The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association (PhRMA) filed suit Nov. 23 in U.S. district court challenging the Trump administration’s final rule allowing the import of prescription drugs from Canada.

Four days after receiving European approval, the FDA has followed suit for Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s Oxlumo (lumasiran), the first treatment for primary hyperoxaluria type 1, an ultra-rare genetic disorder that contributes to kidney stones and deposits.

SHENZHEN – To accelerate the development of cell therapies, China’s NMPA has introduced a dual-track regulatory pathway that allows companies to seek an IND with data from investigator-initiated trials.

Hologic Inc. has gained approval from the U.S. FDA to add a diagnostic claim to its HIV type 1 viral load monitoring assay. This makes the Aptima HIV-1 Quant Dx assay the first dual-claim assay in the U.S., allowing both viral load monitoring and diagnosis. For laboratories that use the assay, the dual claim allows for consolidated testing on one automated platform, adding to efficiency.

The U.S. FDA cleared Alivecor Inc.'s Kardia AI V2 interpretive electrocardiogram (ECG) algorithm for use in its personal ECG app and devices. Currently, the Kardia line permits consumers to take a 30-second medical grade ECG at home and instantly see whether they are exhibiting symptoms of atrial fibrillation, bradycardia, tachycardia or have normal heart rhythm.

Two U.S. federal agencies at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have finalized rules that affect how drug and device makers interact with the health care system, but under the Congressional Review Act, neither rule can go into effect until February 2021. This timeline comes up a couple of weeks after President-elect Joseph Biden is sworn in, thus raising the risk that the new administration at HHS will either modify or overturn these rules altogether.