In 2022, Arizona established the Arizona Health Innovation Trust Fund as a vehicle to drive the creation of health innovations that can improve quality of life for people of Arizona and increase opportunities for the high quality jobs Arizona Health Innovators create. The FY2023 appropriation was $100,000 to allow the initial set up of the fund. In 2023, two bills at the Arizona Legislature (HB2253 and SB1084) propose a $200 million dollar one-time investment into the Arizona Health Innovation Trust Fund.Continue reading
Category Archives: Advocacy and Regulations
Arizona Legislative Leaders Discuss The Road Ahead
In 2023, Arizona will welcome a new governor and a new legislature. Watch the video for insights shared by Arizona’s incoming Senate President Pro Tem and incoming House Democratic Leader as they discuss the road ahead.
Recorded at the AZBio Trailblazers Luncheon on December 15, 2022. Continue reading
The IRA is now law. What comes next?
AZBio President & CEO, Joan Koerber-Walker provides a brief overview of the provision of the Inflation Reduction act of 2022 (The IRA) from the patient and health innovation perspective and is then joined by health innovator and drug developer, Dr. Steven J. Potts, for a discussion of the potential unintended consequences of some provisions of The IRA relating to the future health innovation landscape.Continue reading
Industry Leaders Weigh In on the Inflation Reduction Act
On Sunday, August 7, 2022, the United States Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 in a party line vote with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tie breaking vote. The legislation now moves back to the House of Representatives. Speaker Pelosi stated, “The House will return and move swiftly to send this bill to the President’s desk ….”
The 755 page legislation will continue to garner significant public debate and analysis in the coming days.
BIO Statement on CMS National Coverage Determination for Drugs Used to Treat Patients Suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease
On April 7, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a national policy for coverage of aducanumab (brand name Aduhelm™) and any future monoclonal antibodies directed against amyloid approved by the FDA with an indication for use in treating Alzheimer’s disease. In its official statement, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) shares why the CMS Decision is an enormous setback for Alzheimer’s patients and a dangerous infringement on FDA’s Scientific Autonomy.
Get Engaged In the SBIR STTR Reauthorization Discussion
The SBIR/STTR Programs are currently set to expire on September 30, 2022. It would be damaging to American innovation and competitiveness if these programs were to expire before a full reauthorization can be passed. The SBIR/STTR Programs enable small businesses to develop and commercialize new innovative technologies and have a proven track record of promoting competition through a merit-based application process. Since their establishment in 1982, these programs have provided over 179,000 awards, totaling more than $54.3 billion, to U.S. small businesses. A study by the National Academy of Sciences found a commercialization rate of 50-60% for SBIR/STTR investments. You can see the impact of SBIR/STTR in Arizona by clicking here.
HB2039 Health; Innovation; Trust Fund
On March 29, 2022, Arizona’s Senate Appropriations Committee voted unanimously to give a Do Pass as Amended recommendation for HB2039. The next step in the process is review by the Senate Rules Committee.
If HB2039 successfully completes the legislative process and is signed into law by the Governor, it will establish the statutory framework for the Arizona Health Innovation Trust Fund within the Arizona State Treasurer’s Office with the State Treasurer as Trustee. Continue reading
Nearly 100 Organizations and Experts Urge HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra to Reject Xtandi March-In Petition
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 17) — In a letter transmitted today, the Bayh-Dole Coalition and nearly 100 prominent academic and private sector innovation experts and organizations, public policy associations, and legal scholars urged U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to reject the latest march-in petition on prostate cancer drug Xtandi.Continue reading
What Drives the Creation and Delivery of Cures and What Doesn’t
AZBio President & CEO, Joan Koerber-Walker, shared insights with Duane Schulthess, Managing Director of Vital Transformation on the the Vital Health Podcast. The popular podcast series has a global reach and features relaxed, one on one discussion with health care professionals, researchers, and regulators. Topics explore the implications of new medical procedures, technologies and policies as well as their impact on current clinical practices.