STATE UPDATE: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2005
HEALTH POLICY
D.C. City Council Passes Prescription Drug
Excessive Pricing Law
This week the City Council of the District of Columbia
unanimously passed The Prescription Drug Excessive
Pricing Act of 2005. The bill makes it illegal for
a manufacturer to sell prescription drugs at an excessive
price in the District. An excessive price is defined
as a wholesale price for a product that is 30% higher
than the comparable price in either the United Kingdom,
Germany, Canada or Australia. If the U.S. price exceeds
the 30% benchmark the burden is then placed on the
drug company to prove that their product is not excessively
priced. This showing would entail disclosure of costs
of invention, development and production of the product,
and global sales and profits to date. The bill gives
the District of Columbia or any person affected by
excessive pricing standing to file a civil suit for
violation of the Act.
D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams (D) is expected to sign the bill. Congress, which
has oversight authority of the District of Columbia, is not expected to intervene.
To view the text of the law go to this Web address.
AG OVERVIEW
NASDA Adopts Uniformity Position
During their annual meeting in Cooperstown, NY this week,
the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
(NASDA) adopted a position in favor of uniformity in
regards to regulating agricultural biotechnology. NASDAs
new position, combined with similar endorsements from
the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) and
the Council of State Governments (CSG) signals a groundswell
of state support for cohesive, predictable regulations
pertaining to agricultural biotechnology.
On another note, NASDA members also discussed plans to collaborate with the
Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology for a series of meetings to discuss
Ag biotech matters. BIO will monitor this collaboration closely.
STEM CELL RESEARCH
Univ. of Michigan Announces Plans for a Center of Stem Cell Research
On Wednesday, the University of Michigan (U-M) announced they would be allocating
$10.5 million to create a center for stem cell research. The new center will
be housed within the 2-year-old U-M Life Sciences Institute. Director for the
center Sean Morrison stated that he will actively begin recruiting researchers
over the next four years. Michigan law bans somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT)
for therapeutic purposes, and prohibits the use of state funds for embryonic
research. For their research purposes the university uses existing stem cell
lines allowed under the 2001 federal rule.
New Jersey Continues to Attract Stem Cell Researchers
In early August, Governor Richard J. Codey (D) announced that the state would
spend $10.5 million in state funding to support stem cell research grants,
to recruit leading scientists and to set up clinical trials.
The New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology was commissioned to dispense
$5.5 million through grants to eligible stem cell researchers. The Commission
created the Stem Cell Research Grant program through which researchers may
apply to receive the grant money. The deadline for letters of intent to the
Commission was September 19 at 5:00 p.m. State officials reported they had
received 96 proposals for funding from researchers studying all forms of stem
cell research, far exceeding expectations.
STATE LEGISLATIVE CHARTS
To view a chart below, please click on the corresponding link.
Please contact MaryEllen Enos, State Government Relations
Manager, at menos@bio.org, or (202) 962-9508, if you have
any questions or comments.
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