February 28, 2020
FDA Issues Final Rule Amending The Definition Of “Biological Product”
On February 21, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a final rule to amend its regulation that defines “biological product.” The new definition incorporates changes made by the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2009 (BPCI Act) and the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (FCA Act). Under the final rule, the statutory term “protein” is interpreted to mean any alpha amino acid polymer with a specific, defined sequence that is greater than 40 amino acids in size. Intended to clarify the statutory framework under which such products are regulated, the final rule will be effective on March 23, 2020.