By Ricardo Carvajal – FDA announced the seizure of dietary supplements purportedly containing kratom, which the agency describes as “a botanical substance that could pose a risk to public health and have the potential for abuse.” The seizure followed on the heels of an administrative detention – a …
By James C. Shehan – The worlds of FDA regulatory law and employment law rarely intersect, so when we came across a recent case in which they did, we thought it worthy of commentary. In that case, a federal appeals court held that GMP troubles leading …
By David C. Gibbons & Jeffrey N. Wasserstein – Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Pacira” or the “Company”) announced today that it had reached agreement with FDA to settle its First Amendment challenge regarding the promotion of its drug, EXPAREL. As we discussed in a previous post, Pacira …
In November 2013, the Drug Quality and Security Act (“DQSA”) was signed into law in an effort to increase the quality of the United States drug supply. The law contains two separate acts: the Compounding Quality Act (Title I), and the Drug Supply Chain Security …
By Anne K. Walsh & John R. Fleder – As we reported in September, DOJ’s Deputy Attorney General Sally Quillian Yates released a seven-page memorandum announcing DOJ’s reinforced efforts to bring cases against individuals. She anticipated that DOJ would revise the U.S. Attorney’s Manual (USAM) to …
By Kurt R. Karst – In case you were under the impression that FDA’s interest in unapproved drug issues and the Agency’s broader Unapproved Drugs Initiative has been waning, or that the extent of FDA’s interest has merely been in sending out Warning Letters to companies …
By Anne K. Walsh & John R. Fleder – It has been just over a month since the Department of Justice, via the “Yates Memorandum,” reemphasized its commitment to pursue individuals when dealing with corporate misconduct, reported here. Ever since then, FDA-regulated industry has been awaiting …
By Ricardo Carvajal – FDA has established a web page that “alerts consumers to companies fraudulently marketing products for the treatment or prevention of serious diseases.” If a company receives a warning letter challenging such claims and fails to correct its marketing practices within 30 days, …
By David C. Gibbons & Anne K. Walsh – Background In a previous post we described the recent challenge by Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Pacira”) to FDA’s authority to restrict a manufacturer’s promotional activities. See Pacira Pharms., Inc. v. FDA, No. 15-7055 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 8, 2015). Pacira’s allegations …
By James R. Phelps – Last Thursday, at the 16th Pharmaceutical Compliance Congress and Best Practices Forum, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Benjamin Mizer, reviewed enforcement policies that the Department of Justice will follow. Appropriate to the forum, he focused …
By Jenifer R. Stach* – There have been a number of recent battles between Attorneys General (AG)in various states and dietary supplement manufacturers. These battles have generally been triggered by AG letters which have alleged that manufacturers have marketed supplements that contain drug-like ingredients in violation …
By Jennifer M. Thomas – As we indicated in our post last week, the District Court’s opinion in United States v. Bayer, unsealed on October 1, 2015, reads as a serious loss for the government. It is certainly a clear victory for Bayer. The Court’s opinion …
By Jennifer M. Thomas – On October 1, 2015, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey unsealed its opinion in United States v. Bayer Corp., No. 07-cv-00001 (D.N.J. Sept. 24, 2015), confirming a significant defeat for the government, and a clear victory for …
By Douglas B. Farquhar – Industry newsletter The Pink Sheet reports that, at a conference Monday, FDA said that investigators performing FDA inspections will likely be divided into “subspecialties within the various product groups.” Thanks for reporting that news, but we are not sure we agree …
By James C. Shehan – Aficionados of pro wrestling can regale you with the exploits of tag teams like The Bruiser and the Crusher, The Wild Samoans and The Fabulous Freebirds. The moniker FDA-IRS-FTC is far less colorful and mellifluous than those of WWE stars, but …
