The fiscal cliff legislation approved earlier this month excluded Amgen's Sensipar, which is used by kidney dialysis patients, from Medicare price controls for an additional two years.
Los Angeles Times: Lawmakers Seek To Repeal 'Fiscal-Cliff' Provision Aiding Amgen
A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers is seeking to repeal a Medicare-pricing provision in the recent "fiscal-cliff" deal in Congress that benefits Thousand Oaks biotech giant Amgen Inc. Legislation to eliminate the exemption for a class of drugs, including Amgen's Sensipar, that are used by kidney dialysis patients, was filed this week by U.S. Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.). The fiscal cliff legislation approved this month excluded these oral medications from Medicare price controls for an additional two years (Terhune, 1/25).
Meanwhile, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, issues list of five Medicare and Medicaid changes that he predicts would draw bipartisan support --