It was only Feb. 3 that the IRS released guidance for implementing the  Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s 2.3 percent excise tax on manufacturers and importers of medical devices—due to kick in next January—but the action has already reignited a firestorm of protest. This will surprise no one who has followed industry’s anti-tax drumbeat, which began upon the release of a Sept. 2011 economic analysis forecasting the loss of 43,000 American jobs at the hands of the tax.

The Obama Administration announced new efforts to fight Alzheimer’s disease on Feb. 7, including immediately making an additional $50 million available for Alzheimer’s research. In addition, the administration said that its FY 2013 budget will boost funding for Alzheimer’s research by $80 million.

The Utah State Senate Health and Human Services Committee on Jan. 31 approved legislation encouraging facilities to notify women of their breast density status. The legislation will be sent to the state Senate for consideration.

The Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation has announced that the government's cabinet views the realization of a new PALLAS nuclear reactor "postively," which is an "important condition for further progress on the PALLAS project," according to a statement from the Nuclear Research & Consultancy Group.

The Living Lab Structural Biology Center was formed through a cooperative research and development agreement between the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in Bethesda, Md., and FEI, in Hillsboro, Ore., a scientific instruments company, to help accelerate medical discoveries relating to global health challenges, such as cancer and HIV/AIDS. The lab will utilize near-atomic resolution microscopy and other structural biology technologies.

The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) Biomarkers Consortium has released biomarker data from studies intended to improve the ability to diagnose and measure the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

The FDA has released draft guidance aimed at increasing the number of women participating in clinical trials for medical devices.

New Jersey has seen a 14 percent increase in medical-device manufacturing jobs over the past couple of years—from around 18,000 to 20,500—“which is so promising because that means the industry is growing, even in tough economic times.”

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have released a final rule with comment period to revise the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System for calendar year 2012 to implement applicable statutory requirements and changes arising from the continuing experience with the system.

Heart disease topped the list of most costly conditions in terms of overall expenditures in 2008, according to a brief released by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Expenditures for heart disease-related care and treatment of men and women were $47.3 billion and $43.6 billion, respectively.

House Republicans have recently introduced 10 bills that, collectively, aim at increasing the predictability, consistency and transparency of the FDA’s medical device review and approval process. Legislators summarized their concerns in an Oct. 14 memorandum sent to the Energy and Commerce Committee, detailing the proposed measures designed to reform the medical device review and approval process.

An Institute of Medicine (IOM) committee has made six recommendations to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), for the process of defining essential health benefits (EHBs), mandated under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). The HHS sought recommendations from the IOM in defining EHBs offered by health plans participating in newly created state health insurance exchanges.

Citing the effectiveness of public safeguards, David Arkush, director of Public Citizen’s Congress Watch, advocated for reducing barriers to creating healthcare regulations before Congress’ Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

The FDA recently released its strategic plan for advancing regulatory science, including its intent to enhance the process for developing and evaluating new products and materials from fields such as cell therapy, tissue engineering, genomics, personalized medicine, advanced computing and IT. The August publication, titled “Advancing Regulatory Science at FDA,” outlines its priorities.

The FDA has released a draft correspondence establishing a framework for the regulation and oversight of nanotechnology. Made available on its website on June 9, the document is a collaborative product between the National Economic Council, the Office of Management and Budget, the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

Thirty-three states have now said they will further slash Medicaid payments to healthcare providers, according to a survey issued by the National Governors Association and National Association of State Budget Officers.