By James C. Shehan – On July 9, 2015, Representatives Matt Salmon (R- AZ), Paul Gosar (R-AZ) and Marlin Stutzman (R-IN) introduced H.R. 3012, the Right to Try Act of 2015. The bill seeks to expand the access of terminally ill patients to experimental drugs in …
By James E. Valentine* – The enactment of FDASIA, including the fifth reauthorization of PDUFA, really put patient engagement on the radar beyond some of the traditionally active disease communities (e.g., HIV/AIDS, cancer, neurological diseases). FDASIA’s section 1137, the provision on Patient Participation in Medical Product …
By Kurt R. Karst & Josephine M. Torrente – An article recently published in The BMJ (formerly known as the British Medical Journal), titled “Comparison of content of FDA letters not approving applications for new drugs and associated public announcements from sponsors: cross sectional study,” and …
By Kurt R. Karst – On May 19th, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce took up consideration of the 21st Century Cures Act. The bill, H.R. 6, is a 309-page behemoth that was officially introduced on May 19th, and is the fourth iteration of the …
By James E. Valentine* & Alexander J. Varond – After giving us a few months to shake our sticks at the nearly 400-page 21st Century Cures Act (the Cures Act) discussion draft, the House Energy and Commerce Committee (the Committee) dropped a 200-page version that was …
By James E. Valentine* – In late April 2015, FDA’s Bioresearch Monitoring (“BIMO”) Program released its annual report on inspections from the previous fiscal year. BIMO is FDA’s multi-center compliance program for on-site inspections and data audits to monitor all aspects of FDA-regulated research, domestically and …
On April 27, 2015 the Drug Information Association journal, Therapeutic Innovation and Regulatory Science, published the findings of a study conducted by HP&M Attorneys Frank J. Sasinowski and James E. Valentine*, along with co-author, Erika B. Panico, RAC, head of U.S. Regulatory Affairs for Chiesi …
In a new guidebook published by the Food and Drug Law Institute, David B. Clissold and James E. Valentine of Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, P.C. co-authored Chapter 3-1, “FDA Regulatory Scheme,” and Alexander J. Varond authored Chapter 3-7, “Orphan Drugs.” Both chapters cover essential elements of …
By James E. Valentine* & Josephine M. Torrente – During FDA’s April 1, 2015 public workshop on clinical outcome assessments (COAs), in a presentation on the future of COA development and utilization in drug development programs, officials from CDER’s Study Endpoints and Labeling Development (SEALD) staff …
By Alexander J. Varond – After six years of operating under its May 2009 “Guidance for Industry: Formal Meetings Between the FDA and Sponsors of Applicants,” FDA refreshed its guidance. On March 11, FDA announced its draft guidance entitled “Formal Meetings Between the Food and Drug Administration and …
By James E. Valentine*, Josephine M. Torrente & Frank J. Sasinowski – On March 31, 2015, FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (“CDER” or the “Center”) finalized its Guidance for Industry: Critical Path Innovation Meetings, establishing an enduring function of the Center to facilitate Critical Path …
By Alexander J. Varond – On March 23, Representative G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) introduced H.R. 1537, the “Advancing Hope Act of 2015.” The Advancing Hope Act would reauthorize the rare pediatric disease priority review voucher (“Pediatric Voucher”) program, which is slated to sunset in March 2015. Rep. …
By Alexander J. Varond – Evidence from recent approvals of breakthrough therapy-designated products suggests that, for some time now, FDA has been operating under accelerated review timelines for certain drugs with breakthrough therapy designation. Recently, FDA confirmed this and stated that it has been informally instituting …
By James E. Valentine* & Anne Marie Murphy – The National Institutes of Health (“NIH”) just extended the comment period for its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on clinical trial registration and results submission (“NPRM”) until March 23, 2015. As we previously reported, the NPRM proposes to …
By James E. Valentine* & Jim C. Shehan – The 21st Century Cures Act’s focus on patients is inescapable. Title I of this nearly 400 page bill is entitled, “Putting Patients First By Incorporating Their Perspectives Into The Regulatory Process and Addressing Unmet Needs.” When we reported …
