On July 1, 2008, ConsumerLab.com, LLC published a product review titled “Red Yeast Rice Supplements.” Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, P.C. sent an 8-page letter to ConsumerLab on July 17 to inform the company that, as confirmed in FDA warning letters, the product review created potential …
Yesterday, Pharmalot reported that U.S. Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI) and several co-sponsors introduced the “Independent Drug Education and Outreach Act of 2008.” A similar version of the bill has reportedly been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. According to a press release from …
On August 1, 2008, FDA will publish a Federal Register notice announcing the Fiscal Year (“FY”) 2009 user fee rates established under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (“PDUFA”). A similar notice will also be issued with the FY 2009 user fee rates established under …
As we previously reported, Section 912 of the FDA Amendments Act (“FDAAA”) added a new prohibition to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (“FDCA”). The new prohibition, found at FDCA § 301(ll) (21 U.S.C. § 331(ll)), prohibits the introduction into commerce of any food …
On July 25, 2008, the Department of Defense (“DOD”) issued a proposed rule to implement section 703 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (“NDAA-2008”). Section 703 of NDAA-2008 provides that the TRICARE retail pharmacy program (“TRRx”) is to be treated as …
In the second lawsuit in as many months, the Patent and Trademark Office (“PTO”) has been sued over a decision to deny a Patent Term Extension (“PTE”). As we previously reported, Wyeth sued the PTO and FDA in June 2008 concerning the appropriate PTE regulatory …
In a case brought by POM Wonderful under the Lanham Act and California state statutes governing false advertising and unfair competition, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California held Purely Juice and its president liable to the tune of nearly $1.5 million. …
On July 15, 2008, FDA issued a final rule exempting investigational drugs used in phase 1 studies (as described in 21 C.F.R. § 312.21 of FDA’s IND regulations) from the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (“CGMP”) requirements in 21 C.F.R. Part 211. This exemption does not …
When Congress enacted the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (“FDCA”) in 1938, it required New Drug Applications (“NDAs”) for “any” new drug. At the time, approximately half of the drugs in this country were compounded, not manufactured. Today, while the percentage of compounded prescriptions …
On July 18, 2008, in a rare “win” (depending on which side you are on) on a motion for reconsideration, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana (Indianapolis Division), vacated the court’s September 2007 decision in Tucker v. SmithKline Beecham Corp., in …
As widely reported earlier this month, FDA and the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) intensified their investigation of Indian drug company Ranbaxy, Inc. On July 3, 2008, the government moved to enforce administrative subpoenas directed at Ranbaxy and the company’s consultant, PAREXEL Consulting concerning information about …
In previous postings (here and here), we have observed that § 912 of the 2007 FDA Amendments Act (“FDAAA”), which added the new § 301(ll) prohibition to the FDC Act, could represent a fundamental shift in the dividing line between foods and drugs, and has …
Under the terms of a 1987 Memorandum of Understanding, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (“TTB”) exercises jurisdiction over labeling of distilled spirits, wines, and malt beverages subject to the Federal Alcohol Administration Act (“FAA Act”), and FDA exercises jurisdiction over other alcohol …
An interesting issue is percolating at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“PTO”) concerning Patent Term Extensions (“PTEs”). We hinted at this issue in our recent post concerning the PTO’s decision to deny a PTE with respect to U.S. Patent #5,674,860 (“the ‘860 patent”), which …
On June 10, 2008, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (“PhRMA”) announced the release of a newly revised version of the “Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals,” which is a voluntary code focusing on the industry’s interactions with healthcare professionals as they relate to …
