Recent BioUtah News & Events

TIME SENSITIVE – PLEASE TAKE SURVEY Dear Members of Utah’s Life Sciences Community, BioUtah is taking a multi-pronged approach to support our life sciences companies, industry workforce, and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, including: Working directly with the Utah State Coronavirus Task Force to identify products and resources needed in the state Indentifing funding sources from […]

The Department of Health and Human Services issued a declaration on March 16 under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (“PREP”) Act to provide immunity to liability for activities related to medical countermeasures against COVID-19. The declaration is effective retroactively to February 4, 2020. The notice will be published in the Federal Register March 17. […]

Article courtesy of the National Association of Manufacturers Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion and Paid Sick Leave: • Creates a new “Public Health Emergency Leave” program under the Family and Medical Leave Act. Private employers, including manufacturers, under 500 employees are required to cover workers for a wide range of circumstances related to COVID-19 […]

Limit travel to only essential travel and have a clear definition of what constitutes “essential travel.” Monitor and share travel advisories and warning with employees. Click here for international travel news. Click here for CDC’s live Travel Health Alert Notice. Suspend travel to affected areas Develop a policy to address employees who refuse to work with co-workers […]

Identify possible work-related exposure and health risks to your employees. Train and educate employees about COVID-19. Here are some tools: Utah State Task Force Slide Deck Governor’s Recommendations Poster of Coronavirus symptoms for the work place Poster on “What you need to know and how to protect yourself from the Coronavirus” for the workplace Educational videos from the […]

The advent and progression of the Novel Coronavirus, COVID-19, pandemic requires a proper and measured response from every company and every employee. The impact of the spread of this virus is being reflected in the stock market, reductions in travel, supply chain management, sporting events, education and mass gatherings of every kind. While the effects […]

Today, President Trump sign a $8.3 billion emergency coronavirus funding measure, after it cleared both the House and Senate earlier in the week. View a summary of the legislation here. The bill would provide funding for diagnostics, treatments, and the purchase of medical supplies.

March 03, 2020 06:30 AM Eastern Standard Time SALT LAKE CITY–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Co-Diagnostics, Inc. (Nasdaq: CODX), a molecular diagnostics company with a unique, patented platform for the development of diagnostic tests and that recently reported it had received a CE marking for its COVID-19 coronavirus assay, announced today that it has been requested to speak at […]

Nine rising startup companies from Utah’s growing life sciences industry will present their innovations to investors during the 2020 Entrepreneur & Investor Life Science Summit on February 28, sponsored by Simpson Thacher Salt Lake City, Utah – February 24, 2020 – BioUtah, Utah’s only trade association dedicated solely to the life sciences, in partnership with […]

Founder and CEO of Tolero Pharmaceuticals, David Bearss, Ph.D, and Managing Director and Head of Global Investment Opportunities Group of J.P. Morgan, Monica DiCenso, to address healthcare innovation and industry outlook at February 28 noted Utah life sciences event SALT LAKE CITY–(BUSINESS WIRE)–BioUtah, Utah’s only trade association dedicated solely to the life sciences, in partnership […]

ABC 4’s Good Morning Utah featured the 2020 Entrepreneur & Investor Summit this morning, sitting down with Keith Marmer, Executive Director of TVC at the University of Utah and the Salt Lake City Department of Economic Development’s Peter Makowski. The E&I Summit is Utah’s premier event for investment in the life sciences industry, bringing together up-and-coming companies, […]

Utah’s vibrant life sciences industry was on full display yesterday as part of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development’s “Industry Day on the Hill”. The event, held at the state capitol, provided legislators the opportunity to interact one-on-one with company exhibitors from the aerospace, life sciences and tech industries. Representing the life sciences sector were […]

In his State of the Union address February 5, President Trump highlighted a number of health policy goals, including lowering prescription drug prices. Drug pricing continues to be a priority for the Administration and a hot topic of debate for Republicans and Democrats alike. Trump specifically pledged to tackle high drug prices, increase transparency, work […]

An MOU was signed between the Hangzhou District, World Trade Center Utah and BioUtah indicating a desire to work together for the common good of all parties.

Game On: Groups Launch Competing Drug Pricing Ad Campaigns  With prospects dim, at least in the short-term, for passage of comprehensive drug pricing legislation in Congress, some Washington observers suggest President Trump is eager to push for regulatory changes in an effort to capture the high ground on lowering prescription drug costs ahead of the […]

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, […]

Speaker Pelosi’s drug bill, H.R. 3, now named the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, after the longtime congressman who died last week, heads to the floor for a vote after being considered by three House Committees – the Energy and Commerce, Labor and Education and, Ways and Means Committees. A full House […]

On Wednesday, October 2nd, Representative Ben McAdams visited the operations of Becton Dickinson in Sandy, Utah.  Representative McAdams was familiar with Becton Dickinson having visited previously when serving as Mayor of Salt Lake County.  Executives of Becton Dickinson including Rob Fredericks, Vice President and General Manager, Vascular Access Devices, initially met with Representative McAdams and […]

Yesterday, ProLung welcomed Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski, partners, dignitaries, and members of Utah’s life sciences community as the company celebrated its move to a new location with a ribbon cutting ceremony.  ProLung CEO, Jared Bauer, addressed guests, announcing that the company’s move to the Labs at Northgate coincided with good news on recent […]

(Orem, UT) October 2, 2019_Turner Imaging Systems, a developer of advanced x-ray imaging systems, today announced the Company has received FDA 510(k) clearance for its Smart-C Mini-C Arm Portable Fluoroscopy and X-Ray Imaging Device.  What makes this device unique is its true mobility and portability. The patent-pending Smart-C weighs only 16 pounds so that it […]