On Tuesday, March 3, 2026, the Senate Unanimously Passed the Senate Bill 3971, the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act, that would extend the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs through Sept. 30, 2031. The measure now moves to the U.S. House of Representatives for final approval. Continue reading
Category Archives: Advocacy and Regulations
AZ House HHS Testimony Supporting the Arizona Health Innovation Trust Fund
HB 2727: appropriations; health innovation trust fund is sponsored by Representative Selina Bliss, Chairman of the Arizona House of Representatives Health and Human Services Committee (H-HHS) and co-chair of the Arizona Bioscience and Healthcare Caucus. House Bill 2727 was heard in H-HHS on February 2, 2026. The bill passed out of committee with a Do Pass recommendation on a vote of Continue reading
Chairman Cassidy Releases Landmark Report to Modernize FDA, Deliver Lifesaving, Affordable Treatments to American Families
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released a landmark report detailing legislative and regulatory reforms to modernize the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These proposals aim to maintain American biomedical dominance and ensure patients have timely access to the latest lifesaving treatments. The HELP Committee’s recommendations are directly in line with President Trump’s mission to improve the health of American children and families.Continue reading
New Health Policy Included Federal Government Funding Package
When President Trump signed H.R. 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, it did more than end the four-day partial shutdown. The Act also includes a number of reauthorizations and new policies that have been advocated by patients, healthcare professions, and innovative healthcare companies. Continue reading
Long Awaited Legislation on Multi Cancer Early Detection Tests for Medicare Beneficiaries Becomes Law
On February 3, 2026, the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act was signed into law, establishing Medicare coverage for blood-based Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) tests. Continue reading
Tracking U.S. Biopharma Investment: New Resources Detail State-by-State Impact
America’s biopharmaceutical sector is delivering unprecedented economic impact across the nation. Since January 2025, companies have committed more than $582 billion to bolster U.S. research and development, expand manufacturing and create jobs in communities nationwide.From cutting-edge manufacturing facilities in the South to next-generation research hubs in the Mid-Atlantic, the life sciences industry is driving local economic growth, creating high-skill jobs and ensuring Americans have faster access to breakthrough medicines.Continue reading
CMS Announces Selection of Drugs for Third Cycle of Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, Including First-Ever Part B Drugs
Negotiations Will Occur in 2026 With Negotiated Prices Effective in 2028Continue reading
U of A expert urges for more comprehensive telehealth policy
Six years after the COVID pandemic, the virtues of remote health care are clear: Allowing patients to visit with their providers via phone or video call often means better access to health care for patients, including those in rural communities and those who struggle to leave their homes.
But the laws that regulate telehealth, as it’s known, have not kept pace with its rise and demand – at least not in the form of comprehensive legislation. Since the pandemic, Congress has funded telehealth largely on a stopgap basis, temporarily extending COVID-era flexibilities more than a dozen times in the last few years. Each time, the extension provides only temporary funding to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services – the nation’s largest funder of telehealth services.
The newest deadline for Congress to act on telehealth policy – the 15th deadline set on this issue since the COVID pandemic – is Jan. 30.Continue reading
Secretary Kennedy Adds Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Metachromatic Leukodystrophy to Newborn Screenings
WASHINGTON—DECEMBER 16, 2025 — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. today approved the addition of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD) to the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP) following scientific review and public comment. Early detection of both conditions allows children to receive FDA-approved therapies at the most effective time, helping to slow disease progression and preserve their quality of life.