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We catch up on a few things from D.C. this week: the creation of the Congressional Sustainable Aviation Caucus, Members of Congress calling for value-based payment models, and more praise for an FDA advisory panel’s donanemab recommendation. (635 words, 3 minutes, 10 seconds) |
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Congressional Sustainable Aviation Caucus promises boost for SAFs |
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Reps. Sharice Davids (D-KS) and Dusty Johnson (R-SD) announced the creation of the nine-member Congressional Sustainable Aviation Caucus (CSAC) to enable new technologies like sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs).
What it is: “By accessing federal policy, holding forums, and bringing together public and private partners, the caucus will play a key role in the integration of new technologies into the nation’s aviation network,” says a press release from Rep. Davids.
Why it matters: SAFs, which can be used in existing jet engines to cut airliner emissions by 70%, offer a ready solution for climate-friendly air travel while strengthening the U.S. bioeconomy.
What they’re saying: “The SAF Coalition looks forward to working with this caucus and other allied efforts within both the House and Senate to accelerate the development and deployment of sustainable aviation fuels in the U.S.,” says the SAF Coalition.
BIO’s view: "BIO is a proud member of the SAF Coalition,” says John Torres, BIO’s Senior Director of Federal Government Relations for Agriculture & Environment. “We thank all of the founding and future members of the Sustainable Aviation Caucus for their participation and dedication to finding ways to advance the sustainability of commercial aviation through biofuels." |
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Rep. Guthrie stands up for value-based payments in House hearing |
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Value-based payment arrangements support cutting-edge cell and gene therapies that save lives and costs, said Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY) during a House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing yesterday.
Why it matters: By linking the cost of treatments to patient outcomes, value-based payments enable pioneering therapies—which can reduce overall costs and improve patients’ lives.
What happened: In yesterday’s hearing on Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) cost-cutting efforts, Rep. Guthrie—joined by Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Gus Bilirakis (R- FL), and others—questioned some initiatives “that could significantly harm the transition to value-based care.”
Rep. Guthrie called out CMMI’s proposed payment cuts for Part B drugs with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accelerated approval. “This not only undermines the FDA gold standard but penalizes those attempting to drive transformative change for patients that otherwise lack treatment options.” This particular model has been paused by CMMI for the time being.
“I am furthermore concerned about CMMI’s Cell and Gene Therapy Access Model, which may inhibit the states’ ability to use value-based agreements to pay for curative cell-and-gene therapies approved by FDA,” he said.
The proposed MVP Act (H.R. 2666/S. 4204) empowers states to negotiate value-based payments. It was introduced in the House by Rep. Guthrie and Subcommittee Ranking Member Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and in the Senate last month by Sens. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Markwayne Mullin (R-OK). |
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WSJ lauds Eli Lilly’s ‘perseverance’ against Alzheimer’s |
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A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel’s recommendation that the FDA approve Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer’s drug donanemab “shows that perseverance can pay off,” says the Wall Street Journal Editorial Board.
The long game: “Lilly has spent more than 30 years and $8 billion working on Alzheimer’s treatments,” WSJ says. “After one pivotal trial in 2016 disappointed, some dismissed Lilly’s strategy of targeting amyloid plaque in the brain—a signature of the disease.”
“Instead, Lilly learned from earlier trials and made a major bet on donanemab, another anti-amyloid drug,” WSJ says. “Advances in brain imaging enabled Lilly to accurately diagnose and screen Alzheimer’s patients for its donanemab trial. Lilly also used brain scans to track disease progression.”
“Donanemab clears amyloid that had built up over decades and slows decline by an average of 35% over 18 months,” WSJ says. “The drug can extend patients’ ability to function independently by months and, possibly, years. Patients also get precious more time with loved ones.”
The bottom line: “Developing new medicines entails enormous risk and perseverance.”
Read the whole thing. |
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President Biden’s Friday: Meeting Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Pope Francis and joining working sessions on the last day of a G7 conference that yesterday produced an agreement on $50 billion in loans for Ukraine, per Reuters.
What’s Happening on Capitol Hill: Enjoy the weekend. |
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