Summer 2023 saw dynamic executive, legislative, and enforcement activity in the cannabis and cannabidiol space. While the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources (HHS) took steps to reschedule cannabis as a Schedule III...more
Listening Sessions on Drug Price Negotiations Will Be Live Streamed and Opened to the Public This Fall -
In this Alert, we provide an update regarding the first 10 drugs for Medicare price negotiation selected under the...more
The medical product and healthcare service industry is one of the most closely regulated sectors in the U.S. Several agencies actively exercise authority with constantly changing legislation and policies to keep pace with...more
2/13/2023
/ False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare ,
Life Sciences ,
Manufacturers ,
Medical Devices ,
Medicare ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Private Equity ,
Telemedicine
On January 30, 2023, the Biden administration announced its intent to end the national emergency and public health emergency (PHE) declarations on May 11, 2023. These emergency declarations have been in place since early...more
Businesses making health claims about their products (e.g., foods and dietary supplements) or services (e.g., apps) should take note of new guidance that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released at the end of December...more
Wilson Sonsini is pleased to present the latest edition of The Life Sciences Report. This issue features an article on interlocking boards in the life sciences sector and the antitrust risk they pose to firms and investors;...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 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
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
In this issue, we discuss U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation of wellness devices. We also look at good commercial contracting hygiene for digital health start-ups. Other articles include recent enforcement...more
On March 22, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued warning letters to two companies, Honest Globe Inc. and Biolyte Laboratories LLC, for selling products labeled as containing cannabidiol (CBD) in ways that...more
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
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
Laboratory Developed Tests and Their Regulation -
Laboratory developed tests (LDTs) are in vitro diagnostic tests (IVDs) that are designed, developed, manufactured, and performed within a single laboratory. Although the...more
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently unmasked new guidance surrounding distribution of surgical masks. As a brief recap, on April 16, 2020, the FDA issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) authorizing the...more