The 21st Century Cures Act provides a legal foundation for regulatory innovations including approving supplemental indications based on real-world evidence and approving antimicrobial drugs for limited populations. The bill also would help FDA recruit and retain staff by creating mechanisms for it to pay salaries that are competitive with those offered in the private sector.
Other key provisions include:
* Real World Evidence. Require FDA to establish a framework for use of real-world evidence to approve supplemental indications and satisfy post-approval requirements. Timeframe: Within 2 years
* Healthcare Economic Information. Clarify ability of manufacturers to discuss pharmacoeconomic data with payers, formulary committees and others. Timeframe: Immediate
* Limited Population Pathway. Allow limited approval of antimicrobial drugs for life-threatening infections; require labeling and advertising to include “Limited Population” language. Timeframe: Immediate
* Summary Level Review. Allow approval of new indications based on data summaries from sponsors (sponsors must also submit full data). Timeframe: Immediate
* Accelerated Approval for Regenerative Advanced Therapies. Create regenerative advanced therapy designation that allows accelerated approval and use of clinical evidence, clinical studies, registries or other real-world evidence to satisfy post-approval requirements; require FDA to explain decision not to grant regenerative advanced therapy designation. Timeframe: Immediate
* Qualification of Drug Development Tools. Establish review pathway for biomarkers and other drug development tools to shorten development and reduce failure rate. Timeline: Draft guidance within 3 years; final guidance 6 months after end of comment period
* Reauthorization of Program to Encourage Treatments for Rare Pediatric Diseases. Reauthorize the pediatric rare disease Priority Review voucher program until 2020; a drug designated by Sept. 30, 2020 could receive a voucher if approved before Sept. 30, 2022. Timeframe: Immediate
* Silvio O. Conte Senior Biomedical Research Service. Increase senior biomedical research service positions to 2,000 from 500, allow FDA to deploy biomedical research service members for product assessments, increase maximum salary to president’s salary. Timeframe: Immediate
* Hiring Authority for Scientific, Technical, and Professional Personnel. Allow FDA commissioner to set salaries for scientific, technical, or professional positions at up to the president’s salary. Timeframe: Immediate
* Patient Experience Data. Require statement upon drug approval about FDA’s use of patient experience data collected by patients, caregivers and their representatives; disease research foundations; researchers; and drug manufacturers. Timeframe: 180 days
* Patient-Focused Drug Development Guidance. Require FDA guidance on how to collect patient experience data for use in regulatory decisions, how patients can submit proposals and how FDA will respond to them, and how FDA plans to use such data. Timeline: Initial plan in 180 days; draft guidance within 18 months; revised or final guidance 18 months after end of comment period
* Expanded Access Policy. Require companies to have publicly accessible compassionate use policies for investigational drugs treating serious or life-threatening conditions. Timeline: 60 days
On the down side, the $500 million of funding is not mandatory. Stay tuned.
For an excellent recap of the legislation, have a look at BioCentury’s Steve Usdin’s excellent article. Per Usdin, “The political process has created a consensus bill that lacks the kind of paradigm-shifting changes its authors promised. But Cures would produce real, though modest, forward motion in several areas that are important for translating scientific advances into new therapies.”
And, importantly, “Critics of the 21st Century Cures Act have warned that it would erode approval standards by allowing FDA to approve drugs based on anecdotal evidence. This is a huge exaggeration. What Cures would do is start FDA down the long road toward relying on real-world evidence to support selected regulatory decisions.”
Bravo.
Other key provisions include:
* Real World Evidence. Require FDA to establish a framework for use of real-world evidence to approve supplemental indications and satisfy post-approval requirements. Timeframe: Within 2 years
* Healthcare Economic Information. Clarify ability of manufacturers to discuss pharmacoeconomic data with payers, formulary committees and others. Timeframe: Immediate
* Limited Population Pathway. Allow limited approval of antimicrobial drugs for life-threatening infections; require labeling and advertising to include “Limited Population” language. Timeframe: Immediate
* Summary Level Review. Allow approval of new indications based on data summaries from sponsors (sponsors must also submit full data). Timeframe: Immediate
* Accelerated Approval for Regenerative Advanced Therapies. Create regenerative advanced therapy designation that allows accelerated approval and use of clinical evidence, clinical studies, registries or other real-world evidence to satisfy post-approval requirements; require FDA to explain decision not to grant regenerative advanced therapy designation. Timeframe: Immediate
* Qualification of Drug Development Tools. Establish review pathway for biomarkers and other drug development tools to shorten development and reduce failure rate. Timeline: Draft guidance within 3 years; final guidance 6 months after end of comment period
* Reauthorization of Program to Encourage Treatments for Rare Pediatric Diseases. Reauthorize the pediatric rare disease Priority Review voucher program until 2020; a drug designated by Sept. 30, 2020 could receive a voucher if approved before Sept. 30, 2022. Timeframe: Immediate
* Silvio O. Conte Senior Biomedical Research Service. Increase senior biomedical research service positions to 2,000 from 500, allow FDA to deploy biomedical research service members for product assessments, increase maximum salary to president’s salary. Timeframe: Immediate
* Hiring Authority for Scientific, Technical, and Professional Personnel. Allow FDA commissioner to set salaries for scientific, technical, or professional positions at up to the president’s salary. Timeframe: Immediate
* Patient Experience Data. Require statement upon drug approval about FDA’s use of patient experience data collected by patients, caregivers and their representatives; disease research foundations; researchers; and drug manufacturers. Timeframe: 180 days
* Patient-Focused Drug Development Guidance. Require FDA guidance on how to collect patient experience data for use in regulatory decisions, how patients can submit proposals and how FDA will respond to them, and how FDA plans to use such data. Timeline: Initial plan in 180 days; draft guidance within 18 months; revised or final guidance 18 months after end of comment period
* Expanded Access Policy. Require companies to have publicly accessible compassionate use policies for investigational drugs treating serious or life-threatening conditions. Timeline: 60 days
On the down side, the $500 million of funding is not mandatory. Stay tuned.
For an excellent recap of the legislation, have a look at BioCentury’s Steve Usdin’s excellent article. Per Usdin, “The political process has created a consensus bill that lacks the kind of paradigm-shifting changes its authors promised. But Cures would produce real, though modest, forward motion in several areas that are important for translating scientific advances into new therapies.”
And, importantly, “Critics of the 21st Century Cures Act have warned that it would erode approval standards by allowing FDA to approve drugs based on anecdotal evidence. This is a huge exaggeration. What Cures would do is start FDA down the long road toward relying on real-world evidence to support selected regulatory decisions.”
Bravo.
