At least 10% of OPDP's enforcement letters in the last four years have cited companies for pre-approval promotion. This promotional communication, a video, entitled Paragard: Family Planning During The Pandemic[,] was presented on WBTSs The Hub Today.1 The video was submitted as a complaint to the FDA Bad Ad Program. Trumbull, CT 06611 All correspondence should include a subject line that clearly identifies the submission as a Response to Warning Letter. In 15 minutes, we confirmed that she was positive, and we were able to take the appropriate precautions. Leronlimab Warning Letter (February 2022), OPDPs warning letter to CytoDyn, Inc. (CytoDyn) states that a video interview made available via hyperlink on CytoDyns corporate website misbrands leronlimab, an investigational new drug for the treatment of COVID-19, by representing the drug as safe and effective for the purpose for which it is being investigated. Three of the letters cited companies for failing to submit the promotional materials to OPDP under cover of Form FDA-2253 at the time of initial dissemination as required by 21 CFR 314.81(b)(3)(i). CooperSurgical, Inc. - 613339 - 02/12/2021 | FDA OPDP alleges that the post is misleading because it prominently communicates that the drug can help lower A1C along with diet and exercise, while failing to adequately communicate the drugs full indication and limitations of use. Corrective communication(s) should be free of promotional claims and presentations. Not as compelling perhaps as Harry and Meghan splitting from Buckingham Palace, but there has been a split at FDAs OPDP between Warning and Untitled letters. False or Misleading Risk and Benefit Presentations, OPDP alleges that the promotional materials misbrand Dsuvia by failing to adequately present the drugs risks and benefits. However, perhaps most importantly, the search tool for Warning Letters does not go past 2017 and there is no link from the search page to the archives. I am a frequent speaker on various aspects of same - drug development, promotion, reimbursement and new media in a highly regulated environment. The majority of warning letters targeted products marketed with drug claims, while 13 warning letters were directed at medical devices, including COVID-19 antigen test kits for at-home use. This e-alert is part of a series of e-alerts summarizing publicly available FDA enforcement letters (i.e., warning letters and untitled letters) relating to the advertising and promotion of prescription drugs, medical devices, and biologics. Both TV Ads state brought to you by Emgality proud partner of Team USA. In the TV ads, Olympic athletes Ryan Murphy and Allysa Seely state the following: OPDP alleges that the TV Ads contain representations or suggestions relating to an indication for use of [Emgality] and therefore must include: (1) risk information and (2) unless adequate provision is made for dissemination of the approved or permitted package labeling, a brief summary of all necessary information related to side effects and contraindications. 2022 Year in Review: FDA Drug and Device Advertising and Promotion Search | FDA - U.S. Food and Drug Administration In one letter, FDA expressly noted that the letter was preceded by a non-public It has come to our attention letter and other private outreaches to the company, thus serving as a reminder that CDRH continues to relay compliance concerns in ways other than Warning Letters. The Food and Drug Administration's Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (OPDP) issued a total of six letters in 2021 four Untitled Letters and two Warning Letters to pharmaceutical or biologics companies for promotional materials that allegedly misbranded prescription drug or biologics products. When it comes to the Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (OPDP), the regulatory actions that came from that source were up until now all stored on a single page within the OPDP portion of the FDA website listing the letters in chronological order and making distinct which ones were Warning Letters and which ones were Untitled Letters. Everything posted on this blog is my personal opinion and does not necessarily represent the views of FleishmanHillard or its clients. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site. Warning Letters | FDA Please direct your response to the undersigned at the Food and Drug Administration, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Office of Prescription Drug Promotion, 5901-B Ammendale Road, Beltsville, Maryland 20705-1266. Skip to Content She works in a doctors office and was able to get a PCR test the next day, which confirmed that she was positive. 2021 Year in Review: OPDP Enforcement Actions Involving Prescription and Biological Products | Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, https://www.faegredrinker.com/-/media/images/professionals/no_photo_placeholder.jpg?rev=42a477b430684becad7270629ed0f748&hash=B1464A1F719441188BC5225203A8C221. This e-alert is part of a series of e-alerts summarizing publicly available FDA enforcement letters (i.e., warning letters and untitled letters) relating to the advertising and promotion of prescription drugs, medical devices, and biologics. Not a big deal, but it adds a step. All Eyes on Influencers: FDA and FTC Examination of Endorser OPDP Issues Second Warning Letter of 2021. But Wait - FDA Law Blog Warning. The practice in Johannesburg is conducted by an affiliated limited company Covington & Burling (Pty) Ltd. In January, the Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (OPDP) posted the following untitled letter, issued in December 2021, on FDAs website: OPDP simultaneously posted Lillys response to the Untitled Letter (Response to Untitled Letter) and a close-out letter (Close-Out Letter) stating that the concerns contained in the Untitled Letter have been addressed. For the past several years, I have been consulting with pharmaceutical and biologic companies that are engaged in the process of bringing new drugs to market. My wife came home Monday evening with a cough and not feeling well. {See appended electronic signature page} The following superimposed text is included throughout the video: FAMILY PLANNING DURING THE PANDEMIC PARAGARDS NON-HORMONAL OPTION (bolded emphasis in original). Of the nine total advertising and promotion letters in 2022, four were issued by FDAs Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (OPDP). OPDP also alleges that the post fails to present risk information with a prominence and readability reasonably comparable with the presentation of information relating to the benefits of the drug. Whereas benefit claims and representations are presented by colorful, compelling, and attention-grabbing fast-paced visuals, risk information is presented in a small window relegated to the bottom of the post and is presented using fast-paced, scrolling, small font that is difficult to read and cannot be adequately processed or comprehended by consumers. OPDP states further that the post fails to communicate material information about the risk of hypoglycemia with concomitant use of insulin secretagogues or insulin. Of these four, one was a Warning Letter and three were Untitled Letters. Total. In January, the Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (OPDP), Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (OPDP), CDRH Office of Product Evaluation and Quality (OPEQ) and ORA Office of Medical Device and Radiological Health Operations (OMDRHO), Covington To Open Boston Office With Broad-Based Life Sciences Capabilities, Covington Named Among Top 25 Firms for Pro Bono in the UK, FDA Advertising and Promotion Enforcement Activities: Update, Untitled Letter to Eli Lilly and Company, re: BLA 761063 EMGALITY (galcanezumab-gnlm) injection, for subcutaneous use,MA #558 (Dec. 13, 2021) (, Warning Letter to DermaCare Biosciences, LTD. re: Easy Rapid Now COVID-19 Nasal Swab Antigen Test (Colloidal Gold) (Dec. 1, 2021) (, I do a whole bunch of different things to try to prevent migraine because for me the pain is really tough[. Reg. FDA Advertising and Promotion Enforcement Activities: Update OPDPs warning letter to CooperSurgical, Inc. (CSI), alleges that a direct-to-consumer (DTC) video misbrands the intrauterine contraceptive by presenting efficacy claims without communicating any risk information. Response to Untitled Letter (December 2021). Our critically-ill population that we did in the United States when we gave a dose of leronlimab. First we will look at a change in how FDA is reporting regulatory actions by OPDP on the FDA website, and second we will cover the most recent such action. While we do not think this will be the sole reason for a Warning or Untitled Letter, OPDP will certainly include it in a letter that cites other regulatory issues. Too Much, Too Soon: OPDP Issues Untitled Letter for Pre - FDA Law Blog In some jurisdictions, this communication may be considered attorney advertising. 2023 Covington & Burling LLP. ] (Allysa Seely TV Ad), By the time I was in college, migraine [sp.] OPDP noted that viewers are referred to the product website for further information about the product; however, this does not mitigate the complete omission of risk information from the video about the drugs safety. This e-alert reviews trends emerging from warning letters and untitled letters concerning product advertising and promotion issued in 2021 by the Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (OPDP) of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), the Advertising and Promotional Labeling Branch (APLB) in the Office of Compliance and Biologics Qual. hb```"^ i |@Qsm! /ru!\ Therefore, a companys promotional review process is key to ensuring the success of company marketing activities, especially for products in a high-risk category or advertisements or promotional materials directed to consumers. The warning letter follows an FDA statement from May 17, 2021, in which the agency concluded that "it has become clear that the data currently available do not support the clinical benefit of leronlimab for the treatment of COVID-19." [1] Misbranding of an Investigational Drug The .gov means its official.Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. As of Oct. 7, FDA has issued Refuse to Accept (RTA) letters for more than 889,000 products in applications that . Warning Letters | FDA Warning Letters Learn about the types of warning letters on FDA's website. Sincerely, If that keeps up, 2021 should be a much more active year than those in recent memory. Join us on January 24 for a review of key takeaways from the FDAs 2022 drug and device advertising and promotion enforcement letters and a discussion of other noteworthy developments relevant to drug and medical device marketing. Remarkably, this is the second letter to be issued by OPDP involving a Kardashian. publication of the advertisement for a prescription drug product. The total number of letters issued in 2021 is consistent with the trend of fewer enforcement letters issued by OPDP over the course of the past 10-15 years. Visit the FOI page for instructions on how to submit an FOI request or for more information on the status of an issue in a particular warning letter or notice of violation. Office of Prescription Drug Promotion Additionally, OPDP alleges that the video significantly mischaracterizes the clinical trial data. A primary reason that physicians and other medical professionals report visiting specific exhibitors at conferences is to obtain product information, and it is important that the information provided by exhibitors to HCPs regarding the risks and efficacy of prescription medications not be false or misleading. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. In February, the Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (OPDP) posted the following warning letter on FDAs website: In January, OPDP posted the following untitled letter: The above are the first and second enforcement letters OPDP has issued this year. 314.81(b)(3)(i) requires the submission of labeling or advertising devised for promotion of the drug product at the time of initial dissemination of the labeling and at the time of initial publication of the advertisement. Each submission must be accompanied by a completed transmittal Form FDA-2253 (Transmittal of Advertisements and Promotional Labeling for Drugs for Human Use) and a copy of the products current professional labeling. 2023 Covington & Burling LLP. Dear Ms. Sheffield: The Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (OPDP) of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reviewed a direct-to-consumer video sponsored by PARAGARD (intrauterine copper contraceptive) (Paragard). When you go to the Archives, the tabs are all labeled Warning Letters but in fact, if you click on them, you go to archives that contain both Warning Letters and Untitled Letters. limited liability multinational partnership, Covington & Burling LLP, which is formed under the laws of the State of Delaware in the United States BLA 125469 TRULICITY (dulaglutide) injection, for subcutaneous use, An official website of the United States government, : in 2019, OPDP issued ten letters - three Warning Letters and seven Untitled Letters. If you believe that your products are not in violation of the FD&C Act, please include in your submission to us your reasoning and any supporting information for our consideration within 15 days from the date of receipt of this letter. That sounds easy enough, though it deprives you of the former chronological view of what OPDP is doing by way of enforcement. Two of the letters discussed direct-to-consumer videos, signifying the agencys monitoring and scrutiny of advertisements directed at consumers, an audience considered more vulnerable compared to healthcare providers. So it is unclear whether or not one can access letters prior to that year when using this new page. OPEQs Warning Letter to DermaCare Biosciences alleges that the companys COVID-19 test is adulterated and misbranded because it is offered for sale and distributed to consumers in the United States without marketing approval, clearance, or authorization from FDA. Although this alert does not typically cover letters alleging distribution of devices without marketing approval, clearance, or authorization from FDA, this letter makes additional allegations related to the advertising and promotion of the product. Source: C&B tabulation, based on letters on FDA website. To ensure timely delivery of your submissions, please use the full address above and include a prominent directional notation (e.g. In 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA or the Agency) issued a total of nine enforcement letters targeting advertising and promotion violations for prescription drugs and devices. A courtesy copy can be sent by facsimile to (301) 847-8444. Thus, these devices appear to remain high among FDAs enforcement priorities. Washington, D.C. Heather Banuelos But if you happen to search under both, you will get different results. and authorized and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with registration number 77071.. 21 U.S.C. The material contained in this communication is informational, general in nature and does not constitute legal advice. An official website of the United States government, Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts, Inspections, Compliance, Enforcement, and Criminal Investigations, CooperSurgical, Inc. - 613339 - 02/12/2021. OPDPs close-out letter states that [a]fter review of the information submitted and Eli Lillys reasoning, as well as the actions taken by Eli Lilly upon receipt of the Untitled Letter, OPDP believes that the concerns contained in the Untitled Letter have been addressed.. All five of the non-COVID-19 Warning Letters issued in 2022 addressed the promotion of unapproved new devices or unapproved new indications of already marketed devices. 2020 OPDP Wrap-up: FDA monitoring drug - Hogan Lovells Engage Adverse reactions reported with use of Paragard include anemia, backache, dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, expulsion (complete or partial), prolonged menstrual flow, menstrual spotting, pain and cramping, and vaginitis. In 2011, the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research's (CDER) Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (OPDP), formerly known as the Division of Drug Marketing, Advertising, and Communications. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Matters described in FDA warning letters may have been subject to subsequent. RX for Pharma Industry Communications and Planning. Warning letters are posted to the FDA Warning Letter webpage, while untitled letters are posted to the CDER Compliance Letter webpage. Covington & Burling LLP operates as a limited liability partnership worldwide, with the practice in England and Wales conducted by an affiliated The determination of whether promotional materials are misleading includes, among other things, not only representations made or suggested in promotional materials, but also failure to reveal facts material in light of the representations made or with respect to consequences that may result from the use of the drug as recommended or suggested in the materials. On February 11, 2022, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (OPDP) sent a letter to CytoDyn, Inc., over its investigational new drug leronlimab, currently under an investigational new drug application (IND).According to the letter, FDA takes issue with a video interview from September 2021, where Dr. Nader Pourhassan discusses leronlimab and . As an agency, FDA issues Warning Letters from multiple sources covering a span of topics and concentrated on various segments of the subject matter jurisdiction of the agency from food to devices to cosmetics and of course, to the communication by the manufacturers of medicine about their products. Director OPDPs untitled letter to Eli Lilly and Company (Lilly) states that two direct-to-consumer broadcast television advertisements (TV Ads) misbrand Emgality, a drug indicated for the preventive treatment of migraine in adults and the treatment of episodic cluster headache in adults. Thus, investigating the impact of pharmaceutical booth promotions among medical conference attendees has valuable practical implications for the public health. Both Warning and Untitled letters are made public on FDAs website. In 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (OPDP) issued four warning letters and two untitled letters to pharmaceutical companies for promotional. OPDP Warning and Untitled Letters - Eye on FDA | RX for Pharma Industry This is a representation of an electronic record that was signed electronically. Furthermore, CSI did not comply with 21 CFR 314.81(b)(3)(i). Hopefully FDA will sort out the different results for different tabs for the same office. 314.81(b)(3)(i) requires the submission of labeling or advertising devised for promotion of the drug product at the time of initial dissemination of the labeling and at the time of initial publication of the advertisement. Each submission must be accompanied by a completed transmittal Form FDA-2253 (Transmittal of Advertisements and Promotional Labeling for Drugs for Human Use) and a copy of the products current professional labeling. Covington & Burling LLP operates as a limited liability partnership worldwide, with the practice in England and Wales conducted by an affiliated The practice in Dublin Ireland is through a general affiliated Irish partnership, Covington & Burling and authorized and regulated by the Law Society of Ireland with registration number F9013. OPDP also states that Lilly did not submit the video to OPDP as required under federal regulations. The video is false or misleading in that it presents efficacy claims for Paragard, but fails to communicate any risk information associated with its use. For reasons indiscernible to this author, the agency recently split Warning Letters from Untitled Letters and now displays them in separate parts of the FDA site. Citing its May 2021 statement, OPDP notes that the larger trial conducted in patients with severe COVID-19 disease failed to find any effect (emphasis by OPDP) on the primary study endpoint or any secondary endpoints and that the data currently available do not support the clinical benefit of leronlimab. OPDP concludes the letter by stating that the video represents the drug as having an established role in the treatment of COVID-19, when leronlimab has not been proven as safe or effective within the meaning of the FD&C Act and has not been approved as a drug, nor granted an emergency use authorization under that authority for any use.. PDF January 28, 2021 2020 Enforcement Review: FDA-Regulated Medical . The concerns discussed in this letter do not necessarily constitute an exhaustive list of potential violations. FDA Advertising and Promotion Enforcement Activities: Update . This type of early warning will assist you in keeping your workplace and employees safer resulting in fewer business interruptions., Rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antigen in less than 15 minute [sic]. One Warning Letter and the Untitled Letter were the subject of complaints to OPDP's Bad Ad Program. In September, the Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (OPDP) posted three warning letters on FDA's website, including one letter issued in August: Warning Letter to Sprout Pharmaceuticals, Inc. re: NDA 022526 ADDYI (flibanserin) tablets, for oral use, MA 241 (Aug. 31, 2020) ( Addyi Warning Letter) OPDP has expressed concerns regarding promotional materials for Paragard in a previous letter. For questions or additional information, please contact Carolina Wirth or Genevieve Razick. This communication was published on the date specified and may not include any changes in the topics, laws, rules or regulations covered. This alert merely summarizes the allegations contained in FDAs letters. Both the banner and the display include the claim Tongue and Done (emphasis original). 35 0 obj
<>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<52AF814455E47842A7EABAFC2C7D0EB6>]/Index[21 30]/Length 76/Prev 37090/Root 22 0 R/Size 51/Type/XRef/W[1 2 1]>>stream
Untitled Letters are still located on the OPDP site, but the Warning Letters have been moved to a portion of the FDA website where all agency-wide warning letters are being housed no matter from where they originated. FDA regulations require any labeling or advertising devised for promotion of the drug product to be submitted at the time of initial dissemination of the labeling and at the time of initial publication of the advertisement for a prescription drug product. This misleading presentation is particularly concerning from a public health perspective due to the serious and potentially life-threatening risks associated with the drug, such as those contained in the WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS section of Paragards PI.Failure to Submit Under Form FDA-2253. It does not contain any analyses, opinions, characterizations, or conclusions by or of Covington & Burling LLP. The Food and Drug Administrations Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (OPDP) issued a total of six letters in 2021 four Untitled Letters and two Warning Letters to pharmaceutical or biologics companies for promotional materials that allegedly misbranded prescription drug or biologics products. Warning Letters are issued for violations of regulatory significance that may lead to enforcement action if not promptly and adequately corrected, whereas Untitled Letters cite violations that do not rise to the threshold of regulatory significance warranting a Warning Letter.1 Untitled Letters serve as the initial notification that FDA has taken notice of a violation and allow the company to come into compliance without further FDA regulatory action. All in all this is a rather confusing reconfiguration. 3. When looking for letters from OPDP the drop down menu includes the option to search for Warning Letters from either Office of Prescription Drug Promotion or The Office of Prescription Drug Promotion. OPDP continues to focus its enforcement efforts on high-risk drug or biological products, such as opioids or products under a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS). Covington & Burling LLP operates as a limited liability partnership worldwide, with the practice in England and Wales conducted by an affiliated The agency may have redacted or edited some of the letters to remove confidential information.