Though the pace of biosimilar approval has quickened substantially over the last year (with 6 approvals since this time last year alone), the biosimilar market remains sparse and slow. Unsurprisingly, FDA has noticed. This week, FDA unveiled a Biosimilars Action Plan (BAP) aimed at speeding …
By Michelle L. Butler & Eliot Markman* – On July 4, 2018, 2017 ME S 432, titled “An Act To Require Drug Manufacturers To Comply with Federal Law” (the “Act”), became law without Maine Governor Paul LePage’s signature. The Act amends 32 M.R.S.A. § 13702-A and …
Way back in September 2014, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (“PCAST”) released a report to the President, titled “Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria.” The report was part of a broader initiative announced by the Obama Administration to address the growing challenges posed …
In 2016, FDA published the Q7 cGMP Guidance for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients. It outlines best practices for everything from quality management issues, personnel, buildings and facilities, equipment and recordkeeping, to validation, change control, complaints and recalls. While it provides very useful information to stakeholders, in …
On June 19, the D.C. Circuit issued a decision setting forth the Court’s views on attorney-client privilege in Federal Trade Commission v. Boehringer Ingelheim Pharms., Inc. The D.C. Circuit previously ruled on attorney work-product protection issues in the same matter. See 778 F.3d 142 (D.C. …
On January 22, 2013, FDA published its final rule on cGMP requirements for combination products under 21 CFR Part 4. Specifically Part 4.4 provides two mechanisms for combination product manufacturers to comply with the cGMP requirements: either by complying with all the cGMP requirements of …
As we previously reported, Nevada enacted a law on June 15, 2017 addressing drug prices. S.B. 539 imposed new reporting requirements on pharmaceutical manufacturers and pharmacy benefit managers (“PBMs”) related to diabetes treatments and health care provider payments (also see related posts here and here). …
Earlier this month the FDA recognized the drug inspectorates of Ireland and Lithuania for purposes of the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA), and in March of this year, the agency recognized the drug inspectorates of Greece, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Romania. Indeed, it was last October …
Announced as another effort to improve patient access and address drug pricing, FDA recently finalized two guidance documents intended to facilitate better communication and negotiation with payors, formulary committees, and others: Medical Product Communications That Are Consistent With the FDA-Required Labeling – Questions and Answers: Guidance …
In an attempt to ensure that implementation of the FDCA requirement for shared REMS does not cause undue burden, FDA released two new guidance documents targeting shared REMS systems. We have seen the negotiation of shared REMS systems succeed – and fail spectacularly resulting in waivers. …
Over the years, we’ve been critical at times of FDA policies and regulations that cause companies to have to pay user fees under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (“PDUFA”) (see, e.g., “FDA’s Unauthorized User Fee Money Grab” and “The Drug User Fee Catch-22”) Well, …
On May 30, 2018, the federal “Right to Try” law was enacted, creating a new legal framework for access to investigational drugs in limited situations outside of a clinical trial. See S. Rep. No. 204, 115 Cong. (2018). “Right to Try” was intended to reduce …
With the enactment of Public Act 18-41 on May 31, 2018, Connecticut joined the growing list of states (see our posts here and here) requiring drug manufacturers to submit reports on price increases. Three different reporting requirements are imposed on manufacturers under the law. First, …
On June 4, 2018, FDA posted a statement from CDER Director Janet Woodcock announcing a multi-pronged FDA initiative to modernize FDA’s drug review offices and processes. The initiative will involve: Staffing increases Increasing the number of review offices from the current 5 to 9 and the review …
More than 10 years after the enactment of FDC Act § 505(q), titled “Petitions and Civil Actions Regarding Approval of Certain Applications,” interest in citizen petitions remains high. Each year we see several analyses of the effects of citizen petitions on generic competition, as well as …
