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  • Prescription Drugs and Biologics

    • Jury Rules on Charges against Owner and Head Pharmacist of NECCApril 4th, 2017

      On March 22, 2017, the jury rendered its verdict in the case of the United States v. Cadden, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts (jury verdict form available here). The defendant, Barry J. Cadden, was the part owner and head pharmacist at …

    • ACI’s 11th Annual Paragraph IV Disputes ConferenceMarch 30th, 2017

      The American Conference Institute’s (“ACI’s”) 11th annual “Paragraph IV Disputes” conference is right around the corner! The conference will take place from April 24-26, 2017 at the Conrad New York in New York, NY.  ACI has put together an excellent program for conference attendees that includes presentations from esteemed …

    • The Hidden Orange Book: Breaking Up Is Hard to Do (But Sometimes It’s for the Best)March 29th, 2017

      Cue up Neil Sedaka’s 1962 hit “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,” or, for some of us younger-minded folk, take your pick from one of many Taylor Swift songs (“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” “I Knew You Were Trouble,” and so many more).  What …

    • Is a Hatch-Waxman 30-Month Stay Terminated if the Dismissal of a Patent Infringement Action is Later Vacated? FDA Says “No”March 28th, 2017

      It never ceases to amaze this blogger how a law, like the Hatch-Waxman Amendments, can still generate new fact patterns and controversy after more than 30 years in existence! In today’s post, we look at how one of those new issues arose and how FDA …

    • Down the Tubes: FDA Settles PREPOPIK NCE Exclusivity Dispute; ANDA Submissions in Unsettled StateMarch 27th, 2017

      Litigation between FDA and Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc. (“Ferring”) over the availability of 5-year New Chemical Entity (“NCE”) exclusivity for Ferring’s colonoscopy preparation, PREPOPIK (sodium picosulfate, magnesium oxide, and citric acid) for Oral Solution (NDA 202535; approved on July 16, 2012), was recently – and quietly …

    • Delay Is a Good ThingMarch 22nd, 2017

      One and a half years since FDA first proposed changes, two months since the final rule was published, one month after objections threatening an Administrative Procedure Act challenge, and one day before the rules would have taken effect, FDA announced on Monday that it would …

    • HP&M’s Frank Sasinowski and Kurt Karst Highlight Regulatory Innovations in Neurotherapeutics at the ASENT 19th Annual MeetingMarch 20th, 2017

      On March 15-17, 2017, the American Society for Experimental Neurotherapeutics (ASENT) held its 19th Annual Meeting in Rockville, MD. The meeting brought together clinical investigators, pharmaceutical industry sponsors, officials from drug regulatory agencies, and patient advocacy organizations to address and advance the science of neurotherapeutics. On …

    • Should the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act be Amended to Accommodate 505(b)(2) NDA Labeling Carve-outs?March 16th, 2017

      There are many things that are unique to the 505(b)(2) NDA approval pathway. Some are good and some are . . . well, let’s just say that they have proven to be frustrating for  some 505(b)(2) applicants.   Perhaps one of the most nettlesome aspects of …

    • GAO Issues Report on Qualified Infectious Disease ProductsMarch 14th, 2017

      The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently issued a January 2017 report to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.  The GAO report examines: The steps FDA has taken to encourage the development of antibiotics to treat serious or life-threatening infections since the enactment …

    • Orphan Drugs: The Current Firestorm, a Real Evergreening Issue, and a Possible SolutionMarch 12th, 2017

      Periodically, legislators and others become concerned about reports citing the high price of some orphan drugs, including drugs that achieve blockbuster status (earning more than $1 billion a year). Several proposals have been introduced in response to such concerns.  In 1990, Congress passed legislation that …

    • A New Rulemaking Is Needed for the Intended Use RegulationMarch 9th, 2017

      We recently blogged about whether FDA’s recent amendment to the intended use regulation could be considered essentially null and void based upon a failure to comply with the Congressional Review Act. Apparently, this suggestion caused quite a stir and even excitement in some quarters, as it …

    • How To Get Rid of The “Totality of the Evidence” Amendment to The Intended Use RegulationMarch 7th, 2017

      A few weeks ago, we blogged about FDA’s final rule amending the “intended use” regulation.  The final rule looks very different than the proposed rule, and adopts a new “totality of the evidence” standard that does not resolve the old problems with the regulation but …

    • Slower than Molasses in January, FDA Moves to Provide Guidance on Product Communications by Pharmaceutical and Device ManufacturersMarch 2nd, 2017

      In January 2017, FDA issued two Draft Guidance documents concerning communications made by medical device manufacturers about information not expressly contained within a product’s labeling: Medical Product Communications That Are Consistent With the FDA-Required Labeling – Questions and Answers: Guidance for Industry [Draft] (January 2017), hereinafter …

    • ACI’s 29th FDA Boot CampFebruary 28th, 2017

      The American Conference Institute’s (“ACI”) popular FDA Boot Camp, now in its 29th iteration, is back in New York at the Millennium Broadway Hotel on March 22-24, 2017. The conference is billed as the premier event to provide folks with a roadmap to navigate the …

    • Drug Debarment Actions: BewareFebruary 26th, 2017

      FDA recently released a report summarizing its enforcement activities for FY 2016 (October 1, 2015 to September 30, 2016). It shows, among other things, that the number of warning letters from the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research doubled (76 in FY 2015 to 151 …