On November 1, 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the 2023 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Final Rule. CMS publishes a PFS annually so as to make changes in federal healthcare reimbursement and...more
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the Act) includes prescription drug provisions that have significant implications for the pharmaceutical industry and Medicare beneficiaries, such as allowing the U.S. Department of Health...more
On June 30, 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law SB 54, putting into place some of the nation’s strictest, far-reaching regulations on packaging materials. The legislation mandates significantly reduced use...more
On May 25, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a guidance document intended to help pharmacists and wholesale drug distributors understand and comply with its final rule regarding the import of certain...more
In May 2022, the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the launch of a new program for expediting the development of new treatment options for rare...more
On May 4, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued warning letters to five companies for selling products labeled as containing delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-8 THC) in ways that violate the Federal Food,...more
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Division's Consumer Protection Branch (CPB) released its first-ever annual "recent highlights" report. The report describes the CPB's accomplishments from October...more
4/26/2022
/ Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Fraud ,
Opioid ,
Pfizer ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Popular ,
Purdue Pharma ,
Vaccinations
On February 22, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hosted a webinar on two draft guidance documents for the transition plans for medical devices commercialized pursuant to either Emergency Use Authorization...more
Some Worry Reduction in Pharmaceutical Revenues May Impact New Drug R&D and Innovation -
Lowering prescription drug pricing has been a hotly debated issue well before 2022 and is expected to continue in 2022. In November...more
On December 22, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued two draft guidance documents for the transition plans for medical devices commercialized pursuant to either Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) or the...more
In September 2021, the Office of Scientific Investigations of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Warning Letter to dietary supplement company RAAS Nutritionals,...more
Wilson Sonsini is pleased to present the latest edition of The Life Sciences Report. This issue features an article on managing IP development and capture at growing medtech start-ups that offers insight from executives at...more
On June 7, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Biogen, Inc.'s Aduhelm (aducanumab) to treat Alzheimer's disease through the FDA Accelerated Approval Program in a landmark decision. The FDA's approval...more
Also Codifies FDA's Longstanding "Active Moiety" Approach for New Chemical Entity Exclusivity -
In April 2021, President Biden signed two bipartisan bills that aim to promote drug competition and to reduce prescription...more
President Joe Biden was sworn into office on January 20, 2021. As with any incoming administration, new policies will be pursued while those of the previous administration are furthered, abandoned, or undone. The federal...more
3/1/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Cybersecurity ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Costs ,
Hospitals ,
Physicians ,
Popular
Introduction: Alpha-Gal Syndrome -
Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is an allergy to red meat and other products made from mammals. In addition to red meat allergy, AGS can also manifest as frequent and deadly-if-untreated...more
Introduction: Meat Alternatives and Cultured Meat -
Conventional meat production has been implicated in environmental damage, the rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria, and increasing emission of greenhouse gasses....more
On November 20, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it was terminating the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Unapproved Drugs Initiative (UDI), which is further described in...more
On November 16, 2020, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) issued a Special Fraud Alert (the Alert) regarding speaker programs hosted by pharmaceutical and medical device companies. Speaker programs are company-sponsored...more
On November 17, 2020, nine months after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) to Lucira Health for the first COVID-19 diagnostic test for...more
With the 2020 Presidential election upon us, many members of the cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabis (marijuana) product industries, as well as consumers alike, are wondering if the election will result in policy changes that...more
11/3/2020
/ Agribusiness ,
Cannabidiol (CBD) oil ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Dispensaries ,
General Elections ,
Hemp Cultivation ,
Hemp Related Businesses ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Cultivation ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Popular
In this issue, we discuss how real-world evidence can be an important component of satisfying drug approval and post-approval study requirements and also, can provide other tangible advantages to drug sponsors. We also look...more
10/22/2020
/ Bayh-Dole Act ,
Clinical Trials ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Drug Approvals ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Medical Devices ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Real World Evidence ,
Telehealth
Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a statement and proposed rule clarifying the types of evidence that the FDA considers when determining the "intended use" of a product. Intended use is important...more
Food Associated Disease Outbreaks -
Food safety in the United States is something that most consumers take for granted. However, there are instances where illness, usually attributed to bacterial infections, can be traced...more
Yesterday, the President issued an executive order (EO) on drug pricing for pharmaceuticals covered under Medicare parts B and D. The EO, in essence, proposes a form of price controls for drugs covered under Medicare parts B...more