Bill Would Repeal ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Provision Benefiting Amgen

Last week, U.S. Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) introduced legislation (HR 413) that would repeal a Medicare-pricing provision -- included in a bill (HR 8) that President Obama signed this month to avert the "fiscal cliff" -- that benefits Thousand Oaks-based biotechnology company Amgen. The provision protects certain oral drugs like Amgen's Sensipar, which aids kidney dialysis patients, from Medicare price controls for an extra two years.

• "Lawmakers Seek To Repeal 'Fiscal-Cliff' Provision Aiding Amgen" (Terhune, Los Angeles Times, 1/25).