By Jessica A. Ritsick – The Fifth Circuit earlier this month, in Elgin Nursing and Rehab Ctr. v. U.S. Dep’t of Health and Human Servs., No. 12-60086, 2013 WL 2149873 (5th Cir. May 17, 2013), struck down a decision by the Department of Health and …
By Ricardo Carvajal – A fight that started as a citizen petition asking FDA to permit the interstate sale of raw milk under limited circumstances is now being waged in federal court. In 2008, raw milk advocates and the Organic Pastures Dairy Company ("OPDC") petitioned FDA …
By Carmelina G. Allis – FDA has issued an “It Has Come to Our Attention Letter” to Biosense Technologies Private Limited for failure to have a 510(k) clearance for its mobile app, the uChek Urine Analyzer. The app can be downloaded for 99 cents through …
By Kurt R. Karst – A Citizen Petition (Docket No. FDA-2013-P-0203) submitted to FDA earlier this year raises an issue that comes up from time to time – although not typically in a public forum – about the Agency’s so-called “exception excipient” regulations applicable to sponsors …
By Jeffrey K. Shapiro & Jennifer D. Newberger – As discussed in our prior posts (here, here, and here), the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (“CDRH”) has taken much needed steps to improve the most commonly used appeal process, request for supervisory review, available …
By Kurt R. Karst – As folks in the generic drug industry patiently await the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Mutual Pharmaceutical Co. v. Bartlett (Docket No. 12-142), a design defect generic drug preemption case (see our previous post here), we thought we would whet …
By Riëtte van Laack – On May 9, 2013, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed a District Court’s decision that a state law class action concerning claims regarding the absence of trans fat and cholesterol lowering effect was preempted. The case, Young v. …
By Ricardo Carvajal & Wes Siegner – A year ago, FDA issued a warning letter to USPlabs alleging that certain products containing dimethylamylamine ("DMAA") that were marketed as dietary supplements were adulterated because (1) DMAA is a new dietary ingredient ("NDI") for which no notification had …
Earlier this week, the National Organization for Rare Disorders (“NORD”) held its annual gala here in Washington, D.C. recognizing achievements and advances in the area of rare (orphan) diseases. Of course, this year is extra special; it’s the 30th anniversary of the enactment of the …
By Jennifer D. Newberger – In the Federal Register of May 8, 2013, FDA announced a public meeting titled “510(k) Device Modifications: Deciding When to Submit a 510(k) for a Change to an Existing Device.” The notice states that the focus of the meeting will be …
On May 4, 2013, Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, P.C. Director Jeffrey K. Shapiro presented a draft paper and slides on the 510(k) medical device substantial equivalence program during a conference on FDA in the 21st Century. The conference was held at the Harvard Law School’s …
By Kurt R. Karst – Late last Friday, FDA announced that the Agency denied an August 13, 2012 Citizen Petition (Docket No. FDA-2012-P-0895) submitted by Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc. (“Endo”) requesting that the Agency determine that OPANA ER (oxymorphone HCl) Extended-release Tablets approved under NDA No. 021610 …
A recent Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit sends a strong message to federal agencies that the statutory time limits for FOIA responses must be honored. On February 29, 2008, John J. Coleman filed a FOIA …
By Riëtte van Laack – Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Representative Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) recently introduced the Genetically Engineered Food Right-to-Know Act (S. 809 and H.R. 1699) that would direct FDA to require labeling to identify genetically engineered (“GE”) foods “so that consumers can make informed …
By Kurt R. Karst – Growing up in the late 1970s and 1980s I was a fan of several science fiction television series and movies: Doctor Who, Star Wars, and, of course, Star Trek. I remember well the voyages of the starship Enterprise under the …
