Since the Supreme Court’s decision in United Health Services v. United States ex rel. Escobar, we have seen a narrowing of situations in which courts will find liability under the False Claims Act (“FCA”). A district court in Pennsylvania provided yet another example of this …
Without pomp or circumstance, Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) introduced a bill on March 27, 2017, that would expand the communications pharmaceutical and medical device companies can have with doctors about their products. The bill, titled the Medical Product Communications Act of 2017, seeks to clarify …
In the rhythm of life, timing is everything! It was just last week when we posted on an interesting issue arising as a result of the intersection of exclusivity and off-label promotion. We suggested that some controversy might arise as a result of some decisions …
The intersection of exclusivity and off-label promotion issues is not common, but quite an interesting issue nevertheless. A recent press release from Egalet Corporation (“Egalet”) raises the possibility that FDA may be challenged – perhaps in court – as a result of the Agency’s decision …
On March 29, 2017, Senator Al Franken (D-MN) and several other Senate Democrats introduced S. 771, the “Improving Access to Affordable Prescription Drugs Act.” A companion bill, H.R. 1776, was introduced in the House on the same day by Representatives Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Elijah Cummings …
On March 22, 2017, the jury rendered its verdict in the case of the United States v. Cadden, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts (jury verdict form available here). The defendant, Barry J. Cadden, was the part owner and head pharmacist at …
The American Conference Institute’s (“ACI’s”) 11th annual “Paragraph IV Disputes” conference is right around the corner! The conference will take place from April 24-26, 2017 at the Conrad New York in New York, NY. ACI has put together an excellent program for conference attendees that includes presentations from esteemed …
Cue up Neil Sedaka’s 1962 hit “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,” or, for some of us younger-minded folk, take your pick from one of many Taylor Swift songs (“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” “I Knew You Were Trouble,” and so many more). What …
It never ceases to amaze this blogger how a law, like the Hatch-Waxman Amendments, can still generate new fact patterns and controversy after more than 30 years in existence! In today’s post, we look at how one of those new issues arose and how FDA …
Litigation between FDA and Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc. (“Ferring”) over the availability of 5-year New Chemical Entity (“NCE”) exclusivity for Ferring’s colonoscopy preparation, PREPOPIK (sodium picosulfate, magnesium oxide, and citric acid) for Oral Solution (NDA 202535; approved on July 16, 2012), was recently – and quietly …
One and a half years since FDA first proposed changes, two months since the final rule was published, one month after objections threatening an Administrative Procedure Act challenge, and one day before the rules would have taken effect, FDA announced on Monday that it would …
On March 15-17, 2017, the American Society for Experimental Neurotherapeutics (ASENT) held its 19th Annual Meeting in Rockville, MD. The meeting brought together clinical investigators, pharmaceutical industry sponsors, officials from drug regulatory agencies, and patient advocacy organizations to address and advance the science of neurotherapeutics. On …
There are many things that are unique to the 505(b)(2) NDA approval pathway. Some are good and some are . . . well, let’s just say that they have proven to be frustrating for some 505(b)(2) applicants. Perhaps one of the most nettlesome aspects of …
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently issued a January 2017 report to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. The GAO report examines: The steps FDA has taken to encourage the development of antibiotics to treat serious or life-threatening infections since the enactment …
Periodically, legislators and others become concerned about reports citing the high price of some orphan drugs, including drugs that achieve blockbuster status (earning more than $1 billion a year). Several proposals have been introduced in response to such concerns. In 1990, Congress passed legislation that …
