1. Pink Sheet
  2. >>Legal & IP

PhRMA Offers “No Reasonable Expert” Standard For Addressing Fraud Charges

 
• By Brenda Sandburg

PhRMA is backing former InterMune CEO W. Scott Harkonen in his appeal of a fraud conviction for making false statements about Actimmune in a press release. The association argues that he expressed a scientific view that is protected from prosecution under the First Amendment.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America is going to bat for convicted industry exec W. Scott Harkonen, arguing that the government should not have held him criminally liable for expressing his opinion about the results of a clinical trial in a press release.

In a Nov. 4 amicus brief filed in Harkonen’s appeal, PhRMA contends that an affirmation of his conviction...

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on Pink Sheet for daily insights

  • Start your 7-day free trial
  • Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
  • Access comprehensive global coverage
  • Enjoy instant access – no credit card required
Start Free Trial

Already a subscriber?

More from Legal & IP

Access Risks Loom For All Drugmakers With Fourth Circuit Mifepristone Decision

 
• By Sarah Karlin-Smith

The FDA law establishing REMS authority does not preempt a West Virginia law that would restrict mifepristone use in the state, an appeals court said, a decision that could have broader ramifications for the agency’s authority to ensure drug access.

US FDA Will Not Pull Teva And MSN Hetlioz ANDAs, Rejects Vanda Citizen Petitions

 
• By Dean Rudge

The FDA concluded that generic tasimelteon products held by Teva and MSN Labs meet all statutory bioequivalence requirements and there was no “mistake” or untrue statement in the original ANDA approvals.

EU Fines Alchem Over Buscopan API Cartel

 
• By Dave Wallace

After pursuing Alchem International for breaches of EU antitrust rules – relating to a cartel over the SNBB pharmaceutical ingredient used in Buscopan and its generics – the European Commission has now hit the firm with a €489,000 fine.

Clinical Trial Diversity Action Plan Guidance Must Return To US FDA Website, Court Says

 
• By Sue Sutter

HHS and its agencies violated the law by swiftly implementing “sweeping and poorly thought-through directives that ordered the bulk removal of healthcare resources,” including FDA draft guidances on diversity action plans and sex differences in clinical trials, a federal court said.

More from Pink Sheet

Animal Testing Alternatives: US Pharmacopeia On Its Testing Transition

 
• By Eliza Slawther

In this second of a two-part series of articles, US Pharmacopeia CEO Ronald T. Piervincenzi tells the Pink Sheet which animal testing models have alternative options and highlights where further investment and research is needed to develop appropriate alternatives.

EU Industry Proposes 3-Basket Strategy To Phase Out Animal Testing

 
• By Eliza Slawther

A “basket approach” to phasing out animal testing could help identify areas where “moonshot” research is required to implement new approach methodologies, according to EU industry federation EFPIA.

England Leads Europe In Reimbursing Vertex’s Next-In-Class CF Drug Alyftrek

 
• By Neena Brizmohun

Vertex said it reached “a broad reimbursement agreement” with the National Health Service for its once-daily, triple combination treatment for cystic fibrosis. As for reimbursement in the rest of Europe, the company is targeting Ireland, Denmark and Germany next.