On February 4, 2008, FDA announced that the Bush Administration is requesting nearly $2.4 billion ($1.77 billion in budget authority and $628 million in user fees) for the Agency as part of the Fiscal Year 2009 budget. Of particular interest in the proposed FY2009 budget …
Over the past few weeks, Congress has taken an acute interest in a broad range of FDA issues and FDA-regulated products, penning several letters and holding or expressing intent to hold hearings and investigations on various matters. Below is a list of recent congressional activity: On …
On January 8, 2008, the District of Columbia Council passed the SafeRx Act of 2007 (“Act”), which requires pharmaceutical detailers to be licensed by the Board of Pharmacy. The Act will be presented to Mayor Adrian Fenty for his signature and then to Congress if …
On February 8, 2008, Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, P.C. (“HPM”) is sponsoring a Medical Device Seminar in Newport Beach, California. The topic of this seminar will be “Striving for Regulatory Success in a Changing Environment.” Scheduled speakers for the seminar are Jeff Gibbs, Brian Donato, …
Last week, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit concluded that the Federal Trade Commission Act (“FTC Act”) does not require placebo-controlled, double-blind testing for consumer products. The ruling, issued in Federal Trade Commission v. QT Inc., upheld a decision by the …
In our second installment of the “Lighter Side” (our first post is available here) we pass along to you an article from The Birmingham News, which reported on a comical case of a “shaming penalty” the CEO of a medical device company agreed to as …
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 …
Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, P.C. is pleased to announce that J.P. Ellison has joined the firm as Of Counsel. Mr. Ellison joins HPM from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Consumer Litigation (“OCL”). By regulation, OCL has responsibility for representing the FDA, Federal Trade …
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3161, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2008. The bill, which, among other things, funds FDA’s discretionary spending for the upcoming fiscal year, “fully funds the …
Last week, FDA announced the publication of a report by the Agency’s Nanotechnology Task Force (“NTF”) that recommends that FDA develop guidance and take other steps to address regulatory and scientific issues related to nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is an emerging field of applied science and technology …
Every so often something comes across our desk that is so comical that we feel compelled to share it with others in the food and drug community who will also appreciate it. One such story comes from a case involving Biovail and FDA in the …
On Tuesday, July 17th, Hyman, Phelps & McNamara attorneys Michelle Butler and Jeff Wasserstein gave a teleconference, titled “False Claims Act Compliance Strategies: Don’t Lose Access to Medicare and Medicaid Reimbursement.” Audio copies of the teleconference, along with a transcript of the witty, yet thoughtful, …
Increasing cooperation between U.S. and European food and drug regulatory authorities are creating efficiencies for regulated industries and that benefit the public health. In two recent press releases, FDA announced that the European Medicines Agency (“EMEA”) has agreed to expand current regulatory cooperation with the …
Late Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed, by a vote of 403-16, H.R. 2900, “the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007.” The Senate passed its version of omnibus FDA reform legislation in May 2007 — S. 1082, “the Food and Drug Administration Revitalization …
From the New York Times: “China executed its former top food and drug regulator today for taking bribes to approve untested medicine as Beijing scrambled to show that it is serious about improving the safety of Chinese products.”
