In March 2016, the FDA asked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) to outline the state of the science regarding prescription opioid abuse and misuse, as well as the evolving role that opioids play in pain management. We greatly appreciate all the work done by NASEM over the past year to produce the comprehensive report released today, which includes recommendations for the FDA and others on this important issue.
Category Archives: Food Safety News
Statement from Alberto Gutierrez, Ph.D., Director, Office of In Vitro Diagnostics and Radiological Health, FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health on the status of FDA’s investigation into inaccurate results from certain lead tests
On May 17, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Americans that Magellan Diagnostics’ LeadCare test systems performed on blood drawn from the vein (venous) may provide inaccurate results.
FDA approves new treatment for sickle cell disease
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Endari (L-glutamine oral powder) for patients age five years and older with sickle cell disease to reduce severe complications associated with the blood disorder.
Federal judge enters consent decree against Alabama compounder Medistat
U.S. District Judge William H. Steele entered a consent decree of permanent injunction yesterday between the United States and Medistat RX LLC of Foley, Alabama, the company’s co-owners, Mark D. Acker and Timothy L. Fickling, and quality manager and pharmacist-in-charge V. Elaine Waller.
FDA clears expanded use of cooling cap to reduce hair loss during chemotherapy
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared the expanded use of a cooling cap, DigniCap Cooling System, to reduce hair loss (alopecia) during chemotherapy. This is the first cooling cap cleared by the agency for use in cancer patients with solid tumors.
Federal judge orders New York smoked fish company to stop sales due to food safety violations
A New York smoked fish company has been ordered by a federal court to stop selling its products, which were produced in a facility that was contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes (L. mono), until it can comply with food safety regulations.
FDA allows marketing of test to aid in the detection of certain leukemias and lymphomas
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today allowed marketing of ClearLLab Reagents (T1, T2, B1, B2, M), the first agency authorized test for use with flow cytometry to aid in the detection of several leukemias and lymphomas, including chronic leukemia, acute leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, myeloma, myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN).
FDA unveils plan to eliminate orphan designation backlog
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration unveiled a strategic plan to eliminate the agency’s existing orphan designation request backlog and ensure continued timely response to all new requests for designation with firm deadlines. The agency’s Orphan Drug Modernization Plan comes a week after FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb committed to eliminating the backlog within 90 days and responding to all new requests for designation within 90 days of receipt during his testimony before a Senate subcommittee.
FDA Tackles Drug Competition to Improve Patient Access
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is taking two new, important steps to increase competition in the market for prescription drugs and facilitate entry
of lower-cost alternatives. The agency published a list of off-patent, off-exclusivity branded drugs without approved generics, and also implemented, for the
first time, a new policy to expedite the review of generic drug applications where competition is limited.
Statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., on the importance of the Drug Quality and Security Act and overseeing the safety of compounded drugs
In late 2012, the United States faced the most serious outbreak associated with contaminated compounded drugs in recent history, involving hundreds of people, in many states, who developed fungal infections related to a compounded product. It was an incident that resulted in dozens of deaths.