Australia Insists Orphan Designations Will Last Only Six Months, Overrides Industry Objections

Sponsors making drugs for rare diseases in Australia who fail to file for approval within six months of being granted orphan designation will see their designation disappear, the Therapeutic Goods Administration has decided. The new procedure will be problematic for orphan drug sponsors and might even make it more difficult for them to use the new expedited pathways the agency is planning to introduce for innovative drugs.