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TennCare has released a draft of its opening bid in negotiations with federal regulators over a Medicaid block grant. The proposal includes three key components: a broad set of administrative and benefit design flexibilities that Tennessee could tap without prior federal approval or oversight, an allotment to replace current federal funding for a portion of TennCare costs, and the opportunity to keep (without a state match requirement) half of any savings from spending less than the full allotment. This brief asks (and attempts to answer) seven questions to help stakeholders understand the details of the proposal and what it could mean for TennCare enrollees and providers and the state’s budget.
The Company has initiated the clinical development of ifetroban for the treatment of cardiomyopathy associated with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Based on pre-clinical findings, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared Cumberland's application to study ifetroban in DMD patients, seven years of age and older. In addition, Cumberland has been awarded just over $1 million in funding from the FDA through their Orphan Drug Grant program to support a Phase II DMD clinical study. It's the first DMD clinical study approved for FDA Orphan Product Development funding.
US patients who continue to suffer from knee pain after meniscus surgery, but are too young for total knee replacement may soon have a new treatment option. FDA has granted Active Implants' NUsurface meniscus implant a breakthrough device designation. The artificial meniscus device is already available in Europe and, if cleared by FDA, would also be the first artificial meniscus in the United States. Ted Davis, president and CEO of Memphis, TN-based Active Implants, said the company expects to have the data required for an FDA submission next year.
Words like “tech”and “start-ups,” or “drones” and ”innovation” sound like they belong in Silicon Valley but in Memphis these days they’re at home out on the farm. Agricultural innovation got high profile last year when Indigo Ag announced they’d bring the company’s commercial headquarters (and about 700 jobs) to Downtown Memphis. But crop innovation has been a mainstay here since Agricenter International was founded in 1979. Since then, field trials right off Walnut Grove have yielded high-producing seed varieties, herbicides, pesticides, planting techniques, and more.
At least five Northeast Tennessee counties could see additional funding for addiction resources if a settlement with Purdue Pharma stands. Purdue made billions selling the highly addictive prescription pain killer OxyContin. The company recently filed for bankruptcy days after reaching a multi-billion dollar settlement that could put to rest some 2,600 lawsuits by state and local governments across the country. Johnson City Attorney Thomas Jessee is part of a group representing about 560 cities and counties in lawsuits against several opioid distributors and manufacturers, including Purdue.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday released her long-awaited plan to curb soaring prices of prescription drugs, a political chess move that could prod the Senate to move and heat up congressional negotiations with the White House on a popular but elusive goal. Ms. Pelosi’s plan, which she laid out at a morning news conference, would allow the government to negotiate the price of insulin and as many as 250 name-brand drugs each year for Medicare beneficiaries—an idea that many Republicans hate but that President Trump embraced during his 2016 campaign. Drug companies would also have to offer the agreed-on prices to private insurers or face harsh penalties, which could give the package broader appeal with voters.
