By Ricardo Carvajal – In a decision sure to bring joy to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”), the D.C. District Court granted the government’s motion for summary judgment in a lawsuit challenging a USDA regulation that requires domestically produced almonds to be treated for Salmonella. …
By Jennifer D. Newberger – On Wednesday, February 8, Representatives Mike Rogers (R-MI) and Ed Markey (D-MA) introduced H.R. 3975, The Pediatric Medical Device Safety and Improvement Reauthorization Act of 2012. The bill would put into effect a rule previously withdrawn by FDA regarding the inclusion of pediatric information …
By Kurt R. Karst – Within moments of FDA’s (Dr. Janet Woodcock) announcement during the February 9th House Energy and Commerce hearing on generic drug and biosimilar user fees that the Agency would issue draft guidance on biosimilar product development later in the day, Twitter was, …
By Kurt R. Karst – In music, “coda” is a term used primarily to designate a passage that brings a piece (or a movement, which may be part of a symphony – an extended musical composition) to an end – the “fine.” A coda can be …
By Kurt R. Karst – It’s about that time of year again when we do some number crunching and take stock of the year that was in orphan drug designations and approvals. And what a year it was! FDA not only approved a record 26 marketing …
By Kurt R. Karst – On February 7, 2012, Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued her decision in the long-running dispute concerning FDA’s July 23, 2010 approval of Sandoz Inc.’s (“Sandoz’s”) ANDA No. 077857 for a generic version …
By Jennifer D. Newberger – On Thursday, February 2, Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and John McCain (R-AZ) introduced S. 2067, titled the “Safe, Efficient, and Transparent Medical Device Approval Act” or the “SET Device Act.” The bill would require FDA to reclassify preamendment Class III devices …
By Alan M. Kirschenbaum & Michelle L. Butler - A long anticipated proposed revision to CMS regulations governing the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program ("MDRP") appeared in the Federal Register on Thursday, February 2, 2012. As expected, the proposal implements amendments to the MDRP that were enacted …
By Kurt R. Karst – Earlier this week, Representatives John Carney (D-DE) and Larry Bucshon (R-IN) introduced H.R.3839, the “Drug Shortage Prevention Act,” which, according to its sponsors, is intended to bring “more efficiency to the manufacturing and distribution processes” and to require “FDA to …
By Jennifer D. Newberger – On January 31, 2012, Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) introduced H.R. 3847, the “Safety of Untested and New Devices Act of 2012,” also known as the “SOUND Devices Act of 2012.” The bill attempts to limit the body of devices that may …
By Kurt R. Karst – A new report released by the Government Accountability Office (“GAO”), titled “Antibiotics: FDA Needs to Do More to Ensure That Drug Labels Contain Up-to-Date Information,” says that since the September 27, 2007 enactment of the FDA Amendments Act (“FDAAA”) FDA has …
By Kurt R. Karst – The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“PTO”) has been sued once again after denying a Patent Term Extension (“PTE”) request. The latest case in a long line of lawsuits concerns U.S. Patent No. 5,206,248 (“the ‘248 patent”), which is listed in …
By Jennifer D. Newberger – On Tuesday, January 24, FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (“CDRH”) released its strategic priorities for 2012: (1) fully implement a total life cycle approach; (2) enhance communication and transparency; (3) strengthen the CDRH workforce and workplace; and (4) proactively …
By Riëtte van Laack – On Monday, January 23, 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a California state law prohibiting the slaughter, processing, and sale of any non-ambulatory animals is preempted by the Federal Meat Inspection Act (“FMIA”). As we previously reported, under California's Downed Animal …
By John A. Gilbert, Jr. & Larry K. Houck – The Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) has issued a report focusing on federal agency efforts to educate prescribers and the public about prescription pain reliever abuse and misuse. The report’s title, “Prescription Pain Reliever Abuse: Agencies have …
