Pazdur On Accelerated Approval: FDA Needs To Explain Why It Does Not Always Seek Withdrawal When Trials Fail

Knee-jerk reaction when a confirmatory trial fails is that the drug should be withdrawn, but the agency must undertake a more nuanced evaluation and do a better job explaining it to the public, OCE Director Richard Pazdur says; Pazdur and Project Confirm lead Gautam Mehta spoke with the Pink Sheet about dangling indications, FDORA reforms and the withdrawal process.

knee
A nuanced approach, rather than a knee-jerk reaction, is needed in deciding whether to pull an accelerated approval drug with a failed confirmatory trial. • Source: Shutterstock

Oncology Center of Excellence Director Richard Pazdur believes the US Food and Drug Administration needs to do a better job explaining to the public why it might not automatically seek withdrawal of an accelerated approval drug when a confirmatory trial fails.

When an anti-cancer drug has demonstrated biological activity through response rate data, the agency needs to take a nuanced, rather...

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 Review Pathways

Alzheimer’s Drug Leqembi May Be On Course To India, Kisunla In The Wings

 

Key expert panel go-ahead with a trial waiver put’s Eisai's Alzheimer's therapy on track for a debut in India where tailored pricing will be pivotal. Lilly’s Kisunla is also under regulatory review.

Elevidys Helps Sarepta To First US FDA Platform Technology Designation

 

Sarepta's rAAVrh74 vector, used in the marketed Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy Elevidys and across the company's limb girdle muscular dystrophy pipeline, earned a platform designation as the lead LGMD candidate prepares for BLA filing.

US FDA’s Rising First-Cycle Complete Response Rate Draws Congress’ Attention

 
• By 

The House Appropriations Committee wants an analysis of how issues that led to CRLs could have been resolved within the first review cycle and seeks an agency crackdown on counterfeit GLP-1 agonists.

What UK’s Clinical Trials Overhaul Means For Orphan Drug Developers

 

The UK government has acknowledged that sponsors of clinical trials for rare diseases face challenges around patient recruitment and trial design, which will be addressed in its clinical trials reform, a lawyer says.

More from Pathways & Standards

US FDA Could Miss User Fee Spending Triggers With House FY 2026 Funding

 

FDA employees are concerned that while the budget authority total proposed for fiscal year 2026 meets the user fee appropriations' triggers, the FDA could have trouble meeting allocation triggers without cuts to non-review work.

US FDA’s Rising First-Cycle Complete Response Rate Draws Congress’ Attention

 
• By 

The House Appropriations Committee wants an analysis of how issues that led to CRLs could have been resolved within the first review cycle and seeks an agency crackdown on counterfeit GLP-1 agonists.

What UK’s Clinical Trials Overhaul Means For Orphan Drug Developers

 

The UK government has acknowledged that sponsors of clinical trials for rare diseases face challenges around patient recruitment and trial design, which will be addressed in its clinical trials reform, a lawyer says.