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 …
House and Senate staff have reportedly reached an agreement on omnibus FDA reform legislation that would, among several other things, reauthorize the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (“PDUFA”) through fiscal year 2012. Earlier today, a “staff agreement” (427 pages) and summary of the legislation was …
Many pharmaceutical manufacturers are already struggling under the regulatory burden associated with the various requirements of state gift reporting statutes. That burden may soon be made heavier. Earlier this month, Senators Herb Kohl (D-WI) and Charles Grassley (R-IA) introduced legislation that would require drug, biologic, …
In a September 7, 2007 “Legal Opinion Letter” published by the Washington Legal Foundation, attorneys Arnold I. Friede and John F. Kamp criticize legislation introduced earlier this year that would disallow a tax deduction for certain Direct-To-Consumer (“DTC”) prescription drug advertisements. The bill, H.R. 2823, …
Over the summer we posted on several preemption cases involving FDA-regulated products. In July, we reported that the Supreme Court agreed to hear Riegel v. Medtronic, Inc., which concerns whether the FDC Act preempts state tort claims regarding medical devices that entered the market pursuant …
On August 27, 2007, FDA published its long-awaited proposed rule to amend the final monograph for Over-the-Counter (“OTC”) sunscreen drug products. The rule, if finalized, would set standards for formulating, testing, and labeling OTC sunscreen drug products with Ultraviolet A (“UVA”) light and Ultraviolet B …
In December 1992, FDA promulgated final regulations under which the Agency will accelerate the approval of certain new drugs and biologics for serious or life-threatening illnesses, and when such products provide a meaningful therapeutic benefit to patients over existing treatments. These regulations, which are commonly …
On August 7, 2007, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit held in Abigail Alliance for Better Access to Developmental Drugs v. von Eschenbach in an 8-2 opinion “that there is no fundamental right ‘deeply rooted in this Nation’s history and …
If so, the Department of Health and Human Services (“DHHS”) is convening a four day stakeholders workshop in Washington, D.C. beginning on July 31, 2007. The purpose of the workshop is to enable stakeholders from government, industry, and academia to discuss the government’s plans to …
Positron Emission Tomography drugs, or PET drugs (not to be confused with drugs approved for companion animals), would be accorded more equitable user fee status under PDUFA IV if the Senate-passed version of the FDA Revitalization Act (“FDARA”) is signed into law. (A similar provision …
