A cataract drug company that paid more than $1 million in 2017 to lobby lawmakers regained Medicare reimbursement status in hospital outpatient and ASC settings, the SF Chronicle reports.
Here are five insights.
1. A provision in the spending bill President Donald Trump signed March 23 restores the reimbursement status of Omidria, the flagship product of Omeros, for two years. Its reimbursement status had expired.
2. Omeros paid The Nickles Group $275,000 to lobby lawmakers on Medicare payment policy in hospital outpatient and ASC settings. It gave King & Spalding roughly the same amount to lobby House representatives for reimbursement of outpatient medications.
3. Amyvid, Eli Lilly's imaging agent, will also regain its Medicare reimbursement status through the spending bill.
4. Omeros CEO Gregory Demopulos donated $39,600 in the 2018 election cycle to the National Republican Congressional Committee. He also donated over $10,000 to Speaker Paul Ryan's campaign and political action committee in August 2017.
5. Omidria is injected in the eye during cataract surgery to prevent excessive shrinking of the pupil and reduce postoperative pain.