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    • 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 …

    • KV Takes a Hit With the Dismissal of Its Case Against FDA Over Compounded 17PSeptember 6th, 2012

      By Kurt R. Karst –       In a decision handed down late in the day on Thursday, September 6th, Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia dealt a blow to K-V Pharmaceutical Company’s (“KV’s”) efforts to “restore” orphan drug …

    • Hold the Fructose: FDA Petitioned to Act Against Certain High Fructose Corn SyrupsSeptember 5th, 2012

       By Ricardo Carvajal – A consumer group, Citizens for Health, submitted a citizen petition (Docket No. FDA-2012-P-0904) to FDA asking the agency to “take action to protect the public from the illegal, mislabeled use of high fructose corn syrup (‘HFCS’) that is above 55 percent fructose” and …

    • The Coming 505(q) Citizen Petition Cliff and Some Interesting Petition StrategiesSeptember 4th, 2012

      By Kurt R. Karst –       As we patiently await FDA’s next annual report to Congress on 505(q) citizen petitions (see our previous posts on FDA’s annual reports here, here, and here) we thought we would take a minute to share with our readers some observations …

    • The Obesity Epidemic: FDA’s Growing Waistline!September 3rd, 2012

      By Kurt R. Karst –       One recent afternoon we returned to our office from a meeting to find the new (2012) nine-volume set of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations (“CFR”) placed on our desk chair.  There’s a special place on our desk …

    • FDA and OMB Sued Over Delays in FSMA ImplementationAugust 31st, 2012

      By Ricardo Carvajal – The Center for Food Safety and the Center for Environmental Health filed suit in the Northern District of California to compel FDA and the Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) to implement several major provisions of the Food Safety Modernization Act (“FSMA”). …

    • Hot Ticket Item – Patent Settlement Agreement ChallengesAugust 30th, 2012

      By Kurt R. Karst –       It seems that hardly a day goes by without something new happening concerning patent settlement agreements.  They are generally referred to as “pay-for-delay” agreements; however, that’s a bit of a loaded term, and one we try to avoid.  We just …