Category Archives: Policy News
Seek Labs Unveils SeekIt™
Seek Labs’ integrated molecular diagnostic platform brings true point-of-care testing to the patient.
ELITechGroup obtains new IVDR certificate for PCR assays
After the release of the first IVDR certificate at the beginning of the year ELITech Group continues to expand its portfolio of IVDR-certified PCR assays to support European diagnostic laboratories.
Bloom Surgical Awarded Competitive Grant from the NSF
Funding accelerates development of device for resolving visual disruptions in robotic procedures Salt Lake City, UT, June 1, 2023 – Bloom Surgical, Inc., a Utah-based surgical device startup, has been awarded a U.S. National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research grant for $256,000 to conduct research and development work on a novel micro-mechanical wiping mechanism […]
Rep. Moore Calls For Increased Transparency in the NCD Process
Utah U.S. Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT) signed onto a letter to HHS/CMS, led by House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith (R-MO) and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Kathy McMorris-Rodgers (R-WA), calling for increaed transparency in the NCD process following the agency’s recent release of the TCET notice. In part, the letter states, […]
Denali Therapeutics, Alucent Biomedical, Present to Utah Life Sciences Innovation Caucus
Utah legislators on Wednesday, June 14, held a meeting of the Utah Life Sciences Innovation Caucus (ULSIC) at the state capitol. BioUtah President and CEO, Kelvyn Cullimore, kicked off the meeting and introduced representatives from Denali Therapeutics and Alucent Biomedical who presented before the ULSIC. Cindy Dunkle, chief people officer for Denali, described the company’s […]
House Health Panel Advances Legislation on PBM’s, Generic Drugs
The Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee on Wednesday voted to advance a series of healthcare bills, largely on a bipartisan basis. The bills included reforms to the practices of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), improving access to generic drugs, and increasing transparency into the prices that hospitals, laboratories, and insurance companies charge. Of particular interest to the life […]
Representative Blake Moore Stands Up for Innovation
The House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health on May 10 held a hearing examining government policies that inhibit medical innovation and patient access. Utah Representative Blake Moore (R-UT), a member of the subcommittee, raised concerns about the lack of an expedited Medicare coverage pathway for breakthrough medical technologies. He specifically called out how repeal […]
Recap of 2023 E&I Summit
The 2023 Wilson Sonsini Entrepreneur & Investor Life Sciences Summit (E&I Summit), presented by BioUtah and the University of Utah PIVOT Center (PIVOT Center), held March 16 at the Eccles Alumni House at the University of Utah, continued its tradition of bringing together Utah’s life sciences leaders, entrepreneurs and the investor community. This year’s event […]
BioUtah Recognizes 2023 Rare Disease Day
BioUtah on Feb. 28 joined Utah’s rare disease community, including patients, families and advocates, in recognizing 2023 Rare Disease Day at an inspirng event hosted at Recursion headquarters in Salt Lake City. Recursion CEO, Chris Gibson, along with BioHive Executive Director Aimee Edwards, kicked off the evening’s program which featured a panel of young rare […]
HHS Releases New Payment Models for Prescription Drugs
HHS released on Tuesday, three new payment models that will be tested through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Innovation Center (CMS Innovation Center) to see whether they lower high drug costs under Medicare and Medicaid. The models are outlined as part of a larger HHS report conducted in response to an executive order […]
HEALTHCARE POLICY FIGURES PROMINENTLY IN $1.7 TRILLION OMNIBUS GOVERNMENT FUNDING BILL
Congress is expected to vote this week on a massive omnibus government funding bill that would run through the end of the 2023 fiscal year. The legislative text was released on Tuesday. The $1.7 trillion, 4,155-page bill includes a number of significant healthcare provisions. Of particular interest to the life sciences industry are provisions included […]
Sen. Lee Introduces Bill to Increase Patient Access to Biosimilars
On November 17, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the “Biosimilar Red Tape Elimination Act” to increase patient access to biosimilars and reduce costs by easing switching studies required to allow a biosimilar to be substituted for a biologic. View a one-page summary HERE. Currently, pharmacists can substitute generics in lieu of their branded counterparts without […]
