Norman E. (Ned) Sharpless, M.D., recently took the helm as Acting Commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Dr. Sharpless most recently served as the director of the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which serves as the government’s principal agency for cancer research. Dr. Sharpless’s appointment comes on the heels of the resignation of former Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. on April 5, 2019.
Continue Reading FDA Update: Recent Trends and a New Regime

While the legal landscape continues to evolve in the cannabis industry, making entry into the space a potentially risky proposition,  the passage of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the “Farm Bill”) can be a real game changer in attracting mainstream companies to the industry.

According to the Farm Bill, hemp is now exempt from the Federal Controlled Substance Act (“CSA”), theoretically making all hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) products, and all commercially available products derived from hemp, legal in all 50 states
Continue Reading The Farm Bill’s Impact on Hemp and CBD – and How Some States are Reacting

What is Prop 65?

Prop 65 is a California law that requires California consumers receive warnings regarding the presence of chemicals that cause cancer or reproductive toxicity. The law is highly technical, constantly evolving and actively enforced by the government and private enforcers.
Continue Reading WARNING: Prop 65 Has Changed – If Your Product Is Sold In California Or You Do Business In California, Pay Attention

The FDA has been gradually issuing guidances to implement the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2009 (“BPCIA”). One of the most eagerly awaited guidance documents has been that on nonproprietary names to be used for biosimilar products. On August 28, 2015, the FDA finally issued its draft “Guidance for Industry: Nonproprietary Naming of Biological Products” (“the draft Guidance”). The draft Guidance will apply to all newly licensed and previously licensed biological drug products approved under Sections 351(a) and (k) of the Public Health Service Act (“PHSA”), except those for which a nonproprietary name is provided in 21 C.F.R. Part 600 and certain other biologic products “for which there are well-established, robust identification and tracking systems to ensure safe dispensing practices and optimal pharmacovigilance.” See 80 Fed. Reg. 52296 (August 28, 2015).
Continue Reading What’s in a Name? That Which We Call a Biological Product…

On February 09, 2015, the FDA issued final guidelines[1] to outline its regulatory enforcement approach to mobile medical applications (or “apps”).  The FDA is taking a risk-based approach, focusing its oversight on apps that (1) meet the definition of medical devices under section 201(h) of the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act, and (2) could pose a risk to a patient’s safety if the app did not function as intended.  The FDA will not exercise authority over apps that are not medical devices under section 201(h), nor will it enforce its rules and regulations against the numerous apps that meet the definition of medical devices but present only minimal risk to consumers or patients.
Continue Reading FDA Issues Guidance for Mobile Medical Applications: What Will be Subject to FDA Oversight and Enforcement?

On January 20, 2015, the FDA issued draft guidelines[1] designed to give developers whose products and applications promote healthy lifestyles (so-called “general wellness products”) direction on when such products qualify as medical devices under Section 201(h) of the Food Drug & Cosmetics Act (the “Act”) and are therefore subject to the Act’s regulatory requirements for devices.
Continue Reading FDA Issues Guidance for Low-Risk General Wellness Products

Mobile medical and health applications have been in a boom phase for the past few years, but despite this trend, one group of entities has had trouble breaking into the mobile medical app sphere, pharmaceutical (i.e., pharma) companies.  A recent report published by Research2Guidance,  indicates that most major pharmaceutical companies have had trouble generating downloads for their health-related apps and even when they do, have trouble getting users to continue using their products.[1]  For example, some of the most successful pharma companies have only a handful of apps and less than 1 million active users.[2]  By contrast, there are more than a hundred thousand health-related apps on Google’s Play store and Apple’s iTunes store based on recent calculations, and some experts estimate that there could be as many as 500 million users of medical applications by 2015.[3]  What is the cause of this inability to generate downloads or hang on to users?  There are a few possibilities.
Continue Reading Mobile Health Apps are in a Boom Phase – Why is it so Hard for Pharmaceutical Companies to Find Users?

On April 7, 2014, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in consultation with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a draft report addressing a proposed strategy and recommendations on an “appropriate, risk-based regulatory framework pertaining to health information technology.”
Continue Reading Proposed health IT strategy aims to promote innovation

On March 25, 2012, the Supreme Court heard oral argument on the legality of “reverse payment” or “pay for delay” agreements between brand-name and generic drug manufacturers.

Reverse payment agreements settle patent infringement actions brought by a brand-name drug manufacturer against a potential generic competitor under the Hatch-Waxman Act. In contrast to typical settlements of patent infringement actions, it is the patent holder (the brand-name drug manufacturer) that agrees to pay a large sum of money to the accused infringer (the generic) in exchange for an agreement that the generic will not challenge the patent or enter the market for a period of time.Continue Reading Supreme Court Hears Arguments on “Pay for Delay” Agreements

By Robert Uram

On March 27, 2012, the comment period will close on a petition filed by the Center for Food Safety that calls for the FDA to issue new regulations requiring labeling of all foods produced using genetic engineering (GE). Docket No. FDA-2011-P-0723 (Filed October 12, 2011). Unlike many other developed countries – such as 15 nations in the European Union, Japan, Australia, Brazil, Russia and even China – the U.S. has no laws requiring labeling of genetically engineered foods.Continue Reading Comment Period to Close On Petition to FDA for Mandatory Labeling of All Foods Produced Using Genetic Engineering