The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has scaled back the list of Medicare Part B drugs facing the new inflation rebate under the Inflation Reduction Act for the first quarter of 2023.
Philips RS North America LLC, formerly known as Respironics Inc., has agreed to pay more than $24 million to settle allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act in relation to CPAP equipment, another hit on the company which has been dealing with a stream of FDA recalls for these products. The allegations include that Philips RS provided durable medical equipment suppliers physician prescribing data to help these suppliers market their inventory, an unusual vector for violation of the FCA.
Masimo Corp.’s Opioid Halo, an opioid overdose prevention and alert system, was granted de novo status by the U.S. FDA. The device detects opioid-induced respiratory depression, the primary cause of opioid deaths. The de novo authorizes the company to make Halo available over the counter and by prescription for use on individuals aged 15 and up.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a final order in connection with the proposed reacquisition of Grail Inc. by Illumina Inc., in an action that might seem to finally conclude a matter that has stretched over several years. However, the FTC acknowledged that Illumina has 60 days to petition the order, which Illumina said it intends to do in conjunction with an effort to overturn a similarly adverse outcome in the EU.
A frustrating lack of detail left analysts with little to do but speculate on the odds for a 2023 U.S. FDA approval of Ascendis Pharma A/S’s Transcon PTH (palopegteriparatide), a parathyroid hormone prodrug for hypoparathyroidism, after the company disclosed a letter from the agency citing unspecified deficiencies that preclude further discussions about labeling and postmarketing requirements.
With the public health emergency for the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly winding down, the U.S. FDA has published guidance for the transition of COVID-specific diagnostic tests and other articles to conventional premarket review mechanisms.
The U.S. FDA has released a final guidance for the agency’s refuse-to-accept (RTA) policy for cybersecurity measures in medical devices, a policy document that was required by Congress via the Consolidated Appropriations Act for the 2023 federal fiscal budget.
Ixlayer Inc. expanded access to diabetes screening by offering its test via retailers, health systems and payers, making it easier for consumers to measure and track their blood glucose levels without requiring a doctor’s visit or prescription. If an individual’s test results indicate that they have or are at risk of developing diabetes, however, the company will offer to connect them with a health care provider available through the reseller’s network to discuss next steps.
Whether it’s legislation calling for more transparency from pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) or hearings held in search of a new roadmap to modernize the U.S. drug supply chain, Congress is scrutinizing and looking to clamp down on the role PBMs are playing in raising drug prices.
A research team based at MIT and Harvard has engineered a bacterial injection system to precisely deliver proteins to human cells. This work, published online March 29, 2023, in Nature, is important as while more and more molecular therapies are being developed, off-target effects are always a concern and precise targeting of cells and tissues can still be a challenge.
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