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Inside FDA Pharma Policy Development Jan 12, 2026

Show notes

Wayne chats with Rumi Young, Director of Regulatory Policy at Novo Nordisk, and Jamie Gamerman, Head of Regulatory Policy at UCB. You'll hear their thoughts on how FDA policy is developed and is evolving; how previous PDUFAs have changed the agency's policy agenda and how those commitments translate into guidance development; the most important scientific or technical inflection points driving FDA policy right now; what drives the development of new agency frameworks or programs; how companies internalize new FDA policies where disconnects may exist; FDA's efforts to balance scientific integrity with regulatory flexibility in policy development for issues such as rare diseases; and much more.

In our headlines segment, Wayne highlights these major developments:

Pharma: FDA awards two more vouchers under Commissioner's National Priority Voucher pilot program

Pharma and Devices: FDA updates approach to incorporating RWE into drug and medical device application reviews

Food: Consumer advocate coalition urges top health officials to take action to protect infant formula safety amid ongoing Clostridium botulinum outbreak

Cosmetics: FDA finds data insufficient to determine safety of most PFAS in cosmetics

In our Resource Links segment, we list key documents in our four core areas. To view these links, subscribe, or find out more information about our podcast, visit FDAWatch.net.

Want to be a sponsor, marketing partner, or guest, or provide feedback on the podcast? Email us at info@fdawatch.net.

Music by Dvir Silver from Pixabay.

Year-End Review & Look Ahead Dec 22, 2025

Show notes

Wayne chats with the following guests in their respective fields of expertise:

Pharma: Paul Kim, Principal, Kendall Square Policy Strategies LLC

Devices: John Sawyer, President, Realistic Quality Solutions, LLC

Food: Stuart Pape, Senior Partner and Food and Drug Chair, Polsinelli

Cosmetics: Angela Diesch, Partner and Head of the Cosmetics Industry Group at PLG (Potomac Law)

Each guest dives into the top FDA developments from 2025 in their respective areas, as well as the top developments to watch for in 2026.

This episode and all bonus episodes do not include the usual Headlines and Resources Links segments.

Want to be a sponsor, marketing partner, or guest, or provide feedback on the podcast? Email us at info@fdawatch.net.

Music by Dvir Silver from Pixabay.

Deregulation, AI & More with Dr. Ritu Nalubola Dec 08, 2025

Show notes

Wayne chats with Dr. Ritu Nalubola, Director of Life Sciences and Healthtech at Marwood Group and former FDA leader, spanning several roles over more than two decades. Together, they discuss how deregulation has been playing out at FDA; industry incentive programs, such as the Commissioner's National Priority Voucher program and PreCheck program; how agency efforts to streamline regulation could affect product safety; how tariffs and MFN impact FDA and industry; the agency's role in regulating AI and supporting AI applications; broader initiatives on health data and governance; Ritu's thoughts on where things may be headed in 2026; and much more.

This episode and all bonus episodes do not include the usual Headlines and Resources Links segments.

To subscribe or find out more information about our podcast, visit FDAWatch.net.

Want to be a sponsor, marketing partner, or guest, or provide feedback on the podcast? Email us at info@fdawatch.net.

Music by Dvir Silver from Pixabay.

Pharmaceutical Regulation, Compliance & Policy, Part 4: Dispute Resolution for Drugs and Biological Products Dec 01, 2025

Show notes

In this fourth and final part of our series in collaboration with Hyman, Phelps & McNamara (HPM), Wayne chats with Michelle Butler, Director at HPM; Charles Raver, Associate at HPM; and Josephine Torrente, Director at HPM. Together, they discuss potential avenues to resolve a disagreement informally; how the formal dispute resolution (FDR) process works; why companies would engage in the FDR process and what constitutes a win; common misconceptions about the FDR process; what changes may be coming to the FDR process; and much more.

This episode and the rest of our series do not include the usual Headlines and Resources Links segments.

To subscribe or find out more information about our podcast, visit FDAWatch.net.

Want to be a sponsor, marketing partner, or guest, or provide feedback on the podcast? Email us at info@fdawatch.net.

Music by Dvir Silver from Pixabay.

Key Issues Shaping Cosmetics and Personal Care Oversight Nov 24, 2025

Show notes

Wayne chats with Rachel Raphael, Partner at Morgan Lewis, and Ronie Schmelz, Partner at K&L Gates. You'll hear their thoughts on what's happening at FDA in cosmetics and personal care products; how companies should navigate ingredient concerns amid federal inaction, aggressive state laws, and stricter foreign regimes; the state of regulation surrounding labeling and advertising and promotion; what industry should be keeping an eye on heading into 2026; and much more.

In our headlines segment, Wayne delves into these major developments:

Tensions reported between FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Pharma: From the Guardian, finding CDER Director replacement left FDA in state of "turmoil" and "tensions"

Devices: From the Economic Times, European medical device manufacturers feeling U.S. tariff squeeze

Food: RFK Jr. calls for greater food allergy research at Food Allergy Fund Leadership Forum

In our Resource Links segment, we list key documents in our four core areas. To view these links, subscribe, or find out more information about our podcast, visit FDAWatch.net.

Want to be a sponsor, marketing partner, or guest, or provide feedback on the podcast? Email us at info@fdawatch.net.

Music by Dvir Silver from Pixabay.

How Industry Is Adapting to FDA's Food Shifts Nov 17, 2025

Show notes

Wayne chats with Sarah Sorscher, Director of Regulatory Affairs at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, and Sarah Gallo, Senior Vice President of Product Policy and Federal Affairs at the Consumer Brands Association. You'll hear their thoughts on the current state of foods at FDA, concerns related to the agency's budget, impacts of the government shutdown on FDA and the Human Foods program, how federal regulation might affect state regulation, changes to the GRAS process and post-market review, how industry is adapting to evolving guidance on ultraprocessed foods, and much more.

Read Sarah Sorscher's statement and article on the Marshall bill.

In our headlines segment, Wayne delves into these major developments:

FDA returns to work following historic government shutdown

Pharma:

Richard Pazdur named new CDER director
FDA announces next round of priority review vouchers

Devices: MD+DI analysis shows slowdown in device regulatory review process

Food: From ProPublica, FDA foreign food safety inspections hit historic low

Cosmetics: Neutrogena recalls potentially contaminated makeup wipes

In our Resource Links segment, we list key documents in our four core areas. To view these links, subscribe, or find out more information about our podcast, visit FDAWatch.net.

Want to be a sponsor, marketing partner, or guest, or provide feedback on the podcast? Email us at info@fdawatch.net.

Music by Dvir Silver from Pixabay.

Pharmaceutical Regulation, Compliance & Policy, Part 3: A Close Look at Generic Drugs Nov 10, 2025

Show notes

In this third part of our series in collaboration with Hyman, Phelps & McNamara (HPM), Wayne chats with Sara Koblitz, Director at HPM; Kurt Karst, Director at HPM; and Karin Hessler, General Counsel at the Association for Accessible Medicines. Together, they discuss the biggest hurdles that the generic industry needs to overcome in today's regulatory environment; the effect of pressure on industry to continue lowering drug prices; how the Hatch-Waxman Act has played out over the past 40 years; how the act can be used to address drug shortages; incentives for companies to develop follow-on products to avoid shortages; how tariffs are impacting generic drug manufacturing overseas; and much more.

This episode and the rest of our series do not include the usual Headlines and Resources Links segments.

To subscribe or find out more information about our podcast, visit FDAWatch.net.

Want to be a sponsor, marketing partner, or guest, or provide feedback on the podcast? Email us at info@fdawatch.net.

Music by Dvir Silver from Pixabay.

Pharmaceutical Regulation, Compliance & Policy, Part 2: Navigating the New Enforcement Environment Nov 03, 2025

Show notes

In this second part of our series in collaboration with Hyman, Phelps & McNamara (HPM), Wayne chats with John Claud, Counsel at HPM; Peter Dickos, Counsel at HPM; and Andrew Hull, Director at HPM. Together, they discuss the current enforcement environment at FDA; foreign inspections of pharmaceuticals and how companies should respond to 483s; False Claims Act theories for liability, specifically in areas such as cybersecurity, tariffs, DEI compliance, and CID/subpoena responses; key considerations in determining whether to enter into a consent decree with the agency; trends in enforcement discretion; and much more.

This episode and the rest of our series do not include the usual Headlines and Resources Links segments.

To subscribe or find out more information about our podcast, visit FDAWatch.net.

Want to be a sponsor, marketing partner, or guest, or provide feedback on the podcast? Email us at info@fdawatch.net.

Music by Dvir Silver from Pixabay.

Examining CDRH, Device Innovation & Agency Communication Oct 27, 2025

Show notes

Wayne chats with Sandra Cohen Kalter, member of the Strategic Advisory Group for iTolerance and a retired legal regulatory attorney from industry, and Steve Silverman, President of the consultancy The Silverman Group. You'll hear their thoughts on how CDRH has been affected over the past year, whether the center has the resources and cross-agency collaboration it needs to fulfill its regulatory mandate, FDA's capacity to support innovation amid review pressure and staffing cuts, how companies can find reliable up-to-date regulatory information that's not available through FDA communications avenues, FDA's ability to monitor safety and performance throughout a device's life cycle, and much more.

In our headlines segment, Wayne delves into these major developments:

Pharma: From STAT, biotech leaders say FDA uncertainty threatens drug development

Devices: FDA alerts healthcare providers, patients, and caregivers to complications with radiofrequency microneedling devices

Food: FDA remains busy with food recalls, this time for cinnamon and eggs

Cosmetics: Personal Care Insights spotlights growing wave in cosmetics: human-derived ingredients

In our Resource Links segment, we list key documents in our four core areas. To view these links, subscribe, or find out more information about our podcast, visit FDAWatch.net.

Want to be a sponsor, marketing partner, or guest, or provide feedback on the podcast? Email us at info@fdawatch.net.

Music by Dvir Silver from Pixabay.

A Look at FDA's Drug Review Reset Oct 20, 2025

Show notes

Wayne chats with Cartier Esham, CEO of Esham Strategies and Executive Director of the Alliance for a Stronger FDA, and Elizabeth Jungman, Partner at Hogan Lovells in the firm's Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology practice. You'll hear their thoughts on FDA's maintenance of its drug review process amid staffing cuts; the agency's new PreCheck program and how it may proceed; FDA's evolving stance on confirmatory evidence and accelerated approvals and how they could reshape how companies approach clinical trial designs or risk disclosures; agency budgets; ramped-up AI use at the agency and in industry; and much more.

In our headlines segment, Wayne delves into these major developments:

Pharma: Former CBER Director Dr. Peter Marks joins Eli Lilly

Devices: FDA seeks public input on how best to measure and evaluate AI-enabled medical devices

Food: FDA continues to investigate Listeria and Salmonella outbreaks across U.S.

Cosmetics: Jury awards $966 million to family of deceased California woman, finding that Johnson & Johnson's talc-based baby powder contributed to mesothelioma

In our Resource Links segment, we list key documents in our four core areas. To view these links, subscribe, or find out more information about our podcast, visit FDAWatch.net.

Want to be a sponsor, marketing partner, or guest, or provide feedback on the podcast? Email us at info@fdawatch.net.

Music by Dvir Silver from Pixabay.

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