Lance's Corner

FDA Issues Health Care Stakeholders Update

Sep 8, 2025

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 8, 2025

Dear Colleague,

The FDA works to safeguard the public against potential health risks, ensures the safety and efficacy of medical products, and the safety of our nation’s food supply and cosmetics.  Your partnership, knowledge and engagement in the public health space are appreciated.

Sincerely,

The Public Engagement Staff
Public Engagement Staff | FDA

Updates

MedWatch: The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program

The FDA’s medical product safety reporting program for health professionals, patients and consumers.  MedWatch receives reports from the public and when appropriate, publishes safety alerts for FDA-regulated products.

Guidance Documents

View all Official FDA Guidance Documents and other Regulatory Guidance

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!

What You Should Know about Eye Drops

Ophthalmic drug products, such as eye drops, pose a heightened risk of harm to users because drugs applied to the eyes bypass some of the body’s natural defenses.  Any drug used in the eyes must be sterile to reduce the risk of infection.

Webinars and Virtual Workshops

Eco-NAMs Webinar Series | State of the Science for Bioaccumulation: An Integrated, Weight of Evidence Approach

Date: Wed, Sept. 10, 2025; 8 - 9 a.m. ET

The Eco-NAMS webinar series is co-organized by the FDA, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, European Medicines Agency, Health and Environmental Sciences Institute, National Institute for Environmental Studies (Japan), and PETA Science Consortium International e.V.  The series aims to offer the most informative and up-to-date science on the use of new approach methodologies (NAMs) for ecotoxicity assessments (Eco-NAMs) and provides an open forum for scientists from academia, industry, non-government organizations, regulatory authorities, and other interested parties including the general public to learn about and discuss various ecotoxicity NAMs topics.

Lessons Learned from the Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) Development and Readiness Pilot (CDRP) Program

Date: Wed, Sept. 10, 2025; 1 - 5 p.m. ET

FDA and the Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy will host a virtual workshop on September 10, 2025, that will delve into the challenges and strategies for expedited chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC) development.  The meeting will feature perspectives from both industry leaders and FDA regulators, who will discuss best practices and lessons learned from the Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls Development and Readiness Pilot (CDRP) Program.

FDA-AACR Workshop: Approach to Novel Oncology Endpoint Development - Virtual

Date: Thu, Sept. 11, 2025; 9 a.m. ET

Join virtually the FDA-AACR Workshop: Approach to Novel Oncology Endpoint Development, a one-day meeting that will bring together experts from regulatory agencies, academia, industry, and advocacy to discuss the development and application of novel endpoints in oncology drug development.  This collaborative forum will explore scientific and regulatory considerations, emerging data, and future directions for endpoint innovation in cancer research and treatment.

ICH M13B Webinar: Navigating the Draft ICH M13B Additional Strengths Biowaiver Guideline

Date: Thu, Sept. 11, 2025; noon - 2 p.m. ET

This webinar will provide an in-depth look at the draft ICH M13B guideline titled "Bioequivalence for Immediate-Release Solid Oral Dosage Forms: Additional Strengths Biowaiver" that was endorsed by the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) Assembly in March 2025.

Collaborating on Food Safety Culture

Date: Webinar Series 2 from Wed, Sept. 3, 2025 - Wed, Sept. 16, 2026; noon ET

The FDA and the Alliance to Stop Foodborne Illness, a non-profit public health organization, are collaborating on a webinar series that explores food safety culture.  The series, entitled Collaborating on Food Safety Culture, began on November 4, 2021.  The webinar series engages experts from the public and private sectors in a collaborative exchange of ideas and experiences related to the importance of a robust food safety culture in helping to ensure safe food production.  The series will have valuable information for both those well-versed on, and those just learning about, food safety culture.

Interested Parties Meeting: Implementation of the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act and Pediatric Research Equity Act

Date: Mon, Sept. 15, 2025; 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. ET

The purpose of the public meeting is to seek input from interested parties including, patient/parent/caregiver groups, consumer groups, regulated industry, academia, and others.  This input will enable FDA to obtain any recommendations or information relevant to the report to Congress that FDA is required to submit concerning pediatrics, including pediatric drug and biologic development and labeling, as outlined in section 508 of the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act (FDASIA).

Assessing Novel Efficacy Endpoints in Ophthalmologic Rare Disease Drug and Biologics Development

Date: Wed, Sept. 17, 2025; 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

The Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy, under a cooperative agreement with the FDA, is convening a one-day hybrid public meeting on September 17, 2025, focused on novel efficacy endpoints used in interventional clinical trials for drugs and biologics intended for patients with severe vision loss to support regulatory decision making.  The meeting will focus on full-field stimulus threshold testing and ellipsoid zone data.  Researchers, clinicians, and other parties will present and discuss evidence and data that may support the use of these tools in regulatory decision-making, such as clinical and statistical considerations for quantifying a clinically meaningful change.  Discussion will also include current limitations and potential strategies to advance the use and implementation of these tools to support regulatory decision-making.

FDA Public Meeting: BsUFA III Regulatory Science Program Interim Public Meeting

Date: Thu, Sept. 18, 2025; 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. ET

The FDA is hosting a hybrid in-person/virtual meeting on September 18, 2025, to meet the BsUFA III Commitment to review the progress of the pilot program’s aims, or demonstration projects, and solicit input on future priorities.  The meeting agenda includes an overview of the regulatory science program, presentations by internal and external awardees conducting research projects under the BsUFA III regulatory science program, and panel discussions by FDA staff and representatives from the biosimilar industry.

FDA CBER OTP Public Listening Meeting: Leveraging Knowledge for Facilitating the Development and Review of Cell and Gene Therapies

Date: Thu, Sept. 18, 2025; 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. ET

The FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) Office of Therapeutic Products (OTP) is hosting a virtual public listening meeting to solicit perspectives from cell and gene therapy (CGT) manufacturers and other stakeholders on leveraging prior knowledge and experience to facilitate product development and application review.

Patient-Focused Drug Development: Workshop #2 to Discuss Methodologic and Other Challenges Related to Patient Experience Data

Day 1: Tue, Sept. 18, 2025; 12:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. ET
Day 2: Wed, Sept. 19, 2025; 12:30 p.m. - 4 p.m. ET

On September 18 and 19, 2025, the FDA is hosting a virtual public workshop to discuss methodological challenges related to patient experience data encountered, including the submission and evaluation of patient experience data in the context of the benefit-risk assessment and product labeling, as well as other areas of greatest interest or concern to public stakeholders.  This workshop will feature presentations and panel discussions with experts on selected methodologies and the challenges and opportunities they present.  In addition, this workshop will present a draft version of an updated evidence dossier template to facilitate the submission of evidence to FDA to support a Clinical Outcome Assessment.

FDA Public Workshop: Future Needs for the Development of Interchangeable Products

Date: Fri, Sept. 19, 2025; 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. ET

The FDA is hosting a hybrid in-person/virtual public workshop on September 19, 2025, to meet the BsUFA III commitment.  The meeting agenda includes presentations by representatives from the biosimilar industry on the future needs for the development of interchangeable products, discussions on specific interchangeable topics, and a panel discussion with industry.

FDA/Center for Research on Complex Generics (CRCG) Workshop on Mastering Particle Size Analysis: A Step-By-Step Illustration of Techniques and Best Practices

Day 1: Tue, Sept. 23, 2025; 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. ET
Day 2: Wed, Sept. 24, 2025; 8:30 a.m. - 4:20 p.m. ET

This 2-day hybrid workshop addresses challenges in particle size characterization for complex generic drug products.  It aims to enhance understanding of Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Laser Diffraction (LD) techniques, tackle method development and validation issues, and provide hands-on experience with equipment.  By bringing together industry experts, regulatory scientists, and instrument vendors, the workshop fosters collaboration to overcome hurdles in generic drug development, identify research needs, and improve regulatory guidance.  Participants will gain valuable insights through theoretical presentations, practical demonstrations, and interactive discussions.

Prescription Drug User Fee Act and Biosimilar User Fee Amendments Hiring and Retention Assessment Public Meeting

Date: Wed, Sept. 24, 2025; 9 a.m. - noon ET

The FDA is holding a hybrid public meeting titled "Prescription Drug User Fee Act and Biosimilar User Fee Amendments Hiring and Retention Assessment."  The meeting includes an opportunity for public comment.  This public meeting is being held to meet performance commitments included in the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA VII) and the Biosimilar User Fee Amendments (BsUFA III).  During the public meeting, FDA will share high-level findings from a third-party assessment of FDA’s hiring and retention of staff for the human drug review program conducted by an independent contractor, Eastern Research Group, Inc. (ERG).

Regulatory Submissions with Real-World Evidence: Successes, Challenges, and Lessons Learned

Date: Tue, Sept. 23, 2025; 9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. ET

During this meeting, experts will discuss lessons learned from case studies in which RWE was used for regulatory decision-making for medical products.  Speakers will highlight FDA’s efforts with RWD/E to date and approaches to generate RWE to meet regulatory requirements.  This convening fulfills both a PDUFA VII and a MDUFA V requirement.

FDA Public Meeting: Onshoring Manufacturing of Drugs and Biological Products

Date: Tue, Sept. 30, 2025; 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. ET

In response to Executive Order (EO) 14293, FDA has developed a proposal, FDA PreCheck to accelerate the establishment of high priority new pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in the U.S. and strengthen the domestic pharmaceutical supply chain.  Specifically, the proposal consists of a two-phase approach: (1) Facility Readiness Phase, and (2) Application Submission Phase.  In Phase 1, the Facility Readiness Phase, selected manufacturers can engage with FDA for early technical advice before a facility is operational through pre-operational reviews and utilization of a facility-specific Drug Master File to facilitate efficient evaluation of facility-specific elements prior to, and in support of, the submission of a drug application.  In Phase 2, the Application Submission Phase, FDA and applicants build upon Phase 1 and engage through pre-submission meetings to resolve issues and expedite assessments of quality information in a drug application and inspections.

Financial Transparency and Efficiency of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, Biosimilar User Fee Act, and Generic Drug User Fee Amendments

Date: Tue, Sept. 30, 2025; 9:30 - 10:40 a.m. ET

This meeting will provide FDA the opportunity to update interested public stakeholders on topics related to the financial management of PDUFA VII, BsUFA III, and GDUFA III.  This year, FDA will present the 5-year financial plans for each of these programs and update participants on the progress towards implementing resource capacity planning as part of fee setting and modernized time reporting.

Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee Meeting

Date: Tue, Oct. 7, 2025; 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. ET

The Center for Tobacco Products’ TPSAC will meet for an open session to discuss the renewal of modified risk granted orders issued to Philip Morris Products S.A. for the following products:

  • Marlboro Amber HeatSticks
  • Marlboro Green Menthol HeatSticks
  • Marlboro Blue Menthol HeatSticks
  • IQOS 2.4 System Holder and Charger
  • IQOS 3.0 System Holder and Charger

Discussion will focus on whether the statutory standards continue to be met.

2025 Hybrid Public Workshop: Artificial Intelligence in Drug and Biological Product Development

Date: Tue, Oct. 7, 2025; 9 a.m. ET

Be a part of a dynamic conversation as leading experts dive into the rapidly evolving role of AI in transforming drug and biological product development — spotlighting the evolving role of AI in advancing the safety, efficacy, and quality of drug and biological product development.  Drawing on real-world breakthroughs since the first workshop in 2024, our speakers will address best practices, highlight cross-disciplinary collaborations, and reveal creative strategies to boost data quality, reduce bias, and enhance transparency and performance in AI models.  Discover fresh opportunities for partnership and walk away with actionable steps to drive responsible, transformative uses of AI in clinical research and to support regulatory decisions.

Advancing Generic Drug Development: Translating Science to Approval 2025

Day 1: Tue, Oct. 7, 2025; 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. ET
Day 2: Wed, Oct. 8, 2025; 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. ET

Join us for the 2025 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.  Dissect complex scientific challenges in abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs) alongside FDA experts, and gain insights into GDUFA III progress, GDUFA science and research on complex products and scientific issues related to product-specific guidance development, as well as pre-ANDA and ANDA meeting discussions.  The workshop will also highlight innovative science and cutting-edge methodologies in generic drug development.

FDA/The Osteosarcoma Institute (OSI) Workshop: Advancing Osteosarcoma Drug Development – Connecting Research and Regulatory Pathways for Improved Outcomes

Date: Fri, Oct. 10, 2025; 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. ET

The FDA Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE) and The Osteosarcoma Institute (OSI) have a shared interest in engaging with the osteosarcoma community to identify the major barriers to drug development for osteosarcoma and to discuss opportunities for collaboration to address these challenges.

Approval of New Patch Tests for the Diagnosis of Allergic Contact Dermatitis; Public Workshop

Date: Thu, Oct. 23, 2025; 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. ET

This public workshop is intended to provide information about and gain perspective from health care providers, academia, and industry on approaches used for the review and approval of new patch test allergens for the diagnosis of allergic contact dermatitis.  The input from this public workshop will help inform the Agency on the need for rapid approval of new patch test allergens, the utility of the Agency’s current approval paradigm, and proposals for alternative approaches that might be considered.

Cheminformatics Resources of U.S. Governmental Organizations 2025 Workshop

Day 1: Wed, Nov. 5, 2025; 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. ET
Day 2: Thu, Nov. 6, 2025; 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. ET
Day 3: Thu, Nov. 7, 2025; 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. ET

The purpose of the Cheminformatics Resources of U.S. Governmental Organizations 2025 Workshop is to enhance communication and collaboration between the U.S. Government-funded organizations that create and maintain databases, data standards, datasets, scientific approaches and computational resources dealing with chemical structures and properties of molecules and materials.

Pediatric Developmental Safety Assessment: New Approach Methods

Date: Fri, Dec. 5, 2025; 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. ET

The FDA in collaboration with the Triangle Center of Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation (Triangle CERSI) will host a public workshop entitled “Hybrid Public Workshop: Pediatric Developmental Safety Assessment and New Approach Methodologies” on December 5, 2025.  The goal of this workshop is to discuss new approach methods that can address pediatric developmental safety during drug development.

View Upcoming FDA Meetings, Conferences and Workshops

Public meetings involving the FDA: Upcoming events, past meetings, meeting materials, and transcripts

About Us

The Public 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, patients and patient advocacy organizations, consumer groups, trade associations, think tanks and academia, and other interested parties, in order to better inform our policy making process, identify policy hurdles or misconceptions, and create strategic collaborations. For more information, please contact us at: PublicEngagement@fda.hhs.gov.  For patient specific inquiries, please contact us at: Patients Ask FDA.

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.

Download the guide

Accommodation and Compliance: Long COVID

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.

Read the brief

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.

Download the policy brief

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.

Download the report

Working with Long COVID

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.

Download the fact sheet

COVID-19: Long-Term Symptoms

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.

Watch the motion graphic

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.

Listen to the podcast

HHS OIG Issues Annual Report on State MFCUs

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 Fiscal Year 2023 Annual Report (OEI-09-24-00200) 

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.

Read the Full Report

View the Statistical Chart

Engage with the Interactive Map

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)

CMS Issues Latest Medicare Regulatory Activities Update

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