Pandemic Effect: Sponsors Paid Far Fewer User Fees Than Expected In FY 2020

Revenue increases are expected in FY 2021 over pre-pandemic estimates, in part because the US FDA believes sponsors may have applications that were delayed by COVID-19.

Revenue down
Fewer submissions in FY 2020 meant less user fee revenue for the FDA. • Source: Alamy

The coronavirus pandemic scared appeared to preclude many potential drug and biologic applications in fiscal year 2020, forcing the US Food and Drug Administration to adjust budgets.

User fee revenue collections, a measure of the number of applications arriving at the FDA for new and generic drugs and biologics, as well as biosimilars, were on average 6

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