Author Archive: AZBio

Opportunity to comment on new reporting rule at CMS

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For Immediate Release: Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Contact: CMS Office of Public Affairs
202-690-6145

AFFORDABLE CARE ACT SUNSHINE;

RULE INCREASES TRANSPARENCY IN HEALTH CARE

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS ) announced today a proposed rule that will increase public awareness of financial relationships between drug and device manufacturers and certain health care providers.  This is one of many steps under the Affordable Care Act designed to increase transparency in the health care system, which can lead to better care at lower costs.Continue reading→

One step closer on the road to SBIR Reauthorization

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The SBIR/STTR program has not been reauthorized yet but we are one step closer as the December 16th deadline approaches.

Monday (December 12, 2012) word of a Senate/House compromise was announced that may lead to a positive outcome that would reauthorize the SBIR/STTR program for six years.  This would be a huge improvement over the multiple short term extensions we have seen  in recent years. Continue reading→

An Opportunity to Make Difference Around the World

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 It’s the season for giving, and some of the greatest gifts we can give are our time and talents.  Recently AZBio connected with Engineering World Health and learned about an opportunity where bioscience professionals and healthcare engineers can make a difference by sharing time and talent healthcare organizations in developing countries.  EWH has shared a special guest post that we are sharing with you.  It just might be your opportunity to make a difference for communities around the world. Continue reading→

Making Sense of the Medical Device Tax

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Estimated at $20B, the Medial Device Tax was included in the Affordable Care Act that was signed into law by President Obama in 2010. The amount is based on a 2.3% excise tax that will be levied on the total revenues of a company, regardless of whether a company generates a profit, starting in 2013.

While many industry groups including AZBio, AdvaMed, and MDMA have been sharing information on why this tax is unwise and have worked to explain the negative effects that it could have on innovation and patient care, there is always the possibility that it will not be repealed before 2013.

Ernst and Young recently published a Tax Note on the Medical Device Tax that gives a comprehensive overview of what it is, who it affects and how they will be affected.  The tax note is provided below as published by E&Y and is shared with permission.Continue reading→

AZ teams develop defensive measures toward a vaccine for Ebola

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On Aug. 26, 1976, a time bomb exploded in Yambuku, a remote village in Zaire, (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). A threadlike virus known as Ebola had emerged, soon earning a grim distinction as one of the most lethal, naturally occurring pathogens on earth, killing up to 90 percent of its victims, and producing a terrifying constellation of symptoms known as hemorrhagic fever.

Now, Charles Arntzen, a researcher at the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, along with colleagues from ASU, the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, and the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD, have made progress toward a vaccine against the deadly virus.    Read more @ ASU Biodesign

Going Global? The USEAC is there to help

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Are you ready to take your biotech business global?  The U.S. Export Assistance Council is ready to help with a number of services ranging from counseling and advice to in country introductions with qualified business partners.

The U.S. Commercial Service has a network of export and industry specialists located in more than 100 U.S. cities and over 80 countries worldwide. These trade professionals provide counseling and a variety of products and services to assist small and midsized U.S. businesses export their products and services.

Below is the current Global Healthcare Resource Guide with great information listed country by country to help you expand the global footprint of your business.

 

2011 2012 Global Healthcare Resource Guide

View more documents from AZBio.

Want to download the guide?

Click here and download it from AZBio’s resource library on SlideShare.

AZBio Viewpoint – Key Issues and Actions for 2012

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Beginning in November 2011, AZBio reached out across Arizona and asked our community to rate the importance of key factors related to the growth of our bioscience industry here in Arizona as well as what areas AZBio should focus on in 2012 on a rating scale from 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

What do AZ Bioscience companies need to thrive? Of fifteen issues, here are your top five areas based on the number of 4’s and 5’s combined.

  1. State and local policies that promote the attraction and growth of companies in the  Arizona Bioscience Industry. (80% rated this a 4 or 5) 
  2. Access to a qualified bioscience talent pool (75% rated this a 4 or 5) 
  3. Improving the quality of our Arizona educational system overall (71% rated this 4 or 5)
  4. Access to growth capital  (63% rated this a 4 or 5)  
  5. State financial support for the continued growth of Arizona’s independent research institutions and universities (61% rated this a 4 or 5)

Where can AZBio make the most impact?  Where should we focus our resources?

  1. Working with Angels, Venture Capital, and Financial Institutions to expand opportunities for Arizona Bioscience Companies to access growth capital. (78% rated this a 4 or 5)
  2. Advocating for our industry at the state and local level (75% rated this a 4 or 5)  
  3. Spreading the word about the  value created by Arizona’s Bioscience Industry (71% rated this a 4 or 5)  
  4. Working with educators to promote interest in bioscience education and for their students, interest and preparation for bioscience careers.  
  5. Advocating for our industry and state in Washington, D.C. (70% rated this a 4 or 5)

 Stay Tuned in December for a sneak peek at AZbio’s Plans for 2012.