Today, the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a hearing examining the drug shortage crisis and invited ASCO to testify. Charles Penley, MD, incoming chair of ASCO’s Government Relations Committee, past chair of the Clinical Practice Committee, and member of the Conquer Cancer Foundation’s Board of Directors, testified before the Subcommittee on how oncology drug shortages are impacting his practice, as well as the Society’s perceived causes of the shortages and potential solutions.

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The Senate Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education has released its Fiscal Year 2012 appropriations legislation that provides a $190 million (0.6 percent) cut to the National Institutes of Health’s budget.

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The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, also known as the "supercommittee," has begun working to identify potential areas for cutting and Medicare seems to be a target of their cost savings efforts. A cut to the average sales price continues to be identified as a possibility, reducing reimbursement from 106 percent to 104 percent of ASP, or even lower.

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In comments submitted to the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, ASCO encouraged the new institute to narrow its definition of “patient-centered outcomes research” and to partner with non-profit organizations to make the most of limited resources.

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Sept. 12 that it has made organizational changes within the office responsible for reviewing all drug and biologic applications for cancer therapies. The Center for Drug Evaluation and Research’s Office of Oncology Drug Products has been reorganized and renamed the Office of Hematology and Oncology Products.

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The congressionally created Medicare Payment Advisory Commission has issued draft recommendations to overhaul Medicare reimbursement to physicians by moving away from the current fee-for-service model.

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The House Appropriations Committee has introduced a Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government operating until November 18.

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ASCO recently signed a letter, along with 39 other groups, opposing H.R. 1639, legislation that would exempt many cigars from regulation under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. The letter was sent to Representative Sandy Adams (R-Fl.), the sponsor of the legislation.

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