The SARS-CoV-2 outbreak has the federal government working not only on a vaccine candidate specifically targeted at the novel coronavirus but also thinking more broadly about ways to head off future potential pandemics with emerging pathogens.

US FDA will survey health care providers’ current understanding of analgesic abuse-deterrent formulations and conduct an experimental study exploring the effectiveness of different terminology and descriptions for such products; agency has heard complaints from its own AdComms about terminology around abuse deterrence.

Criticism of Novartis/Avexis’s controversial lottery style managed access program for Zolgensma has come largely from Europe, while other countries in Latin America and Asia have been far more receptive.

Next round of biomedical innovation legislation provides opportunity to require insurance reimbursement of investigational drugs and related medical services, as well as new incentives for small biotech companies to offer expanded access programs, stakeholders say.

Sponsors may submit supplemental applications for additional indications in advance so that approval will coincide with expiration of a reference product’s exclusivity or patent protection, new draft guidance states; agency targets six-month review of such supplements, rather than the 10 months provided under BsUFA II.

Although clotting factor activity levels may someday be validated as a surrogate endpoint, the currently recommended primary efficacy measure for traditional approval remains annualized bleeding rate, agency says in final guidance.