Recent BioUtah News & Events

The Senate on Thursday passed President Trump’s United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) by a wide bipartisan vote of 89-10. The USMCA, which rewrites the North America Free Trade Agreement, will now be sent to the President’s desk to be signed into law. The President is expected to sign the measure next week. Both Utah Senators, Mike […]

BioUtah/TVC 2020 Entrepreneur & Investor Life Science Summit Salt Lake City, Utah – January 17, 2020 – BioUtah, Utah’s only trade association dedicated solely to the life sciences, along with the Center for Technology & Venture Commercialization at the University of Utah, today announced distinguished speakers and sessions for the 2020 Entrepreneur & Investor Life […]

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is a public health crisis, but developing new classes of antibiotics to combat drug resistant bacteria is challenging on many levels. Last month, the New York Times reported on the struggles facing companies that are researching new antibiotics. In November, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report, Antibiotic Resistance […]

Sen. Grassley Calls on Pelosi to Support His Bill Conservative Group Backs GOP Drug Pricing Alternative As we head into 2020 election season, Democrats and Republicans alike will be working to convince voters that they have the right “prescription” to lower drug costs. At present, several different approaches are circling. With the passage of H.R. […]

On December 30, the FDA issued a notice (see the FDA’s Federal Register notice)  that exempts certain class I and II medical devices from 510(k) premarket notification requirements. The exemptions, some of which are limited, cover a wide range of different products, including clinical chemistry test systems, clinical laboratory instruments, clinical toxicology test systems, hematology […]

Congress returned yesterday with a number of big ticket items on their plate, including drug pricing and the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), both of which have implications for Utah’s life sciences industry. Drug Pricing As the House of Representatives was passing the Democrat drug pricing plan, H.R. 3, the Lower Drug Prices Now Act, in the […]

SALT LAKE CITY–(BUSINESS WIRE)–BioUtah applauds congressional action to permanently repeal the 2.3% excise tax on the sale of medical devices, first enacted as part of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. Earlier in the week, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to repeal the tax as part of a $1.4 trillion FY 2020 government spending […]

On December 18, HHS and the FDA issued a Noticed of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM)  that would allow states to import prescription drugs from Canada. The proposed rule follows an Administration announcement in July that HHS would be examining pathways for safe drug importation. 

After nearly a decade-long fight, and disruptive, short-term reprieves, Congress has finally permanently repealed the medical device tax. On Tuesday. BioUtah alerted our life sciences community about a vote in the House to end the tax as part of a larger FY 2020 spending bill (repeal provision is on page 585). Yesterday, the Senate cleared […]

Yesterday, top congressional leaders and the White House unveiled a $1.4 trillion FY 2020 government spending agreement that will fully repeal the 2.3% medical device tax, first enacted as part the Affordable Care Act in 2010. “This is a big win for Utah’s medical device industry and most importantly, a big win for patients whose […]

On Thursday, the Democrat-led House passed H.R. 3, the Lower Drug Costs Now Act, by a vote of 230-192. The bill, a priority for Speaker Pelosi, mandates extensive price controls and passed largely along party lines. Only two Republicans in marginal districts voted for the legislation.

POLICY UPDATE – DRUG PRICING Concerns Expressed by Investors, Small Companies  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s drug pricing measure, H.R. 3 , the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Prices Now Act, is coming under increasing scrutiny as concerns grow about the bill’s negative impact on innovation and future investment in smaller, emerging drug discovery companies. Yesterday, […]