The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued its weekly regulatory update for stakeholders. You can read the FDA regulatory update for stakeholders below.
September 13, 2024
Dear Colleague,
While the FDA continues to focus on protecting the public’s health, using science to guide our decisions, and facilitating access to critical medical products, we also recognize the work of our public health partners. As public health advocates, we know that your work to better our country is invaluable. Your partnership, knowledge and engagement in the public health space are appreciated.
Join FDA for the First National Hispanic/Latino Family Cancer Awareness Week, Sept. 20-26
By: Luckson Mathieu, MD, Senior Clinical Reviewer, DO2, OND; Donna Rivera, PharmD, Associate Director for Pharmacoepidemiology, Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE), and Rea Blakey, Associate Director for External Outreach and Engagement, OCE
Project Community within the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE) will hold the first National Hispanic/Latino Family Cancer Awareness Week Sept. 20-26, 2024, to increase cancer awareness within the Hispanic/Latino population. The week will feature a virtual Conversation on Cancer public panel discussion and a social media campaign using the hashtag #LatinoCancer. National Hispanic/Latino Family Cancer Awareness Week aims to gather community-based groups to increase cancer awareness and build knowledge surrounding cancer clinical trial participation as well increase the understanding of ways to contribute to national genetic databases for cancer research. The discussion brings together experts involved in health care for Hispanic/Latino communities, advocates, communicators and FDA oncologists, to focus on addressing cancer disparities.
This guidance describes how sponsors and applicants must organize the content that they submit to the Agency electronically for all submission types under section 745A(a) of the FD&C Act. This guidance also references several technical specification documents and the electronic common technical document (eCTD) Technical Conformance Guide, which provide additional details regarding the organization of content for electronic submissions.
This guidance is intended to explain to applicants how the assessment goals established as part of the Generic Drug User Fee Amendments of 2022 (GDUFA III) apply to amendments to either abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs) or prior approval supplements (PASs) submitted to the Food and Drug Administration under section 505(j) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) (21 U.S.C. 355(j)).
The FDA issued this guidance to describe the processes available to mammography facilities to request additional review of an adverse appeals decision on a facility’s accreditation, and/or a suspension or revocation of certificate, and/or a patient and referring provider notification (PPN) order.
You can search for documents using key words, and you can narrow or filter your results by product, date issued, FDA organizational unit, type of document, subject, draft or final status, and comment period.
ICYMI!
Want to be better prepared for emergencies? Check out these tips.
Emergencies and disasters such as hurricanes, floods, lightning storms, earthquakes, and fires can affect everyone from people who rely on medical devices, to companies that manufacture medical devices, to shipping and delivery operators who get medical devices to our doors.
Despite advances in cancer prevention and precision cancer care, cancer is the leading cause of death for the Hispanic population in the US. Cancer accounts for the death of about 23,800 Hispanic men and 22,700 Hispanic women. Hispanic individuals have higher rates of infection-related cancers, including approximately two-fold higher incidence of liver and stomach cancer compared to Non-Hispanic White (NHW) individuals.
Join us for the 2024 Advancing Generic Drug Development Workshop! FDA experts will demonstrate the FDA’s Generic Drug User Fee Amendments (GDUFA) Science and Research Program’s transformative impact on generic drug development, regulation, and approval. The workshop will also highlight innovative science and cutting-edge methodologies in generic drug development both within the U.S. and globally.
On September 24, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will host a webinar to provide information on how to comply with labeling requirements for IVDs, including LDTs. The focus of this webinar will be on labeling requirements for test systems, under 21 CFR 809.10(b) and will not cover labeling requirements for other types of IVDs such as collection devices and general purpose reagents.
Public meetings involving the FDA: Upcoming events, past meetings, meeting materials, and transcripts
About Us
The Stakeholder Engagement Staff resides within the Office of the Commissioner and falls under the Office of External Affairs. We aim to build stronger relationships with health professional organizations, consumer groups, trade associations, patient advocacy organizations, think tanks/academia, and other stakeholders, in order to better inform our policy making process, identify policy hurdles or stakeholder misconceptions, and create strategic collaborations. For more information, please contact us at: FDAStakeholderEngagement@fda.hhs.gov.
USDOL Issues Comprehensive Employer Guidance on Long COVID
The United States Department of Labor (USDOL) has issued a comprehensive set of resources that can be accessed below for employers on dealing with Long COVID.
Supporting Employees with Long COVID: A Guide for Employers
The “Supporting Employees with Long COVID” guide from the USDOL-funded Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN) and Job Accommodation Network (JAN) addresses the basics of Long COVID, including its intersection with mental health, and common workplace supports for different symptoms. It also explores employers’ responsibilities to provide reasonable accommodations and answers frequently asked questions about Long COVID and employment, including inquiries related to telework and leave.
The Long COVID Accommodation and Compliance webpage from the USDOL-funded Job Accommodation Network (JAN) helps employers and employees understand strategies for supporting workers with Long COVID. Topics include Long COVID in the context of disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), specific accommodation ideas based on limitations or work-related functions, common situations and solutions, and questions to consider when identifying effective accommodations for employees with Long COVID. Find this and other Long COVID resources from JAN, below:
Long COVID, Disability and Underserved Communities: Recommendations for Employers
The research-to-practice brief “Long COVID, Disability and Underserved Communities” synthesizes an extensive review of documents, literature and data sources, conducted by the USDOL-funded Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN) on the impact of Long COVID on employment, with a focus on demographic differences. It also outlines recommended actions organizations can take to create a supportive and inclusive workplace culture for people with Long COVID, especially those with disabilities who belong to other historically underserved groups.
Long COVID and Disability Accommodations in the Workplace
The policy brief “Long COVID and Disability Accommodations in the Workplace” explores Long COVID’s impact on the workforce and provides examples of policy actions different states are taking to help affected people remain at work or return when ready. It was developed by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) as part of its involvement in USDOL’s State Exchange on Employment and Disability (SEED) initiative.
Understanding and Addressing the Workplace Challenges Related to Long COVID
The report “Understanding and Addressing the Workplace Challenges Related to Long COVID” summarizes key themes and takeaways from an ePolicyWorks national online dialogue through which members of the public were invited to share their experiences and insights regarding workplace challenges posed by Long COVID. The dialogue took place during summer 2022 and was hosted by USDOL and its agencies in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Surgeon General.
The USDOL-published “Working with Long COVID” fact sheet shares strategies for supporting workers with Long COVID, including accommodations for common symptoms and resources for further guidance and assistance with specific situations.
This USDOL motion graphic informs workers with Long COVID that they may be entitled to temporary or long-term supports to help them stay on the job or return to work when ready, and shares where they can find related assistance.
A Personal Story of Long COVID and Disability Disclosure
In the podcast “A Personal Story of Long COVID and Disability Disclosure,” Pam Bingham, senior program manager for Intuit’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Tech team, shares her personal experience of navigating Long COVID symptoms at work. The segment was produced by the USDOL-funded Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology (PEAT) as part of its ongoing “Future of Work” podcast series.
Per the notice below, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued its annual report on the performance of state Medicaid Fraud Control Units (MFCUs).
Medicaid Fraud Control Units (MFCUs) investigate and prosecute Medicaid provider fraud and patient abuse or neglect. OIG is the Federal agency that oversees and annually approves federal funding for MFCUs through a recertification process. This new report analyzed the statistical data on annual case outcomes—such as convictions, civil settlements and judgments, and recoveries—that the 53 MFCUs submitted for Fiscal Year 2023. New York data is as follows:
Outcomes
Investigations1 - 556
Indicted/Charged - 9
Convictions - 8
Civil Settlements/Judgments - 28
Recoveries2 - $73,204,518
Resources
MFCU Expenditures3 - $55,964,293
Staff on Board4 - 257
1Investigations are defined as the total number of open investigations at the end of the fiscal year.
2Recoveries are defined as the amount of money that defendants are required to pay as a result of a settlement, judgment, or prefiling settlement in criminal and civil cases and may not reflect actual collections. Recoveries may involve cases that include participation by other Federal and State agencies.
3MFCU and Medicaid Expenditures include both State and Federal expenditures.
4Staff on Board is defined as the total number of staff employed by the Unit at the end of the fiscal year.
GAO Issues Report on Medicaid Managed Care Service Denials and Appeal Outcomes
The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a report on federal use of state data on Medicaid managed care service denials and appeal outcomes. GAO found that federal oversight is limited because it doesn't require states to report on Medicaid managed care service denials or appeal outcomes and there has not been much progress on plans to analyze and make the data publicly available. To read the GAO report on federal use of state data on Medicaid managed care service denials and appeal outcomes, use the first link below. To read GAO highlights of the report on federal use of state data on Medicaid managed care service denials and appeal outcomes, use the second link below. https://www.gao.gov/assets/d24106627.pdf (GAO report on federal use of state data on Medicaid managed care service denials and appeal outcomes) https://www.gao.gov/assets/d24106627_high.pdf (GAO highlights on federal use of state data on Medicaid managed care service denials and appeal outcomes)
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued its latest update on its regulatory activities in the Medicare program. While dentistry is only minimally connected to the Medicare program, Medicare drives the majority of health care policies and insurance reimbursement policies throughout the country. Therefore, it always pays to keep a close eye on what CMS is doing in Medicare. To read the latest CMS update on its regulatory activities in Medicare, use the link below. https://www.cms.gov/training-education/medicare-learning-network/newsletter/2024-03-14-mlnc