US Food and Drug Administration officials want user fees to fund more staff for the cell and gene therapy program.
CBER Proposes Increasing Cell, Gene Therapy Staff In PDUFA VII
'Indirect and direct review roles' would be added with user fee funds after the PDUFA program is reauthorized.

More from Cell & Gene Therapies
Cell and gene therapy manufacturers must consider the practicalities of their product within the context of a health care system before it comes onto the market to be successful, experts from Novartis, AstraZeneca and England’s National Health Service say.
A risk-based approach to human cell therapies and tissue-based products could incentivize development and prevent bad actors from taking advantage of the current FDA system.
Experts working in the advanced therapy space say the US has less strict criteria for regulatory pathways for cell and gene therapies than the EU, particularly for products in early development.
Not all companies will be able to access joint scientific consultations under the EU Health Technology Assessment Regulation, but success is still possible for those that engage with national agencies early on, says EUCOPE’s Alexander Natz.