On August 23, 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) granted full approval for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 (“Pfizer”) vaccine for individuals sixteen-years-old and older. This change shifts the vaccine from emergency-use only and is the first COVID-19 vaccine granted
pharmaceuticals
Litigation trends in life sciences and pharmaceuticals: What you need to know
A team of Norton Rose Fulbright pharma and medical-device litigators recently presented to the Life Sciences and Healthcare Spring Webinar Series on “Pharma Delivers: Now What?” Pharmaceutical companies delivered pandemic-ending vaccines, and are rewarded with an increasingly positive public reputation.…
House Subcommittee on Health holds hearing on 340B program
On July 11, the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on the 340B program, entitled “Opportunities to Improve the 340B Drug Pricing Program.” In his opening statement, Subcommittee Chairman Michael Burgess (R-TX) stated…
Recent effort to regulate pharmaceutical pricing deemed unconstitutional by Fourth Circuit

In the absence of federal action, states have attempted to rein in high pharmaceutical pricing by enacting laws aimed at regulating drug pricing. Following what now has become a trend, on March 13, 2018, Oregon became the newest state to…
Ontario introduces legislation requiring disclosure of payments to physicians


Following a consultation, legislation was introduced in the Ontario Legislature on September 27, 2017 that will require pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers to disclose financial relationships to healthcare professionals and organizations.
The Health Sector Payment Transparency Act is one…
FTC and DOJ side with Texas-based Teladoc
The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), in a joint amicus brief with the Department of Justice filed on September 9, 2016, petitioned the Fifth Circuit to dismiss the Texas Medical Board (“TMB”) appeal of the district court ruling holding that TMB regulations restricting the prescribing rights of physicians providing professional services through telemedicine may be challenged under federal anti-trust laws. The FTC asserted that the appellate court does not have jurisdiction over the issue because there has been no final judgment in the underlying case between Teladoc and the TMB.
FDA now demands its strongest black box warnings for certain opioid and other drugs


On August 31, 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) announced class-wide drug labeling changes aimed at providing better information to health care providers and patients. FDA’s guidance warns of the risks associated with combined use of certain opioid…
Judge declines to certify order for appeal in Texas Teladoc case
On August 15, 2016, United States District Judge Robert Pitman denied the motion of the Texas Medical Board (“TMB”) to certify order for an immediate appeal of the court’s decision not to dismiss the Teladoc case. The court previously denied the TMB’s attempt to have the case against it dismissed, which was brought by Teladoc challenging the TMB’s adoption of a rule requiring physicians prescribing certain medications to first see patients face to face.
Australia trials “Health Care Homes”, a new model of primary health care

Australia is set to trial a new model of primary health care based on the successful “Health Care Homes” programs in Canada and the United States. Australia’s version of the Health Care Homes scheme was proposed in broad terms in December 2015 by the Primary Health Care Advisory Group, in its Better Outcomes for People with Chronic and Complex Health Conditions report. Key elements of the proposed scheme included:
Administrative dispute resolution process is proposed to resolve 340B drug pricing program disputes
On August 11 the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (RIN 0906-AA90) that would implement an administrative dispute resolution (ADR) process that would apply to all drug manufacturers and covered entities that participate in…