Late last week, FDA announced several steps intended to strengthen the advisory committee process. The announced improvements are part of a broader FDA effort to address recommendations made by the Institute of Medicine in its September 2006 report, titled "The Future of Drug Safety: Promoting …
Yesterday, Representatives Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Tom Allen (D-ME) and Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) announced plans to introduce the Non-Prescription Drug Modernization Act of 2007 (“NDMA”). The bill comes in the wake of recent concern over the use of Over-the-Counter (“OTC”) cough/cold drugs in children …
Title VI of the recently-enacted FDA Amendments Act (“FDAAA”) amended the FDC Act to establish a non-profit corporation whose purpose is to advance FDA’s Critical Path Initiative to “modernize medical, veterinary, food, food ingredient, and cosmetic product development, accelerate innovation, and enhance product safety.” (The …
The Department of Health and Human Services’ (“DHHS”) Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) recently announced its Fiscal Year 2008 Work Plan. The OIG Work Plan, issued annually, sets forth various projects to be addressed during the coming fiscal year by the Office of Counsel to …
On October 15, 2007, FDA issued two Federal Register notices announcing the availability of draft guidance documents related to serious adverse event reporting for OTC drugs and dietary supplements. The first draft guidance is titled “Postmarketing Adverse Event Reporting for Nonprescription Human Drug Products Marketed …
Earlier today, FDA issued a Federal Register notice explaining the new Direct-to-Consumer (“DTC”) user fee program established by the FDA Amendments Act of 2007 (“FDAAA”) and requesting companies to notify the Agency within 30 calendar days whether they intend to participate in the program during …
Many pharmacies send letters to consumers advising them about refill or alternative products. Generally, these “refill reminders” are paid for by pharmaceutical manufacturers. A recent decision, however, will require more specific disclosure about the funding of such letters in the future. The Superior Court of …
Buried in Title V of the recently-enacted FDA Amendments Act ("FDAAA") is a provision requiring FDA, with certain limitations, to either publish final regulations to provide for the addition of a toll-free number to product labeling to report adverse events, or to make the Agency’s …
Earlier today, Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, P.C. issued its detailed summary and analysis of the recently-enacted FDA Amendments Act (“FDAAA”). A copy of the summary and analysis is available here. FDAAA reauthorizes several user fee and pediatric-related laws, and includes a host of new provisions, …
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) recently issued a report critical of FDA’s clinical trial oversight along with recommendations to improve such oversight. Congress requested the OIG report after a series of news articles published in 2005 highlighted …
On October 4, 2007, FDA issued a Federal Register notice announcing that the Agency will hold a public meeting to address the possible creation of a third category of drugs for the U.S. market – so-called Behind-the-Counter (“BTC”) drugs. Such drugs would be available without …
Earlier today, FDA announced a new initiative, called the Generic Initiative for Value and Efficiency (“GIVE”), which is intended to increase the number and variety of generic drug products. According to Gary Buehler, R.Ph., Director of FDA’s Office of Generic Drugs (“OGD”): GIVE is an initiative …
On September 28, 2007, the Washington Legal Foundation (“WLF”) asked the Supreme Court to review the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit’s recent ruling in Abigail Alliance for Better Access to Developmental Drugs v. von Eschenbach concerning access to experimental therapies. …
We previously reported on several cases involving FDA-regulated products and certain preemption of state law issues. Yesterday the Supreme Court agreed to hear (i.e., granted Cert. [see page 5]) in one of those cases – Warner-Lambert v. Kent. The case concerns Warner-Lambert’s REZULIN (troglitazone), certain …
Late today, the U.S. Senate passed FDA reform legislation by unanimous consent. The Senate vote follows the House’s action yesterday when it passed H.R. 3580, the FDA Amendments Act of 2007. Earlier in the day there was some concern that the Senate vote on the …
