In 2010, the United States government passed the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which contained provisions requiring pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers to track and report payments or other transfers of value made to U.S. licensed physicians and U.S. teaching hospitals. These provisions are commonly referred to as the "U.S. Sunshine Act and Open Payments." The law was passed to provide greater transparency into the financial interactions between the health care industry (e.g., pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, and group purchasing organizations) and health care providers (e.g., health care professionals and teaching hospitals).

Almost any payment or other transfer of value made by applicable pharmaceutical manufacturers to U.S. licensed physicians or U.S. teaching hospitals is reportable. Examples of payment types and other transfers of value that Astellas will track and disclose include, but are not limited to:

  • Education (journal reprints, textbooks, etc.)
  • Consulting fees for services provided
  • Lodging and travel expenses incurred while performing contracted services
  • Royalties and licensing fees
  • Business meals in conjunction with an educational or business discussion

Under the law, Astellas must track and annually report applicable payments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). CMS publishes the data for all manufacturers annually on June 30th.

For further information on the Federal law, please visit the Open Payments website: https://www.cms.gov/openpayments.