By Jamie K. Wolszon – In the past two months we have seen two newsworthy items in the Laboratory-Developed Test (“LDT”) world. In June, the Defense Health Agency (“DHA”) announced that TRICARE, the U.S. health care program serving Uniformed Service members, retirees and their families, has …
By Allyson B. Mullen – On March 12, 2014, FDA issues a revised version of the Guidance Document “Administrative Procedures for CLIA Categorization” (the “2014 Guidance”). FDA, Guidance for Industry and FDA Staff, Administrative Procedures for CLIA Categorization (March 2014). The 2014 Guidance replaces the final …
By Allyson B. Mullen & Jeffrey N. Gibbs – On November 25, 2013, CDRH issued the Final Guidance “Distribution of In Vitro Diagnostic Products Labeled for Research Use Only or Investigational Use Only: Frequently Asked Questions” (the “RUO Guidance”) (see our previous posts on the draft …
By Allyson B. Mullen – For many individuals, a diagnosis, be it life threatening or chronic, is scary. However, the trial and error process that can follow the diagnosis in order to find a therapy (e.g., drug, device and/or biologic) that works best for the patient …
By Ricardo Carvajal & Kurt R. Karst – According to contingency plans drawn up by the Department of Health and Human Services, 45% of FDA’s nearly 15,000 staff were to be furloughed in the absence of enacted annual appropriations – popularly referred to as a …
By Jeffrey N. Gibbs, Jamie K. Wolszon & Jessica A. Ritsick – For many years, FDA has wrestled with how to regulate Laboratory-Developed Tests (“LDTs”). FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg is now renewing FDA’s call for more active FDA regulation of LDTs and touting the …
Earlier this week, President Obama signed into law the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act (“FDASIA”) (usually pronounced “fuh-day-zha”). In addition to reauthorizing and amending several drug and medical device provisions that were scheduled to sunset, FDASIA establishes new user fee statutes for …
By Kurt R. Karst – After days of debate and a slew of proposed amendments, the U.S. Senate passed S. 3187, the FDA Safety and Innovation Act, on Thursday afternoon by a roll call vote of 96-1. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who cast the lone vote against passage, …
By Jamie K. Wolszon & Jeffrey N. Gibbs – On February 15, 2012, Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, P.C. (“HPM”) submitted supplemental comments to FDA’s June 1, 2011 draft guidance (see our previous post here) that would limit the sale and distribution of Research Use Only (“RUO”) products. HPM’s …
By Jamie K. Wolszon – On August 31, Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, P.C. (“HPM”) submitted comments to FDA’s June 1 Draft Guidance regarding research use only (“RUO”) products (see our previous posts here and here). Although HPM supports many parts of the Draft Guidance, in its comments, …
By Jamie K. Wolszon – FDA announced earlier this week the publication of a much-anticipated draft guidance on in vitro companion diagnostic devices. In the draft guidance, FDA stakes out a policy position that if safe and effective use of a therapeutic depends on a diagnostic, …
