Drug to Treat Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia Granted FDA Orphan Drug Status
True North Therapeutics’ TNT009 for the treatment of autoimmune hemolytic anemia, including cold agglutinin disease (CAD), has been granted orphan drug status by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
CMS Delays Rule on Pharmacy Reimbursement for Prescription Drugs
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has delayed enforcement of a rule that changes the way state Medicaid agencies reimburse pharmacies for prescription drugs.
HHS Awards $94M to Treat Opioid and Heroin Abuse Epidemic
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded $94 million in Affordable Care Act funding to 271 health centers in 45 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
CMS Selects Markets for Primary Care Payment Initiative
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced 10 states in four regions in which it will launch its primary care quality improvement initiative.
NIH Commits $260M to Centers for Common Disease Genomics
The National Institutes of Health will spend $260 million over four years to fund four genome sequencing and analysis centers whose research is expected to focus on understanding the genomic bases of common and rare human diseases.
HHS Awards $742,000 to Fight Zika Virus
Three health centers in America Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands and their 12 delivery sites that served nearly 26,000 patients in 2014, including more than 6,000 women ages 15 years to 45 years, have been awarded $742,000 in funding to fight the Zika virus.
Senate Approves Medicare “Lock-In ” Provision
The U.S. Senate approved the Medicare “lock-in” provision that gives Medicare Part D plans the authority to require at-risk beneficiaries to use a single prescriber and pharmacy for frequently abused drugs.
Empliciti Approved by FDA to Treat Multiple Myeloma
Empliciti (elotuzumab) in combination with Revlimid (lenalidomide) and dexamethasone (a type of corticosteroid) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat individuals with multiple myeloma who have received one to three prior medications.
CMS to Implement New Primary Care Payment Model
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will implement a new primary care payment model affecting up to 5,000 practices and more than than 20,000 clinicians.
CMS Issues Final Rule for DMEPOS
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a final rule mandating prior authorization for durable medical equipment.
