Regulatory/Legislative News

President Donald J. Trump’s administration’s plan to lower drug prices — a 44-page document it calls the American Patients First Blueprint to Lower Drug Prices and Reduce Out-of-Pocket Costs — has achieved results since its launch earlier this year, according to an HHS press release.

Here are the top stories for Healio.com/Ophthalmology in the past week:

Bipartisan sponsors introduced legislation to the House that would generate $1 billion in loans to fund new projects focused on translational research in eye care disease and treatment.

The American College of Physicians said in a press release there were good things and bad things about the new CMS plan known as Pathways to Success — a plan the federal agency said overhauls rules for Accountable Care Organization in the Medicare Shared Savings Program established by the Affordable Care Act.

I read with interest an email message from the American Public Health Association.

With the approach of Contact Lens Health Week, Aug. 20 to 24, the American Optometric Association offered tips for preventing major complications due to dangerous contact lens practices.

The California Optometric Association has contributed $10,000 to help stop the corporate attack — primarily led by Walmart Inc. in Oklahoma — on the optometry profession as well as public health and policy.

The Alliance for Eye and Vision Research and the Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society attended a congressional briefing and conducted a “test your tears” dry eye screening in recognition of July as Dry Eye Awareness Month.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has struck down Allergan’s attempt to use tribal sovereignty to avoid a patent challenge on Restasis.

The FDA has approved two investigational device exemption applications for pilot studies of EyeGate’s ocular bandage gel, the company announced in a press release.