Compounding carryover money runs out, crippling some activities although inspections will continue; countdown to the end of PDUFA fee balance continues.

Past year was the high-water mark for product approvals and launches, but complete response letters remain a frequent occurrence. FDA’s ability to deliver on its promise of further clarity on transition products, interchangeability and indication carve-outs/carve-ins may take a hit from the ongoing partial government shutdown. On the legal side, look for more patent settlements with staggered entry dates and new antitrust scrutiny.

Division of Mitigation Assessment and Medication Error Surveillance will be established within the Office of Surveillance and Epidemiology, a change aimed at strengthening postmarketing oversight of opioids and other drugs; new Office of Safety and Clinical Evaluation will be created in Office of Generic Drugs, where Orange Book staff also will get their own division.