Good Day BIO: State Medicaid policies can interfere with access to new treatments, says report

A new report finds the patchwork of state regulations regarding Medicaid coverage for new, innovative treatments can create barriers for patients seeking access to the most advanced therapies. Meanwhile, it’s getting hotter on Earth—and biotech is helping us explore new possibilities for growing food in space. (774 words, 3 minutes, 52 seconds)

Report: State Medicaid policies can interfere with access to new treatments

The patchwork of state regulations regarding Medicaid coverage for new, innovative treatments can create barriers for patients seeking access to the most advanced therapies, including treatments for rare diseases, according to an analysis published by Avalere Monday.

The background: Avalere’s study looks at how 10 states handle decisions on Medicaid coverage for two “medical benefit” drugs, which are typically specialty drugs administered by health care providers instead of pharmacies, Bio.News reports.

Medical benefit drugs include many innovative cell and gene therapies, which offer major improvements in care but also face special regulatory barriers, as regulators seek to keep up with the science. Many treatments for rare diseases also fall within this category.

The key finding: “Currently, patient and caregiver experience and access to innovative therapies may vary considerably by state,” the report says.

Potential problems that could limit patient access to new therapies include:

• In some states, there is limited sharing of public information, limited information on public meetings and/or limited opportunities for the public to provide There are also limits on information provided by manufacturers in some states.
• Some states have not published their coverage policies on the drugs under review, and other states “had policies that were more restrictive than the FDA label for at least 1 of the innovative therapies.”
• Some states “Make coverage determinations on a case-by-case basis rather than implementing formal coverage policies.”

Why it matters: Given that 61.1% of enrollees in Medicaid identify as a minority the variations in state policy would seem likely to exacerbate health care disparities. This could also have a disproportionate effect on access for rare disease patients.

Room to improve: By identifying potential problematic policies, the report highlights “opportunities for increased consistency and transparency.” 

Read more on Bio.News.

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Beam me up, biotech

A space potato might sound like something from a sci-fi film, but vegetables grown in space could address food insecurity on Earth, reports The Conversation—and biotech can help make them possible.

The big picture: As climate change impacts our ability to cultivate food on Earth, outer space offers potentially limitless room to grow—but roots count on gravity to guide their growth, the sun is different out there, and you need to use water and soil judiciously.

Biotech can help—by developing plants that grow deeper roots or otherwise adapt to the harsh environment, possibly by mimicking the genomic changes that plants undergo in space.

Bioengineering space potatoes: The first vegetable grown in space was a potato, and scientists propose using biotechnology to create a “space potato,” which is better adapted to extraterrestrial growth and has entirely edible parts, preventing waste.

Space cultivation can advance biotech and farming on Earth. We’re learning about plants’ genetic responses to stresses of space and the attributes plants need to thrive. Meanwhile, NASA's exploring vertical farming, which can benefit from biotech.

Space exploration can also boost health R&D, explained NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren, who beamed into the BIO International Convention live from the International Space Station (ISS), where roughly 1,200 biology and biotech experiments are underway.

“We think the space flight environment produces more rapid aging,” he said. “Understanding these changes in the immune system will help us find better ways to counter them.”

President Biden’s Wednesday: Yesterday, the White House held a day-long summit on the future of COVID-19 vaccines, with attendees including what STAT News calls a “who’s-who of ‘COVID Twitter’”—though no “lawmakers, or any government official with substantial control over federal spending.” Today, President Biden’s still recovering from COVID—but doing very well—and preparing for a call tomorrow with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to discuss Taiwan.

What’s Happening on Capitol Hill: The Senate may vote on the “chips-plus bill,” which would provide $52 billion in semiconductor subsidies and focuses on competition with China. The Senate Public Works Committee holds a hearing on projects and policies to support carbon capture, utilization, and storage (ccus) technologies. ICYMI yesterday, the House Rules Committee held a hearing on telehealth beyond COVID-19—watch our video with the highlights.