The Obama administration kicked the can down the road yesterday, pushing off implementation of the Affordable Care Act’s employer and insurer mandatory reporting requirements, from 2014 until 2015. The Treasury Department’s Mark Mazu, assistant secretary for tax policy, cited two reasons for the delay on the department’s blog: “First, it will allow us to consider ways to simplify the new reporting requirements,” and, “Second, it will provide time to adapt health coverage and reporting systems while employers are moving toward making health coverage affordable and accessible for their employees.” Many simply weren’t prepared. J.D. Piro head of employee benefits consultancy Aon, said in a statement to Forbes: ““In our recent research, more than half of large and mid-size employers said that complying with government regulations such as healthcare reform was one of the most significant challenges facing their organization.”
Biogen Idec and Sobi (Swedish Orphan Biovitrum) presented new Phase III data from a study on ALPROLIX, the long-lasting clotting factor the two are jointly developing for hemophilia B treatment. Results, presented at the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostatis Congress in Amsterdam, showed that 90% of bleeds were controlled with a single injection and that more than 97% were controlled with two or fewer injections. Physicians also reported high efficacy levels in use during surgery. Biogen Idec leads development and has manufacturing and commercialization rights for the drug in North America.
