By Kurt R. Karst – Just weeks after Federal Trade Commssion (“FTC”) Chairman Jon Leibowitz signaled in a speech that the Commission would appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit’s April 2012 ruling (and subsequent July 2012 …
By Carmelina G. Allis – Should FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (“CDRH”) regulate medical mobile apps? Or should medical mobile apps be regulated by another office within FDA? Or should they be regulated by a separate entity under the Department of Health and …
By Kurt R. Karst – Those of us who work in the drug approval world know that a high degree of coordination among various FDA components is necessary for a smooth and efficient approval process. This is particularly true for ANDA generic drug …
By Ricardo Carvajal & Wes Siegner – The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General released two reports (see here and here) critical of dietary supplements in the weight loss and immune support categories. OIG focused on those categories because they were reported …
By Kurt R. Karst – The question was not whether, but when, FDA would be sued over a decision involving 180-day generic drug exclusivity and the so-called “failure to obtain timely tentative approval” forfeiture provision at FDC Act § 505(j)(5)(D)(i)(IV). That day has finally come. …
By Kurt R. Karst – Legislation co-sponsored by Representatives Brian Bilbray (R-CA), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), and supported by the Melanoma Research Foundation, seeks to encourge the development of so-called “significant drug combinations” by offering the carrot of an extension of marketing …
By Jennifer D. Newberger – The Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) recently issued a report titled, “Medical Devices: FDA Should Expand Its Consideration of Information Security for Certain Types of Devices.” The report was intended to examine how FDA protects active implantable devices against information security risks that …
By Jeffrey K. Shapiro & Jessica A. Ritsick – ISO 13485 (2003) is an internationally recognized management system for the design and manufacture of medical devices. Most device manufacturers have quality systems intended to comply with ISO 13485. FDA has finally implemented a 2007 statutory …
By Alexander J. Varond – On September 25, 2012, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (“PCAST”) released a report entitled “Report to the President on Propelling Innovation in Drug Discovery, Development, and Evaluation.” PCAST is a commission of leading scientists and engineers who …
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” …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
