BIO submits comments to submits comments in response to the Notice of a Request for Information, published by the National Science and Technology Council, Science and Technology Policy Office. Comments were submitted to Food and Drug Administration Docket No. FDA-2015-N-3403; Clarifying Current Roles and Responsibilities Described in the Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology and Developing a Long-Term Strategy for the Regulation of the Products of Biotechnology.

The Biotechnology Innovation Organization along with the American Farm Bureau Federation sent a letter to the House of Representatives and Senate Appropriations Committees urging the Committees to oppose any provision related to bioengineered food labeling, including salmon labeling, that may come up for consideration during the Fiscal Year 2017 appropriations process. 

BIO submitted comments on the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) Value Assessment Framework. Throughout the attached letter, BIO addresses issues it has raised previously with the Framework as well as responds specifically to the four major categories of issues that the Institute identified (in the order in which they were identified). 

Re: Draft Guidance for Industry: Implementation of the “Deemed To Be a License” Provision of the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2009 (Docket No. FDA-2015-D-4750 (March 14, 2016))   The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (“BIO”) welcomes the opportunity to submit comments on the Food and Drug Administration’s (“FDA’s”) draft guidance entitled “Implementation of the ‘Deemed to be a License’ Provision of the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2009” issued on March 14, 2016 (“Draft Guidance”).   BIO represents more than 1,000 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers, and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, and environmental biotechnology products, thereby expanding the boundaries of science to benefit humanity by providing better healthcare, enhanced agriculture, and a cleaner and safer environment.   Implementation of the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act (“BPCIA”) is of significant importance to BIO members, and we greatly appreciate FDA’s efforts to provide clarity on the agency’s current thinking on the transition provisions. As detailed below, we do have concerns about the agency’s proposed interpretations of the provisions as outlined in this Draft Guidance. In finalizing the Draft Guidance, we strongly urge the agency to consider our comments and requested changes.

BIO submitted comments on the Medicare Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) Proposed Rule, which focused on several proposals related to, among other things, CMS’s review of New Technology Add-on Applications, the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program, the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program, the PPS-Exempt Cancer Hospital Quality Reporting Program, and the Long-Term Care Hospital Quality Reporting Program.