How Should US FDA Navigate Thorny First Amendment Conundrums: Former Chief Counsels Offer Advice

Innovative Healthcare is asking for a permanent injunction against Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Biosense Webster after winning a $442 million antitrust verdict. The injunction aims to prevent continued anticompetitive practices in the electrophysiology catheter market.

The US FDA has given up on its effort to regulate lab-developed tests as medical devices, at least for now. The agency will not appeal a decision from the Eastern District of Texas that tossed out the FDA’s final rule, leaving the agency with few cards.

States and international regulatory bodies may increase their US enforcement role following federal staff cuts, Hyman Phelps & McNamara attorneys said in a recent webinar. The attorneys also expect False Claims Act enforcement and public health to remain key areas of focus at the federal level.

A patient, Dena Lawler, is suing Boston Scientific and the US FDA over alleged harm from a spinal stimulator device. Lawler claims inadequate regulatory review allowed dangerous modifications to the device, which then caused her pain and other health issues. She is calling for reconsideration of the device approvals.