US FDA’s ODAC: The Advisory Committee That Can Only Say ‘No’

It has been more than two years since a sponsor went before the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee and won a favorable vote on approval of a new drug application. Can FDA really expect an advisory committee to keep saying ‘no’ all the time?

FDA stop sign.  Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images
• Source: Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images

Y-mAbs Therapeutics Inc. has every right to be disappointed by the unanimous “no” vote cast by a US Food & Drug Administration panel of experts on the approvability of its proposed neuroblastoma therapy I-omburtamab – but the company has no reason to be surprised.

The vote is in keeping with the recent history of FDA’s Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee: it has become a committee...

Read the full article – start your free trial today!

Join thousands of industry professionals who rely on Pink Sheet for daily insights

  • Start your 7-day free trial
  • Explore trusted news, analysis, and insights
  • Access comprehensive global coverage
  • Enjoy instant access – no credit card required

More from US FDA Performance Tracker

August Brings Fresh Faces And Tough Calls To US FDA User Fee Calendar

 

The FDA could act on 17 applications, including 10 novel agents, during August. Only one would be a second-cycle review.

Complete Response Letter Trio Raises Prospect Of Tidal Shift In Regenerative Medicine Regulation

 

Replimune's RP1 oncolytic immunotherapy became the third regenerative medicine to receive an FDA complete response letter this month as the agency appears to re-visit previous agreements about accelerated approval.

US FDA’s Second Half 2025 User Fee Goals Swing Toward Respiratory Disease

 

The 43 novel agents with user fee goal dates in the remainder of 2025 have fewer oncologics and infectious disease drugs than the first half of the year.

Slowdown: US FDA’s 2025 Novel Approvals Are On Below-Average Pace

 

US FDA's 25 novel approvals in 2025 fell short of the agency's five-year average count, driven by a drop in drugs center approvals; 45 user fee goals remain in second half of year.

More from Regulatory Trackers

Slowdown: US FDA’s 2025 Novel Approvals Are On Below-Average Pace

 

US FDA's 25 novel approvals in 2025 fell short of the agency's five-year average count, driven by a drop in drugs center approvals; 45 user fee goals remain in second half of year.

Global Pharma Guidance Tracker - June 2025

 

Stay up to date on regulatory guidelines from around the world with the Pink Sheet’s Guidance Tracker. The complete Global Pharma Guidance Tracker, with sortable and searchable listings going back to 2014, is available online.

US FDA’s CRL Release More Incremental Than ‘Radical’ Transparency

 

The transparency initiative collects CRLs already made public in approval packages on its drugs@fda site to post on the openFDA public portal.