Accelerated Approval Is For Patients, Not Sponsors – US FDA’s Pazdur

Biotech sponsors understandably discuss accelerated approval as an important consideration in development plans. But the head of the US FDA oncology program has a reminder for them: the pathway is intended to serve patients – not drug companies.

OCE protect and serve
Richard Pazdur is policing the accelerated approval pathway on behalf of patients. • Source: Nielsen Hobbs; the Pink Sheet | Shutterstock images

The US Food & Drug Administration oncology drug review team is getting a lot of attention for cleaning up accelerate approval indications after confirmatory studies fail.

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US FDA Under Makary: MAHA With A Lighter Touch

 

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New EU Approvals

 

The Pink Sheet's list of EU centralized approvals of new active substances has been updated to include four new products, one of which is Vimkunya, Bavarian Nordic's chikungunya vaccine.

Unfreezing US FDA: Generic Drug Officials Make Plea For Public Workshops

 

The FDA generic drugs team’s first public workshop of the second Trump Administration ended with a request that industry amplify the value it finds from public engagement.

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EMA Considers Whether Intrathecal Zolgensma Deserves Fast Tracking

 

Novartis is planning to file EU and US marketing applications for an intrathecal formulation of its spinal muscular atrophy gene therapy, Zolgensma, in H1 2025.

Surrogate Endpoint ‘Reasonably Likely’ Decision Process An ‘Uncertain Standard,’ Industry Says

 
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The FDA’s accelerated approval draft guidance has left stakeholders seeking clarification of the process for determining a surrogate marker or intermediate clinical endpoint is reasonably likely to confirm clinical benefit.

Device-Like System Proposed For Low-Risk Human Cell Therapies, Tissue-Based Products At US FDA

 
• By 

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.