Cry 'Hemorrhoids!', and let slip the dogs of war

  • by: |
  • 09/10/2015

First there was Orphan Medical (Caronia), then Amarin. Now Pacira Pharmaceuticals has filed a lawsuit against FDA seeking declaratory judgment that the agency may not prohibit them from providing "truthful and non-misleading" information about the use of Exparel bupivacaine. 


Pacira is seeking preliminary and permanent injunctions to prevent FDA from taking action against them on the basis of proposed "truthful and non-misleading" speech. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. 


FDA approved Exparel in 2011 for postoperative pain management. 
In September 2014, FDA sent Pacira a warning letter asking the company to stop promoting it for use in surgical procedures other than bunionectomies or hemorrhoidectomies. The agency letter also disputed Pacira's claim that Exparel provides pain control "that lasts for up to 72 hours" as an overstatement of efficacy that was "false and misleading."


Pacira argues that, even if the indications it promoted were considered off-label, they still have the right to promote "truthful and non-misleading" information about the drug under the First Amendment and cited the recent district court opinion allowing Amarin to engage in "truthful and non-misleading speech" to promote off-label use of Vascepa.

What do the Caronia, Vascepa, and Pacria cases have in common? Well, for one thing all the plaintiffs are small companies, largely dependent on the sales of a single product for their revenues. Suing the FDA used to be considered a high-stakes gamble, but recent rulings – and the lack of action on the part of the agency to put forward new draft guidance – seem to have changed the risk/benefit analysis. At least for small companies.

(And the odds-makers of Wall Street think so too. 
Pacira gained $2.71 to $60.18 on Wednesday.)

Can lawsuits by Big Pharma be far behind?

As far as anything from White Oak … Car 54 where are you?

CMPI

Center for Medicine in the Public Interest is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization promoting innovative solutions that advance medical progress, reduce health disparities, extend life and make health care more affordable, preventive and patient-centered. CMPI also provides the public, policymakers and the media a reliable source of independent scientific analysis on issues ranging from personalized medicine, food and drug safety, health care reform and comparative effectiveness.

Blog Roll

Alliance for Patient Access Alternative Health Practice
AHRP
Better Health
BigGovHealth
Biotech Blog
BrandweekNRX
CA Medicine man
Cafe Pharma
Campaign for Modern Medicines
Carlat Psychiatry Blog
Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry: A Closer Look
Conservative's Forum
Club For Growth
CNEhealth.org
Diabetes Mine
Disruptive Women
Doctors For Patient Care
Dr. Gov
Drug Channels
DTC Perspectives
eDrugSearch
Envisioning 2.0
EyeOnFDA
FDA Law Blog
Fierce Pharma
fightingdiseases.org
Fresh Air Fund
Furious Seasons
Gooznews
Gel Health News
Hands Off My Health
Health Business Blog
Health Care BS
Health Care for All
Healthy Skepticism
Hooked: Ethics, Medicine, and Pharma
Hugh Hewitt
IgniteBlog
In the Pipeline
In Vivo
Instapundit
Internet Drug News
Jaz'd Healthcare
Jaz'd Pharmaceutical Industry
Jim Edwards' NRx
Kaus Files
KevinMD
Laffer Health Care Report
Little Green Footballs
Med Buzz
Media Research Center
Medrants
More than Medicine
National Review
Neuroethics & Law
Newsbusters
Nurses For Reform
Nurses For Reform Blog
Opinion Journal
Orange Book
PAL
Peter Rost
Pharm Aid
Pharma Blog Review
Pharma Blogsphere
Pharma Marketing Blog
Pharmablogger
Pharmacology Corner
Pharmagossip
Pharmamotion
Pharmalot
Pharmaceutical Business Review
Piper Report
Polipundit
Powerline
Prescription for a Cure
Public Plan Facts
Quackwatch
Real Clear Politics
Remedyhealthcare
Shark Report
Shearlings Got Plowed
StateHouseCall.org
Taking Back America
Terra Sigillata
The Cycle
The Catalyst
The Lonely Conservative
TortsProf
Town Hall
Washington Monthly
World of DTC Marketing
WSJ Health Blog