Califf Says Accelerated Approval A ‘Different Objective’ And ‘Lower Hurdle’

The US FDA's comment came in response to a question about whether accelerated approval encourages sponsors to conduct lower-quality studies to enter the market.

FDA Commissioner Robert Califf spoke extensively about accelerated approval and areas for reform on 31 March. • Source: Alamy

FDA Commissioner Robert Califf said using the accelerated approval pathway does not indicate the development program is inferior to one seeking a regular clearance, but also suggested the unvalidated surrogate used with the expedited pathway was a “lower hurdle.”

During the 31 March Stat Breakthrough Science Summit, Califf said accelerated approval was intended to defer information on clinical outcomes until later. While arguing accelerated approval development programs were different,...

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