By Ricardo Carvajal – FDA announced a public workshop intended to help the agency gather information on the safety and effectiveness of medical devices that use nanotechnology. FDA posted questions on its website that focus on manufacturing, characterization, and biocompatibility issues of the sort that …
By Jamie K. Wolszon – FDA announced on August 19, 2010 in the Federal Register that the agency is reopening the comment period for comments related to FDA oversight of laboratory-developed tests ("LDTs"), and will now accept comments until September 15. The comment period had closed …
By Carrie S. Martin – On July 28, a district court in the State of Washington granted a motion for summary judgment in favor of Plaintiff which sought coverage of Medicare claims for a medical device. International Rehabilitative Sciences, Inc. v. Sebelius, No. C08-5442-RBL (W.D. …
By Carmelina G. Allis – Since September 2009, the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (“CDRH”) has been reviewing the operation of the 510(k) program and the way CDRH uses science in the decision making process. This week, the 510(k) Working Group and the Task …
On August 4, 2010, the Food and Drug Law Institute (“FDLI”) will host a webinar, titled “FDA’s (Emerging) Oversight of Laboratory-Developed Tests.” Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, P.C.’s Jeffrey N. Gibbs will moderate the webinar and a panel of speakers that includes FDA’s Elizabeth A. Mansfield, …
By Jamie K. Wolszon & Jeffrey N. Gibbs – FDA officials, at a July 19-20, 2010 workshop, stated that the agency intends to end the “exercise enforcement” authority over some laboratory-developed tests (“LDTs”). Put more plainly, FDA now plans to regulate some LDTs as medical …
By Jamie K. Wolszon – FDA is signaling that it is considering whether to fundamentally reshape how it regulates laboratories and laboratory-developed tests ("LDTs"). LDTs, which are diagnostic tests developed and performed by a laboratory, are widely used. For example, virtually every genetic test is …
By Jeffrey K. Shapiro – On May 3, FDA announced that it has ordered Baxter to recall and destroy an estimated 200,000 Colleague infusion pumps in use, reimburse customers for the “value” of the recalled device, and assist in finding a replacement. The press release …
By Nisha P. Shah – FDA recently issued a white paper revealing that the Agency intends to strengthen its review of medical devices for home use, such as hemodialysis equipment, wound therapy care, intravenous therapy devices, and ventilators, as more hospital patients are being discharged …
By Kurt R. Karst – It seems to be a popular headline these days: “FDA Sued Over [take your pick].” Following the frenetic losartan 180-day litigation – which is still not over, as FDA has filed a petition for panel rehearing and rehearing en banc …
By Jeffrey K. Shapiro – We are beginning to suspect that the new transparency of this Administration is a lot like the old transparency. Or, as The Who sang in We Won’t Get Fooled Again, “meet the new boss / same as the old boss.” The …
By Jeffrey K. Shapiro – In October 2009, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) issued a report entitled, “Adverse Event Reporting for Medical Devices” (“OIG Report”). The OIG’s Report has not received the attention it deserves. The OIG report …
By Alan M. Kirschenbaum & Kurt R. Karst – On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“PPACA”) (Pub. L. No. 111-148 ). A companion bill, the Health Care Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010 (H.R. 4872), which …
By Kurt R. Karst – Just one day after FDA Commissioner, Dr. Margaret Hamburg, testified last week before the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA, and Related Agencies on FDA’s Fiscal Year 2011 budget request, which includes new user fees, …
By Susan J. Matthees – A new preemption decision has just come down from a California appeals court (the sixth circuit appellate district). In two consolidated cases, McGuan v. Endovascular Technologies, Inc., et al. and Johnson v. Endovascular Technologies, Inc., the appeals court upheld a lower …
