DOD Awards Grant for Dementia Treatment, FDA Issues Rare Disease Grants
The DOD and FDA are issuing millions of dollars of grants to improve treatments for several diseases.
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By - The Department of Defense and FDA announced new grants that will be used to create treatments and therapies for several debilitating diseases. The grants, worth over $40 million, will address dementia and rare diseases like brain cancer, ALS, and other hard-to-treat afflictions.
$3 Million DOD Grant for Dementia Treatment
The DOD issued a $3 million grant to the Treventis Corporation to fund the research and development of an anti-tau misfolding drug. Treventis’s drug will attempt to address frontotemporal dementia (FTD) characterized by neurofibrillary tangles.
"We are pleased and gratified by the DoD's funding and the feedback from their scientific review. Treventis believes that a small molecule targeting tau has significant potential as a therapeutic for protein misfolding diseases such as FTD," said Christopher Barden, PhD, CEO of Treventis, in the press release. READ MORE.
FDA Issues Rare Disease Grants
The FDA is issuing $38 million in rare disease research grants to create treatments and therapies for diseases, including ALS, brain and nerve cancer, and neurodegenerative disease. The money will be divided across 19 different grants and two contracts, including one to study brain-computer interfaces. Since its inception, the FDA’s program for rare diseases, the Orphan Products Grants Program, has contributed to the approval of more than 80 rare disease treatments, therapies, or products. READ MORE.
Half of US States Extend Medicaid Postpartum Coverage
Across 26 US states, Medicaid patients have access to maternal healthcare services for up to 12 months after pregnancy. As many as 418,000 enrollees have been granted postpartum care as states chose to extend coverage during the pandemic. HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra urged more states to adopt the expanded coverage in a press release accompanying the announcement. Medicaid currently covers 42 percent of all births and more than half of all children in the country. READ MORE.
FAH Asks Congress to Limit Medicare Pay Cuts
In a recent letter, the Federation of American Hospitals (FAH) asked Congress to pass new legislation that would prevent future hospital reimbursement cuts. Specifically, FAH wants Congress to waive the PAYGO sequester cuts and reauthorize the Medicare-Dependent Hospital program and the Low-Volume Hospital program.
“It is critical that Congress reinforce fragile rural hospital finances by preventing those programs from expiring and making them permanent or, at a minimum, reauthorizing them for an extended number of years,” the letter stated. “This action would help ensure hospitals can sustain their crucial role serving patients in rural communities across America.” READ MORE.
CMS Updates ACA Enrollment Process
A new Biden Administration program is allowing consumers to window shop for healthcare plans before the 2023 open enrollment season. This year, HHS also released a final rule to solve the family glitch, which may help save consumers money. Americans are encouraged to visit HealthCare.Gov to preview plans before choosing in November. READ MORE.
