House eyes PBM reform, PPRV

House to weigh spending plan that includes PPRV reauthorization, PBM reforms

The House is expected to consider a spending package today that includes Pediatric Priority Review Voucher (PPRV) reauthorization and pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reforms, both BIO priorities.

PPRV reauthorization through 2029 would revive an incentive for rare disease drugs. Drug makers who gain approval for a pediatric rare-disease treatment receive a voucher allowing expedited review of a future drug. The voucher can also be sold to fund research.

Why this matters: Since PPRV’s inception in 2012, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) awarded 53 vouchers for drugs targeting 47 rare pediatric diseases. Before the PPRV, only four of these diseases had any FDA-approved treatments.

The PBM reforms would: Prevent PBM compensation from being linked to the list price of a drug and add measures to increase PBM transparency, explains Rep. Earl (Buddy) Carter (R-GA).

Why this matters: Three PBMs control 80% of all U.S. prescriptions and use their market power to profit while raising drug prices and reducing patient access.

BIO's view: "BIO supports the PPRV—which gives hope to families eagerly awaiting cures—and efforts to rein in PBM market distortions that increase drug prices and harm patients," said Aiken Hackett, BIO SVP of Federal Government Relations.

What’s next: The Senate passed the package, which would reopen government departments that shut down Saturday and put off controversial decisions on Department of Homeland Security funding for two weeks. A House vote is anticipated this week.

BIO’s statement to Congress explains how to maintain US biotech leadership

The federal government can do a lot toward helping America maintain its biotech leadership, BIO explains in a statement to Congress.

BIO gives detailed recommendations in its statement for the record submitted to the Jan. 13 House Ways & Means Trade Subcommittee hearing on “Maintaining American Innovation and Technology Leadership.”

Why it matters: American biotech leadership supports national security, “ensures access to advanced medical treatments, supports American jobs, and drives exports,” according to BIO’s statement.

What Congress can do: Recommendations in BIO’s statement include:

• Go beyond the R&D tax credit with a federal Angel Investor Tax Credit, or joint venture arrangements allowing investors to use flow-through tax credits and losses.
• Encourage domestic contract manufacturing with tax incentives, grants and programs to boost production of priority goods.
• Support all manufacturing investment.
• Support biotech workforce growth.
• Enable global cooperation by eliminating tariffs and strengthening IP protections with trusted partners.
• Create a federal body to enable biotech leadership by providing oversight and coordinating actions of multiple federal agencies.

Read more on Bio.News.

Biotech innovation helps drive new record in life expectancy

The new record in Americans’ life expectancy announced by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a clear victory for biotech innovation—one of the leading reasons why people are living longer.

The data: Average U.S. life expectancy hit a record high 79.0 years in 2024, a return to a trend of increasing life-spans that was interrupted by the COVID pandemic.

Biotech's impact: A 2020 study finds pharmaceuticals contributed 35% to increasing U.S. life expectancy, with only public health improvements contributing more (44%).

Pandemic response: Vaccines and antivirals, produced in record time during the pandemic, quickly pushed COVID-19 off the list of top-10 causes of death, though it was the number three cause of death in 2021 and 2022.

Biotech tackles the top killers, heart disease, followed by cancer. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved 28 new cardiac drugs between 2011-2023 and 203 new cancer drugs between 2004-2023. The results: heart disease mortality decreased 66% from 1970-2022, and cancer deaths dropped 34% from 1991-2022.

What’s next: New GLP-1 drugs for diabetes and obesity may be “the first longevity drugs,” with potential second indications ranging from heart disease and stroke to osteoarthritis, Nature says. Exciting progress awaits as we enter what BIO President & CEO John F. Crowley calls “the golden age of medicine.”

What Else to Read

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) 2026 recommended childhood immunization schedule differs from the CDC. The AAP on Jan. 26 announced its recommendation of routine immunization against 18 diseases for children and adolescents, a list that is “largely unchanged from prior AAP guidance released in August, 2025.” What has changed is that the AAP is no longer partnering with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on these recommendations as “recent changes to the CDC immunization schedule depart from longstanding medical evidence,” AAP said. BIO also warned against changes to CDC’s vaccine schedule. Read more here.

CMS targets 15 new drugs for price controls. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on Jan. 27 announced the next round of drugs facing drug price “negotiations,” under the Inflation Reduction Act. Prices set after CMS “negotiates” with drug makers this year will go into effect in 2028. This year marks the first year that outpatient prescription drugs covered under Medicare Part B will be included in this process. Read more here.

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