• where experts go to learn about FDA
  • Sara W. Koblitz

    • California Dreaming Part 3: It’s No Longer Just a DreamAugust 7th, 2020

      When California first passed its Pay for Delay bill, AB 824: Preserving Access to Affordable Drugs, we questioned whether the law could withstand a constitutional challenge, and indeed, the Association for Accessible Medicines (“AAM”) brought such a challenge in November 2019.  For those of you …

    • GDUFA Round 3: Opening DiscussionsJuly 3rd, 2020

      Initially enacted in 2012 and reauthorized for the first time in 2017, the Generic Drug User Fee Act (“GDUFA”) was adopted to accelerate access to safe and improve the predictability of the generic drug review process.  FDA touts the GDUFA as a “remarkable success” that …

    • Squeezing All The Juice From the Orange Book: FDA Issues Guidance and Seeks CommentJune 1st, 2020

      Much to our delight, the Orange Book is getting quite a bit of attention from FDA in 2020.  And why not?!?  After all, the Orange Book is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.  There was even a special “BPCIA Orange Book Transition Edition” published in …

    • COVID-19: It’s a Threat. And It’s MaterialMay 18th, 2020

      Now that most of the country has been in lockdown for about two months, everyone is undoubtedly aware that COVID-19 has been declared an “official” public health emergency.  In addition to the official declaration in January, HHS issued an additional and separate declaration – called …

    • If At First You Don’t Succeed, Bring Another Lawsuit: PMRS Takes a Loss in CourtMay 8th, 2020

      The Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Research Services (“PMRS”) appears to abide by the proverb “If at first you can’t succeed, try try again.”  After several denied Citizen Petitions, striking out in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and bringing then dismissing another suit against FDA in that same …

    • Not So Smooth of a “Transition”: FDA Sued Over Deemed BLA Transitions – or Lack ThereofApril 28th, 2020

      We’re a little late to the party on this one (let’s just blame it on social distancing), but, after 10 years in the making, Transition Day has finally come and gone for protein products.  For the uninitiated, on March 23, 2020, all products approved as …

    • GAO Analysis Says FDA is Meeting PDUFA CommitmentsApril 9th, 2020

      It’s no secret that FDA’s review and approval metrics are closely watched.  In fact, these metrics are integral to evaluating whether FDA has met the commitment to industry it made during Prescription Drug User Fee Act (“PDUFA”) negotiations.  As explained in our summary of the …

    • Makin’ It: How Does the Safe Harbor Apply to Biosimilar Manufacturing?March 18th, 2020

      With the growth of biosimilar applications, courts have been faced with a litany of questions arising from the interplay between reference product intellectual property and the biosimilar application process.  Though the BPCIA was designed to “learn” from FDA’s experience with the Hatch-Waxman Act, the procedural …

    • If FDA Won’t Regulate, Maybe the Courts Will: First Circuit Opines on Listing Device Patents in the Orange BookMarch 16th, 2020

      Since as early as 2005, industry has asked FDA for its input on the listing of device patents in the Orange Book (see our previous post here).  FDA has, for the most part, refused to address this question.  As such, industry has decided to just …

    • Paw Shucks: Court Defers to FDA’s Request for Additional Animal StudiesFebruary 18th, 2020

      Animals, shmanimals.  Or so says FDA.  Well, FDA didn’t actually say that, but that’s the effect of the District Court of D.C.’s recent ruling in Vanda Pharmaceuticals v. FDA.  In a case we have been following for the last year or so, the District Court …

    • Knives Out: Carving Up an aBLAFebruary 12th, 2020

      As more biosimilars are approved (we’re up to 26 now!), FDA has been rolling out guidance documents under the Biosimilars Action Plan (“BAP”).  The most recent guidance has been long awaited.  While the Hatch-Waxman Act explicitly provides that an applicant can seek approval for only …

    • Dueling It Out with FDA over NCE ExclusivityFebruary 7th, 2020

      Those familiar with the Hatch-Waxman Act and its various incentives to stimulate drug innovation know that New Chemical Entity (“NCE”) exclusivity is the holy grail of small molecule exclusivity.  Though orphan drug may give a sponsor two more years of exclusivity than NCE, it only …

    • Everyone’s a Critic: FDA Under Fire for High Drug Approval NumbersFebruary 6th, 2020

      Lately, FDA has been subject to criticism on almost every front.  A recent NY Times Op-Ed alleging political interference, the popular theory that FDA fueled the opioid crisis, and the quality and inspection concerns raised in the 2019 book Bottle of Lies are all emblematic …

    • FDA’s Getting Its Priorities Straight: Revised ANDA Priority MAPPFebruary 3rd, 2020

      Only about 2 years after its last revision (which was only 5 months after its previous revision), FDA decided this week that MAPP 5240.3, Prioritization of Original ANDAs, Amendments, and Supplements, just wasn’t working.  With too many ANDA submissions designated as priority, and thereby entitled …

    • California Dreaming Part 2: The Constitutional ChallengeJanuary 29th, 2020

      Back in September 2019, California passed AB 824: Preserving Access to Affordable Drugs.  That law sought to discourage “reverse-payment agreements” in which a brand manufacturer enters into a patent settlement agreement with a potential generic sponsor that involves a transfer of value from the brand …