On July 7, 2025, President Trump, via Executive Order (“EO”), issued a presidential memorandum and accompanying fact sheet directing major changes in federal civilian hiring, including extending the federal civilian hiring freeze through October 15, 2025. Under the titular theme “Ensuring Accountability and Prioritizing Public …
In late June, FDA published five Federal Register notices that caught our eye, particularly for the dates the classifications were first applicable. Each notice listed the action as “Final amendment; final order” rather than “Final order.” This editorial change began in December 2019 to indicate that …
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) has very different regulatory regimes for pharmaceutical products than devices. Knowing how a product will be regulated is essential to companies. The means to gaining that knowledge for combination products or single entity products where the …
Last Friday, the Supreme Court delivered a trio of decisions making it easier to litigate against the federal government. The facts and law in each case matter, and as is often the case when the Supreme Court “decides” an issue, much remains to be seen. …
We have written many posts (here, here, here, and more) about the impact of the reductions in force (RIFs) on various activities across FDA. One area where the RIFs are beginning to have an impact is with respect to Small Business Determination (SBD) requests submitted …
At midnight on Friday, May 30, 2025, the government’s deadline to notice an appeal from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas’s decision vacating the LDT Rule lapsed without the government doing so. This means the District Court decision stands, with no …
On May 8, 2025, FDA announced the successful completion of a generative artificial intelligence (AI) scientific review pilot program aimed at accelerating the review process and an “aggressive” timeline to rollout the use of AI tools across the Agency. Extolling the “tremendous promise” of the …
Last week, FDA published a Request for Information (RFI) (here) seeking input from the public on its efforts to “to identify and eliminate outdated or unnecessary regulations.” The Announcement raises several questions and issues for the device industry. 10-for-1 Rule and its effect on de novos. …
Dr. Marty Makary took the stage on Thursday at the Food and Drug Law Institute’s Annual Conference, continuing the tradition of Commissioners speaking at this event, but with a tone and tempo distinctly his own. Now firmly in the chair after the agency’s controversial RIFs—which he …
There has been increased enforcement against medical device companies that engage in the pervasive practice of paying third party sales agents based on their volume of sales. This scrutiny was enhanced after the Fourth Circuit’s ruling in United States v. Mallory, 988 F.3d 730 (4th …
In January 2025, FDA posted the 2024 Annual Report concerning the Accreditation Scheme for Conformity Assessment (ASCA) program as required by Medical Device User Fee Amendments of 2017 (MDUFA IV). As we previously blogged, under the FDA Reauthorization Act of 2017 (FDARA), FDA committed to …
The recent and drastic Reduction In Force (RIF) at the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is already having ripple effects not just internally, but across the broader regulatory and life sciences communities and the public at large. While much of the focus has …
Last June, the United States Supreme Court issued four landmark decisions that curbed executive agency powers. Those decisions are changing the way agencies, including FDA, exercise their rulemaking and enforcement authorities. Regardless of your position on the correctness of the holdings or the reasoning behind …
Trade and national press have reported that recent changes in FDA staffing levels have already led to slower responses to calls and emails. According to reports, which were published before the most recent reports of HHS staff level reductions and tumultuous changes in leadership, FDA …
On March 31, 2025, U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan ordered that FDA’s Laboratory Developed Tests (LDT) Final Rule be vacated and set aside, in its entirety. That Rule sought to codify FDA’s view that LDTs are medical devices subject to FDA regulation under the …
