PhRMA Statement on FDA Draft Guidance on Labeling for Products Approved Under the Accelerated Approval Pathway

WASHINGTON--()--Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) Vice President of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs Sascha Haverfield, PhD, issued the following statement on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) draft guidance on labelling for human prescription drug and biologics approved under the Accelerated Approval pathway:

“PhRMA shares FDA’s goal of ensuring that information on the use of drugs and biological products approved under the Accelerated Approval pathway is consistently presented in the appropriate sections within prescription labeling so that the information is clear and accessible to healthcare providers.

“However, the draft guidance’s proposal of limitations and caveats in the ‘Indications and Usage’ statement could be misinterpreted to mean that products approved under the Accelerated Approval pathway have not met the statutory requirements of safety and efficacy required of all FDA-approved drugs. This could result in confusion among healthcare providers and the public, undermining the intent of the Accelerated Approval pathway and recent Congressional efforts to encourage its broader use.

“PhRMA urges FDA to preserve the intent of Accelerated Approval to expedite patient access to treatments for serious conditions, and to preserve the primary purpose of prescription labeling as a mechanism to provide information to health care providers so they may prescribe medicines safely and effectively.

“Further, we urge FDA to continue to explore ways to enhance its use of existing regulatory flexibility to expedite patient access to treatments for serious or life threatening conditions and to ensure relevant information about both benefits and risks is accurately communicated in labeling. PhRMA suggests that the FDA integrate its efforts regarding communicating benefit, risk, and any uncertainty for the Accelerated Approval pathway with the Agency’s Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA V) benefit-risk initiatives.

“We look forward to working with FDA as the Agency continues to implement the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act (FDASIA) provisions related to the Accelerated Approval pathway and other programs intended to expedite development and review of new drug and biological products for the treatment of patients with serious or life threatening conditions.”

PhRMA’s comments to FDA on Draft Guidance for Industry on Labeling for Human Prescription Drug and Biological Products Approved Under the Accelerated Approval Pathway are available at www.phrma.org/sites/default/files/pdf/phrma-comments-fda-2014-d0250.pdf.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country’s leading innovative biopharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies, which are devoted to discovering and developing medicines that enable patients to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. Since 2000, PhRMA member companies have invested more than $550 billion in the search for new treatments and cures, including an estimated $51.1 billion in 2013 alone.

Find PhRMA Online:

For information on how innovative medicines save lives, visit: http://www.innovation.org
For information on the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, visit: http://www.pparx.org
For information on ensuring the flow of medicines during public health emergencies, visit http://www.rxresponse.org

Contacts

PhRMA
Stephanie Fischer, 202-835-3460

Contacts

PhRMA
Stephanie Fischer, 202-835-3460