BIO Applauds CMS for Withdrawing Problematic Part D Proposals

March 10, 2014 – Washington DC  – The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) commended the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for announcing their decision to halt movement on several proposals in their Medicare Part D draft rule, including the agency’s proposal to eliminate protected class status for certain drug classes, as well as other proposals such as those related to reducing the number of Part D plans a particular plan sponsor may offer, and the proposal to clarify the non-interference provisions.Continue reading

Ventana and Bayer Extend Collaboration

Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. (Ventana), a member of the Roche Group, today announced that it has entered into a multi-year agreement with Bayer Pharma AG (Bayer) to develop companion diagnostics, with a focus on immunohistochemistry (IHC), across Bayer’s portfolio of targeted therapy projects. This new agreement extends an already existing collaboration and focuses on the development of diagnostic tests for Bayer’s biomarker targeted therapeutics from early discovery through commercialization.Continue reading