) for an opinion on the requirement to register facilities who use of animals in research and only permit those doing so in a “humane” manner. Due to several administrative reorganizations and transference of powers some…

AdvaMed Revises Code of Ethics on Interactions with Health Care Professionals

April 8, 2022

The Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed) announced its  revised Code of Ethics on Interactions with Health Care Professionals (HCPs)on March 18, 2022. The medical device industry has relied on the AdvaMed Code for decades to assist with navigating complex rules concerning compliance—particularly rules regarding fraud and abuse stemming from interactions with HCPs. Notable updates to the…

CMS Coverage Decision Finalized

April 8, 2022

Last month, we wrote that MichBio signed on to a letter opposing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) unprecedented draft National Coverage Determination (NCD) decision to limit seniors’ access to an entire class of Alzheimer’s drugs. On April 7, CMS released a final decision to limit coverage only to people who receive Aduhelm™…

MDUFA Reauthorization

April 8, 2022

As noted in last month’s update, the process behind developing a new Medical Device User Fee Amendments (MDUFA) has been a slow slog. The current MDUFA IV is set to expire at the end of September 2022 and must be reauthorized by Congress before then or the FDA will have to cease product reviews and…