Good Day BIO: Rep. Barragan calls CMS decision 'a mistake'

Ending the week with Rep. Barragán’s strong words yesterday about the CMS Aduhelm decision and BeiGene’s news about a state-of-the-art research facility in New Jersey. (524 words, 2 minutes, 37 seconds)

Rep Barragán: CMS Alzheimer’s drug decision ‘a mistake’

U.S. Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA) spoke out against the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Aduhelm decision yesterday, echoing arguments made by patients and industry.

ICYMI: Earlier this month, CMS announced Medicare would cover the breakthrough Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm only for participants in clinical trials—which BIO called an “enormous setback for Alzheimer’s patients and an unprecedented and dangerous infringement on the FDA’s scientific autonomy and decision making.”

“I think their decision is a mistake,” said Rep. Barragán on the House floor yesterday. It will “severely limit access to the only drug shown to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s.”

“This is an access issue,” she continued. “People who have money and can pay for it will get the drug. People who are under a CMS program will not.”  

Watch:

So, what’s going to happen? While BIO’s Crystal Kuntz told us a complete reversal of the decision is highly unlikely, there are nonetheless avenues that industry and advocates can take to push for changes to prevent anything like this from happening again—and BIO will continue to work on it.

More Reading: Aduhlem decision will ‘chill’ innovation, say BIO experts

BeiGene breaks ground on new manufacturing and clinical R&D center

The facility will support the BIO member company’s work developing life-changing cancer medicines—and create investment and jobs.

BeiGene develops novel therapeutics for cancer, with a focus on oral small molecules and monoclonal antibodies.

Today, they’ll break ground on the new center—a 400,000 square-foot facility in Hopewell, New Jersey, “dedicated to R&D and commercial-stage biologic pharmaceutical manufacturing” and providing hundreds of jobs in the region.

The details: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, Hopewell Mayor Courtney Peters-Manning, and BeiGene CEO, Chairman, and Co-Founder John V. Oyler will take part in the groundbreaking ceremony at Princeton West Innovation Park today at 12 PM ET—get the details.

The context: Biosciences boost employment and wages in states across America, with a $2.6 trillion total economic impact on the U.S. economy, said BIO’s recent report, Driving the Bioscience Economy Forward During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Best Practices in State and Regional Economic Development Initiatives. 

More Health Care News:

Reuters: Eli Lilly obesity drug data shines
“The drug, tirzepatide, which is also being studied as a treatment for type 2 diabetes, demonstrated up to 22.5% weight loss in adults with obesity.” 

STAT News: CDC reports first human H5 bird flu infection in U.S.
“The CDC did not reveal the neuraminidase subtype of the virus—the N portion of an influenza A virus’ name. The country is currently experiencing an unprecedented outbreak of H5N1 bird flu in both wild birds and in commercial poultry flocks.”

President Biden’s Friday: Holding a phone call with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico to “discuss their vision for the Ninth Summit of the Americas and how North America can lead on priority initiatives for the region,” according to the White House. Later in the day, meeting with Inspectors General.

What’s Happening on Capitol Hill: A House Appropriation subcommittee will hold a hearing on the FY 2023 budget request for the EPA. The House Foreign Affairs Committee will hold a hearing, Fostering American Competitiveness in Global Climate Action. The Senate is in recess.