Drug Development

By Kurt R. Karst –      Your loyal and intrepid bloggers were in attendance at today's argument before the U.S. Supreme Court in Wyeth v. Levine.  The case has been billed by some as the business case of the century; however, we think such hype is …

By Kurt R. Karst –       Happy Halloween!  Earlier this week, Health News Daily reported that Dr. Sidney Wolfe, Director of Public Citizen’s Health Research Group, was named a permanent member of FDA’s Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee.  A copy of Dr. Wolfe’s  Curriculum …

By Ricardo Carvajal & Kurt R. Karst –     On October 28, 2008, FDA announced that the Agency issued Warning Letters to Bayer HealthCare contending that two of Bayer’s products, Bayer Women’s Low Dose Aspirin + Calcium and Bayer Aspirin with Heart Advantage (Heart Advantage), are unapproved …

By Anne Marie Murphy — We recently posted on the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (“CPSIA”), which makes a number of changes to the laws enforced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”).   Section 102(a)(1) of CPSIA amends the Consumer Product Safety Act (“CPSA”) …

Last week, I presented at the Center for Business Intelligence’s Pharmaceutical Congress on Paragraph IV Disputes with Geoff Levitt of Wyeth on citizen petitions.  The focus of my talk was on new FDC Act § 505(q) – “Petitions and Civil Actions Regarding Approval of Certain …

On October 20, 2008, FDA announced the availability of a highly anticipated draft guidance document, titled “Tropical Disease Priority Review Vouchers.”  The draft guidance discusses FDA’s implementation of FDC Act § 524 – “Priority Review to Encourage Treatments for Tropical Diseases” – which was added …

FDA’s Office of Combination Products (“OCP”) recently released a draft guidance entitled “New Contrast Imaging Indication Considerations for Devices and Approved Drug and Biological Products.”  The draft guidance permits diagnostic imaging device makers to expand labeling for use with a contrast agent or radiopharmaceutical even …

FDA recently published a new draft guidance document on potency tests for cellular and gene therapy (“CGT”) products.  The FDC Act requires that all biological products meet agency requirements for safety, purity, and potency before such products will be approved, but historically the agency and …

On October 2, 2008, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”) held a public meeting on the testing and certification requirements imposed by the recently enacted Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (“CPSIA”).  A similar meeting was held on September 4, 2008 and several others are planned …

In a surprising and likely controversial decision regarding so-called “Section 340B covered entities,” the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in County of Santa Clara v. Astra U.S.A., Inc. recently reversed the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California’s dismissal of …

Earlier this week, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced the introduction of S. 3633, the “Transparency in Drug Labeling Act.”  The bill, also know as the “COOL Pharmaceutical Bill,” would amend the FDC Act to require Country-Of-Origin (“COO”) labeling on prescription and Over-The-Counter (“OTC”) drug products. …

Section 920 of the FDA Amendments Act (“FDAAA”) amended the FDC Act to create new § 505(t) – “Database for Authorized Generic Drugs” – that requires FDA to compile and publish a complete list of all authorized generic drugs identified in annual reports submitted to …

We previously reported that it has been unclear whether a company submitting an ANDA containing the results of an in vivo bioequivalence study must certify on Form FDA 3674 that new Public Health Service Act (“PHS Act”) § 402(j), as added by Title VIII of the …

Human history is replete with examples of the use of lethal or debilitating agents in war and by terrorists.  As early as the 6th Century B.C., the Assyrians are reported to have poisoned the wells of their enemies with ergot of rye (causing ergotism), and …

On March 5, 2008, FDA published a notice in the Federal Register announcing an opportunity for public comment on a proposed collection of information concerning the new clinical trial certification requirement created by Title VIII of the FDA Amendments Act (“FDAAA”).  We previously reported on …