The head of the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce subcommittee is calling for tougher restrictions on DTC television advertising for prescription drugs.

A bill introduced in the House of Representatives last week would mandate reporting of all gifts to physicians worth more than $25, and violators could lose millions in tax deductions for advertising expenses.

Last week's meeting of an Institute of Medicine (IOM) committee gave some hope for a thaw in attitudes toward commercially supported CME, but supporters and providers remain anxious about the group's inquiry into conflicts of interest in medical research and medical education.

FDA deputy commissioner Janet Woodcock will return to the role of permanent director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research following a "national search" to fill the slot.

The UK's drugs regulatory agency said it would not prosecute GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for allegedly withholding clinical trials data related to its antidepressant Seroxat (paroxetine), sold in the US under the brand name Paxil.

The leader of the Massachusetts State Senate has proposed legislation banning all gifts to doctors from pharmaceutical companies. If enacted, the move would make the state the first in the country to ban gifts outright.

The Supreme Court split 4-4 on a narrow pre-emption case Monday, giving the green light to suits against Pfizer predecessor Warner Lambert.

PhRMA spent more than $22 million lobbying the federal government last year, nearly a 25% increase from the amount spent in 2006, disclosure records filed by the group last week show.

In a major test of the preemption principle, the US Supreme Court ruled 8-1 that patients can't file common-law claims challenging the safety and effectiveness of an FDA-approved medical device.

The FDA has issued draft guidance on "Good reprint practices" for distribution of journal articles involving unapproved uses of FDA-approved drugs and medical devices.