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    • Another Orphan Drug Battle; Depomed Sues FDA Over GRALISE Orphan Drug ExclusivitySeptember 27th, 2012

      By Kurt R. Karst –        Public turmoil over FDA decisions involving orphan drug exclusivity has been relatively rare in recent years.  That has changed over the past several months.  First there was the lawsuit brough against FDA by K-V Pharmaceutical Company to “restore” …

    • In Search Of (ISO) Court in Which to Challenge DEA ISO? The D.C. Circuit May Have an Answer for YouSeptember 26th, 2012

      By JP Ellison – Traditionally, challenges to a Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) immediate suspension order (“ISO”) have been litigated, in the first instance, in federal district courts.  This is true even when the physician, pharmacy, distributor, wholesaler or other DEA registrant has taken a “belt and …

    • Is it a Drug or Device? Court Requires FDA to Explain ItselfSeptember 26th, 2012

      By Jennifer M. Thomas & Anne K. Walsh –   Yesterday, in a big win for industry, District Court Judge Rosemary Collyer granted French company PREVOR’s Motion for Summary Judgment in a case challenging FDA’s decision to regulate PREVOR’s Diphoterine® Skin Wash (“DSW”) product as a …

    • Insight into FDA’s Implementation of FDASIA for DevicesSeptember 25th, 2012

      By Jennifer D. Newberger – On Thursday, September 20, the Food and Drug Law Institute (“FDLI”) and the Drug Information Association (“DIA”) co-sponsored a program titled “Unwrapping FDA’s UFA Package:  What’s Inside the Statute – What’s Next?”  The program discussed many aspects of the recently passed …

    • Suit Targeting Benecol Dismissed on Preemption GroundsSeptember 25th, 2012

      By Ricardo Carvajal – A federal district court dismissed a class action that took issue with a number of allegedly false and misleading claims made on the label of Benecol, a butter/margarine alternative.  The claims at issue include “each serving contains .85g of plant stanol …

    • FDA Issues Draft Compliance Guide on Pet Food Intended to Diagnose, Cure, Mitigate, Treat or Prevent Disease, Including ObesitySeptember 21st, 2012

      By Riëtte van Laack – Earlier this month, FDA announced the publication of a draft level 1 Compliance Policy Guide (“CPG”) titled “Labeling and Marketing of Nutritional Products Intended for Use to Diagnose, Cure, Mitigate, Treat or Prevent Disease in Dogs and Cats.”  The CPG in clear …

    • Legislative Fix Would Allow FDA to Collect GDUFA User FeesSeptember 19th, 2012

      By Kurt R. Karst –       Legislation allowing FDA to collect several user fees under the Generic Drug User Fee Amendments of 2012 (“GDUFA”) is expected to be introduced this week (and perhaps voted on by both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate).  …

    • The Whole Ball of Wax: FDA Says Supreme Court Review of Holistic Candlers Case is Not WarrantedSeptember 18th, 2012

      By Kurt R. Karst & JP Ellison –      The U.S. Solicitor General filed a brief last week urging the U.S. Supreme Court not to grant a Petition for Writ of Certiorari filed earlier this year by a group of ear candle advocates after the U.S. …

    • Patent Settlement Agreements: The Next BarrageSeptember 17th, 2012

      By Kurt R. Karst –       In our recent post, “Hot Ticket Item – Patent Settlement Agreement Challenges,” we provided a round-up of the latest and greatest from ongoing litigation concerning patent settlement agreements (or “pay-for-delay” agreements if you prefer that term – we don’t).  It’s …

    • In Florida, Watch How You Use “Honey”September 17th, 2012

      By Ricardo Carvajal – A federal court has ruled that the express preemption provisions added to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (“the Act”) by the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (“NLEA”) do not preempt Florida’s standard of identity for honey.  Plaintiffs in the case, …

    • FTC Settlement with Medifast: Weight Loss and Maintenance Claims Must be Supported by One (Not Two) Well-controlled StudySeptember 13th, 2012

      By Riëtte van Laack – Earlier this week, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced the settlement of a $3.7 million civil penalty case against Jason Pharmaceuticals (“Jason”), a subsidiary of Medifast Inc., for allegedly violating a 1992 FTC Order regarding weight loss claims.  According to the …

    • Revised Formula Yields a Lower Priority Review Voucher User Fee of $3,559,000; Will That Help Spark Greater Interest in the Program?September 12th, 2012

      By Kurt R. Karst –       While Congress and The White House debate whether user fees paid pursuant to various UFAs – User Fee Acts – will be sequestered under the terms of the Budget Control Act (see here), FDA continues to move forward with planning …

    • CDRH Seeks to Enhance Postmarket Surveillance SystemsSeptember 11th, 2012

      By Jennifer D. Newberger – On September 6, FDA released a white paper titled “Strengthening Our National System for Medical Device Postmarket Surveillance.”  This paper stems at least in part from the recommendation by the Institute of Medicine for FDA to “develop and implement a …

    • The Brand-Name Side of the Exclusivity Equation; Exclusivity Under FireSeptember 10th, 2012

      By Kurt R. Karst –    In the world of Hatch-Waxman, disputes over 180-day generic drug exclusivity have been commonplace for well over a decade now.  Indeed, in 2012 alone there have already been a few lawsuits filed against FDA concerning generic ACTOS and generic PROVIGIL …

    • If You are A Mobile App Developer, Get it Right from the Start, Please!September 9th, 2012

      By Carmelina G. Allis – If you are a mobile app developer, be sure to review the FTC’s newly published guidelines on truth-in-advertising and privacy principles, “Marketing Your Mobile App, Get it Right from the Start.”  They apply to you, whether you are a start-up …