Health Law Advisor

At the end of July, FDA released a tangible plan for promoting innovation in the development of digital health products. In this Digital Health Innovation Action Plan, FDA acknowledges that digital health technologies are critically important in advancing health care, and that traditional FDA pathways to market are not well suited for all of these technologies. Over the last few years, FDA has taken a deregulatory approach with respect to low risk digital health products and has issued guidance regarding its enforcement discretion approach to wellness products, medical device ...

On May 9, 2017, Scott Gottlieb, M.D. was confirmed by the Senate as the new Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration ("FDA").  As Commissioner, he will be immediately responsible for shaping FDA policy on a number of current issues, including addressing and implementing several mandates stemming from the 21st Century Cures Act, ("Cures Act"), which was signed into law on December 13, 2016 with tremendous bipartisan support. The Cures Act contains over 200 sections that create new obligations for FDA; however, most pressing for Commissioner Gottlieb are three requirements ...

On January 19, 2017, the United States Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") unveiled a new drug designation process for regenerative advanced therapies, an important first step toward implementation of the regenerative medicine provisions of the 21st Century Cures Act.  Products for which a designation as a regenerative advanced therapy ("RAT") is obtained are eligible for accelerated approval under the 21^st Century Cures Act, which was signed into law by former President Obama on December 13, 2016 with sweeping bipartisan support.

The accelerated approval provisions for RATs ...

Congress is currently considering two bills that would dramatically alter the ways in which all federal agencies develop and publish rules. If enacted, both would create significant new obligations for agencies such as CMS and the FDA, expand the scope of judicial review of rules, and would increase the potential for political influence over the rulemaking process. Both bills passed the House on party-line votes, and are under consideration by the Senate.

The first bill, H.R. 5, would overhaul multiple phases of the federal rulemaking process. These proposed changes would make the ...

Early January has seen the release by FDA of a flurry of information on drug and device manufacturer communications, largely reaffirming FDA's long-held approach to restricting manufacturer communications regarding off-label uses of approved drugs and medical devices. The most significant positive development arising from these documents is the Agency's concession on proactive pre-approval communications with payors about investigational drugs and devices, allowing certain information to be provided to payors prior to a product's approval. FDA's guidance documents ...

As the transition in Washington moves into high gear this month, it's not just the new Administration and Congress that are putting in place plans for policy and legislation; stakeholders are busy creating agendas, too.

Many stakeholder agendas will seek to affect how government addresses such prominent health care issues as the Affordable Care Act, Medicare entitlements, fraud-and-abuse policies, FDA user fees, and drug pricing. There will be a myriad of stakeholder ideas, cutting a variety of directions, all framed with an eye to the new political terrain.

But whatever policies ...

Recent federal and state legislative efforts signal an increased focus on a significant and largely underappreciated public health threat – antimicrobial resistance (i.e., when a microorganism (such as a bacteria or virus) is able to resist the effects of medications such as antibiotics and antivirals, causing such medications to be ineffective). The results of a 2014 study underscore the magnitude of the threat of so-called "superbugs," estimating that the number of deaths worldwide attributable to antimicrobial resistance will reach 10 million by 2050.  By comparison, the ...

On October 24, 2016 the Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") in conjunction with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ("CMS") announced their intention to extend the Parallel Review pilot program indefinitely. The Parallel Review process is intended to provide timely feedback on clinical data requirements from FDA and CMS, and minimize the time required for receiving Medicare coverage nationally.  Sounds good.  So, why have so few manufacturers taken advantage of the program to date?

Despite its admirable goals, the current Parallel Review Process is too limited in scope ...

On August 31, 2016, FDA issued a notification of public hearing and request for comments on manufacturer communications regarding unapproved uses of approved or cleared medical products. The hearing will be held on November 9-10, 2016, and individuals wishing to present information at the hearing must register by October 19, 2016. The deadline for written comments is January 9, 2017.

In the notice, FDA posed a series of questions on which it is seeking input from a broad group of stakeholders, including manufacturers, health care providers, patient advocates, payors, academics ...

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a draft guidance (Draft Guidance) on July 11, 2016 that allows some generic drug manufacturers holding an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) to update the label of the drug they manufacture with new safety information.  The Draft Guidance provides new clarifications and recommendations to generic drug manufacturers seeking to update a generic label after withdrawal by the name brand manufacturer of the reference listed drug (RLD) (a "Withdrawn RLD").  The Draft Guidance explains how a generic manufacturer may submit an updated ...

Where does the line fall between good faith and criminal intent? That was the question that a Massachusetts federal jury faced in July as it deliberated criminal charges against William Facteau and Patrick Fabian, ex-Acclarent executives, who were indicted on multiple charges of fraud and misbranding a medical device. Acclarent's device, the Relieva Stratus Microflow Spacer ("Stratus"), was cleared by the FDA for use as a spacer to maintain an opening in the sinus. Although the FDA expressly rejected Acclarant's request to expand the indicated use of the device to include delivery ...

On May 19^th, the FDA again postponed publication of the Final Rule entitled, "Supplemental Applications Proposing Labeling Changes for Approved Drugs and Biological Products" to April 2017 (the "Final Rule").  On May 19^th, the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations approved the 2017 Agriculture Appropriations bill, which includes provisions within Section 747 expressly defunding any efforts by the FDA to enact the rule. The Notice of Proposed Rule-Making ("NPRM") was originally published in November 2013 to provide generic drug and biologics manufacturers ...

Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") announced that FDA intends to update its regulations governing clinical studies of new drugs.  More specifically, FDA intends to update Parts 312 and 16 of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations (the "Code" or "CFR").  In its announcement, HHS stated that the revisions will be focused on defining and clarifying "the roles and responsibilities of the various persons engaged in the initiation, conduct, and oversight of clinical investigations subject to [investigational new drug] requirements."  The ...

Despite popular opinion, lawyers and judges are human and sometimes the facts of a case make it near impossible for judges to play the role of the modest umpire calling balls and strikes described by Chief Justice Roberts in his confirmation hearing.  Sometimes, bad facts make bad law because the plaintiff is so sympathetic that the just ruling may not be the "right" one.  Fachon v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration et al., appears to be the epitome of this.

Earlier this year, a 20-year old man, Eugene Neil Fachon, was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma ("DIPG") a form of brain ...

On May 17, 2016, FDA issued Draft Guidance for Industry on Use of Electronic Health Record Data in Clinical Investigations ("Draft Guidance").  This Draft Guidance builds on prior FDA guidance on Computerized Systems Used in Clinical Investigations and Electronic Source Data in Clinical Investigations, and provides information on FDA's expectations for the use of Electronic Health Record ("EHR") data to clinical investigators, research institutions and sponsors of clinical research on drugs, biologics, medical devices and combination products conducted under an ...

On December 23, 2015, the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) released draft guidance on the Advancement of Emerging Technology Applications to Modernize the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Base. This was a positive step towards helping pharmaceutical companies invest and implement emerging technologies that improve overall drug quality.

Pharmaceutical companies have spent millions of dollars issuing recalls for products because of a variety of quality issues caused by outdated manufacturing technologies. These issues have caused significant delays in providing ...

FDA has recently partnered with PatientsLikeMe, an online patient networking forum, to leverage patient-reported information to bolster its drug safety monitoring efforts. PatientsLikeMe, with its 350,000 members representing over 2,500 health conditions, has collected more than 110,000 adverse event reports on 1,000 different drugs. This partnership, which is in the form of a research collaboration agreement, will provide FDA with access to "real-world" data about patients' drug and disease experiences (the information provided to FDA is anonymous; so it does not ...

Our colleagues James A. Boiani and John S. Linehan at Epstein Becker Green wrote an advisory on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's ("FDA") introduction of new plans to constrain animal drug compounding with the release of its Draft Guidance for Industry (GFI) #230, Compounding Animal Drugs from Bulk Drug Substances. In this advisory, the parameters of the Draft Guidance are outlined, which suggests that a dramatic shift in the FDA's enforcement approach may be underway and provides insight into the FDA's enforcement priorities and its interpretation of the applicable ...

While FDA made a push last fall to explore the technical challenges associated with 3-D printed devices (holding a public workshop in October 2014), the Agency's planned guidance on the topic fell to the "B-list" in FDA's 2015 medical device guidance agenda. According to the agenda, the Agency will issue a draft guidance document on 3-D printing as "guidance-development resources permit." In light of the regulatory uncertainty facing 3-D printing stakeholders, this may seem like unwelcome news – but is it?

Recent comments from Agency officials suggest that immediate guidance is ...

One of the most discussed aspects of healthcare has to be how to balance cost, quality and access.  This is especially true when it comes to the pharmaceutical industry, particularly with the rapid growth of and increased focus on highly effective, but highly expensive, specialty drugs.  Discussions about these costs are no longer isolated to negotiations between pharmaceutical companies, PBMs and insurers; instead it appears that price and cost are on FDA's radar. 

For example, the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee ("ODAC") hearing, earlier this month, was not only historic ...

WHEN: Thursday, February 26, 2015

TIME: 12:00pm – 1:30pm EST

To register for this webinar, please click here.

Please join us for a complimentary webinar addressing wireless health regulatory issues. This session will discuss recent trends in health technology regulation; including Food and Drug Administration (FDA) developments, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requirements, wireless technology and communication issues, mobile applications, decision support and other Health IT challenges, and privacy and cyber security considerations.

This session is ...

When FDA published its draft guidance Internet/Social Media Platforms with Character Space Limitations— Presenting Risk and Benefit Information for Prescription Drugs and Medical Devices in June 2014, I, like many others with an interest in pharmaceutical and medical device promotion, believed that the issue of social media promotion of drugs and medical devices was largely settled. Even with the limited concessions offered by FDA to reduce the traditional risk disclosure requirements, absent a substantial shift in FDA's position, Twitter was not going to be a medium that ...

FDA published the long awaited draft guidance on wellness products last Friday. The guidance is a positive step forward for industry in that it proposes that certain general wellness products will not be subject to FDA regulation.

The draft guidance clarifies that FDA does not intend to enforce its regulations against products that are "low risk" and are intended to:

1. Maintain or encourage health without reference to a disease or condition (e.g. weight, fitness, stress) or
2. Help users live well with or reduce risks of chronic conditions, where it is well accepted that a healthy ...

On December 18, 2014, FDA released proposed regulations that would make prescribing information for drugs and biologics available online and prohibit distribution of paper copies as part of product packaging.  FDA's stated goal is to make prescribing information widely and easily accessible to healthcare providers and consumers alike, but some consumer and provider groups are criticizing the proposed rules because they may limit access to prescribing information in communities where the Internet is not readily available.  The proposed rules also go against Senate ...

FDA is the subject of a lot of criticism, some deserved, and some not.  However, I don't think FDA gets enough praise when it does something right.  Therefore, I thought it was important to follow up on my previous blog and let everyone know that FDA has cleared up some of the ambiguities I mentioned there.

Specifically, on December 9th, FDA issued draft guidance making it clear that federal, and not state, law determines whether a company needs to register with FDA as a wholesale distributor or 3PL as required by the DSCSA.  This clarification likely has the greatest impact on prescription ...

Last week, FDA launched Drug Trials Snapshot, a pilot program intended to provide consumers with information about the sex, age, race and ethnicity of clinical participants for six drugs approved in May and June 2014.  This pilot is intended to solicit feedback on the content, format and usefulness of the information provided in advance of an expansion of the program to include all new molecular entities subject to an approved NDA beginning in 2015.

The Drug Trials Snapshot website was developed by FDA in response to the requirements in Section 907 of FDASIA that FDA: 1) report to ...

Late last month, the FDA finalized a new guidance document, explaining the agency's current thinking on the circumstances that may arise in connection with an establishment inspection that it would consider to impose an inappropriate limitation on its inspection authority.  The Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act (FDASIA) deems a drug or medical device adulterated if it has been manufactured processed, packed, or held in any factory, warehouse, or establishment that delays, denies, or limits an inspection, or refuses to permit entry or inspection.

The ...

Although FDA appropriately identified the need for guidance on the Effect of Section 585 of the FD&C Act on Drug Product Tracing, Wholesale Drug Distributor and Third-Party Logistics Provider Licensing Standards and Requirements; the Draft Guidance issued by FDA this month does not ask the right questions.

In November 2013, Congress enacted the Drug Supply Chain Security Act ("DSCSA") with the intent of establishing a "Uniform National Policy" for wholesale distributor and third party logistics provider ("3PL") licensure.  Congress hoped to achieve this goal by adding Section ...

As reported previously in this blog and in an EBG Client Alert, FDA has recently reopened the comment periods for three draft guidance documents released this year: two on social media promotion (open until October 29) and one on informed consent information sheets (open until October 27).  FDA does not often reopen the door to comment after the required notice-and-comment period has closed, and the fact that FDA has chosen to do so for these draft guidances is significant.  In all three cases, FDA received communications from stakeholders requesting additional time to digest the ...

The Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") recently announced that it will be hosting a public workshop on October 21 and 22, 2014, in Arlington, Virginia, entitled "Collaborative Approaches for Medical Device and Healthcare Cybersecurity."

Officials from FDA, the Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS"), and the Department of Homeland Security ("DHS") will bring together medical device manufacturers, insurers, cybersecurity researchers, trade organizations, government officials, and other stakeholders to discuss the numerous challenges faced in medical device ...

On July 15, 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") released draft guidance that provides extensive commentary on FDA's current thinking regarding the clinical trial informed consent process. Once finalized, this document, entitled "Informed Consent Information Sheet: Guidance for IRBs, Clinical Investigators, and Sponsors" ("Draft Guidance"), will replace FDA's 1998 informed consent guidance, "A Guide to Informed Consent."

Although the Draft Guidance is largely consistent with current practices a number of FDA's recommendations signal the modification ...

Earlier this month, Customed, Inc. initiated the largest medical device recall ever recorded in FDA history.  The recall was of sterile convenience surgical packs and was due to packaging flaws.  These flaws could result in loss of sterility and lead to infection.  There have also been a number of voluntary recalls on the drug side related to sterility.  FDA has also issued warning letters to pharmaceutical companies for poor aseptic practices, among other Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) related issues.  These headlines should remind the medical device and pharmaceutical ...

Upon learning that FDA had lost another round in its battle to classify Diphoterine® Skin Wash (DSW) as a combination product with a drug primary mode of action and that Prevor, DSW's manufacturer, was still fighting this issue nearly six years after it submitted its initial premarket notification for DSW, I turned into a five-year-old and kept asking why?

• Why does FDA insists that a skin wash intended to "help prevent and minimize accidental chemical burn injuries" must be regulated as a drug but a drug-coated stent intended to improves arterial diameter is regulated as a device?
• Why ...

Earlier this week, a popular source of regulatory news published an article claiming FDA “finalized a new rule this week that prohibits manufacturers from using so-called “split-predicates”. However, it appears that the article may instead be referencing the Final Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff entitled “The 510(k) Program: Evaluating Substantial Equivalence in Premarket Notifications [510(k)]” that FDA published earlier this week.  Unfortunately, as often occurs on the Internet, the post was disseminated by several other popular ...

Mobile application (“app”) development is the new boon for technology companies of all sizes, and the phrase “There’s an app for that” tells the story of just how much this market has grown and matured.  Most of the early app development focused on low risk opportunities—those involving free or low-cost social media or gaming apps.  While protecting privacy and security of personally-identifiable information is generally important, privacy and security concerns typically do not rank as high priorities in decision-making when developing these types of apps.

By ...

The following may surprise some: FDA approval or clearance is never enough. Not if manufacturers want a commercially successful product. There is no doubt that addressing FDA issues is critical. But without data to show effectiveness, payers will not reimburse a particular product or technology—and even the most promising product will languish in the market without the appropriate coverage and reimbursement.

The use of remote monitoring devices has increased significantly over the last few years. I think it is fair to say that many manufacturers of these devices worry ...

by Wendy C. Goldstein and Kathleen A. Peterson

On December 27, 2011, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration ("FDA"), Office of Prescription Drug Promotion ("OPDP") (formerly the Division of Drug Marketing, Advertising, and Communications) released a new draft guidance document titled "Guidance for Industry on Responding to Unsolicited Requests for Off-Label Information About Prescription Drugs and Medical Devices" (the "Draft Guidance"). The OPDP will accept comments on the Draft Guidance through March 29, 2011.

The FDA has a longstanding policy of permitting ...