Newsgroup: it.economia.borsa
Titolo: una buona news per cell th

Congress Extends 2007 Reimbursement Rates for Radioimmunotherapies for 18
Months
SEATTLE, July 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (CTI)
(Nasdaq and MTA: CTIC) announced that the Medicare Improvements for Patients
and Providers Act of 2008, as passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on
June 24, 2008 and the U.S. Senate on July 9, 2008, would continue the 2007
reimbursement methodology for therapeutic radioimmunotherapies for an
additional 18 months with a start date of July 1, 2008. In December,
Congress froze reimbursement rates at the 2007 level for six months after
the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) had released rates for
2008 that were lower than the acquisition cost for radioimmunotherapies like
Zevalin(R) (Ibritumomab Tiuxetan). Manufacturers of radioimmunotherapies and
CMS have been in discussion on a payment policy that more accurately
reflects hospital costs associated with the therapy. These drugs are used to
fight relapsed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), and can provide some patients
with additional therapeutic options.
On July 3, 2008 CMS posted the Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment
System proposed rulemaking for Calendar Year 2009. In the rulemaking, CMS
proposed to pay Zevalin and other similar products based on the Average
Sales Price (ASP) methodology which is currently used for drugs and
biologicals. CTI plans to submit a public comment in support of the
proposal.
"We are pleased law makers have listened to the voice of patients and
healthcare providers who want access to these important anti-cancer
therapies," said James A. Bianco, M.D., President and CEO of CTI. "We
continue to work with Congress and CMS to establish a permanent payment
methodology for reimbursing radioimmunotherapies, and look forward to the
President signing the bill into law."
CTI purchased the U.S. sales, marketing, and development rights to Zevalin
in late 2007 from Biogen Idec, Inc. Recently CTI reached an agreement with
Bayer Schering Pharma, which has rights to Zevalin outside the United
States, for access to pivotal trial data from the First-line Indolent Trial
(FIT), which can potentially be used to expand the label in the U.S.

beato te che ancora ci credi
:-)

Senate passes doctor reimbursement bill
AP foreign, Wednesday July 9 2008 WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate, with
Democrat Ted Kennedy casting a crucial vote, approved legislation by a
veto-proof margin Wednesday that would void a 10.6 percent pay cut for
doctors treating Medicare patients.
The bill now goes to the White House. The House already approved the
measure, but a Senate vote two weeks ago fell one vote short of the 60 votes
needed to limit debate. Kennedy, undergoing radiation and chemotherapy
treatments for brain cancer, was not present then.
His presence Wednesday was instrumental as the vote to limit debate was
approved 69-30. Under a previous agreement, once the 60-vote threshold was
met, the bill was considered approved.
Nine Republicans voted for the measure after sitting out the vote two weeks
ago or voting previously against limiting debate. President Bush's advisers
have said they will recommend that he veto the bill.
Lawmakers are under pressure from doctors and the elderly patients they
serve to void the cut, which kicked in July 1 because of a funding formula
that establishes lower reimbursement rates when Medicare spending levels
exceed established targets. Some doctors say they'll quit taking new
patients if the cuts stand.
Medicare officials will not make any payments at the reduced rate until July
15, at the earliest.
Every year, Congress confronts the task of voiding Medicare rate cuts for
doctors. Lawmakers always find the task difficult because they pay for the
measure by trimming payments to other health care providers.
This year, Democrats homed in on cutting the Medicare Advantage program,
which serves 9 million elderly and disabled patients. The Bush
administration and Republicans like Medicare Advantage because it lets the
elderly and disabled choose to get their health benefits through private
insurers rather than through traditional Medicare. Democrats contend that
government payments to the insurers are too generous.
If the bill becomes law, the Congressional Budget Office projected that
insurers would get about $13.5 billion less over the next five years through
Medicare.


mi aspetto lo spin off entro fine mese con l'arrivo dell'uomo bayer come
presidente