What we expect to be talking about in July and August
- Chevron Shakeout: Just how soon will it take for companies to begin attacking FDA over the recent Loper Bright Supreme Court case overturning the Chevron Doctrine? We’re about to find out. The court’s decision on June 28 is going to cause a frantic re-evaluation at every regulatory agency in the federal government and in every court in the country. [ Read AgencyIQ’s analysis of the Loper Bright decision]
- Unified Agenda: What regulations is the FDA expecting to release through the end of the year? We will soon know, thanks to the expected update of the government’s Spring Unified Agenda. In years past, the Spring agenda was published in June, with the Fall agenda following in December. However, given the Presidential election, we expect it may be published in July or August after it failed to emerge in June.
- Medical Misinformation: FDA Commissioner ROBERT CALIFF has been heavily focused for much of the last two years on what he calls the negative health effects of medical misinformation. In early June, we’re expecting to see what the FDA will allow life sciences companies to do in this fight as it releases a new draft guidance document. [ Read AgencyIQ’s preview of this guidance here]
- Good Guidance Practices Report: We’re expecting to receive a major and interesting report on the FDA’s Good Guidance Practices FDA by June 29. An earlier iteration of that report detailed how the agency wanted to change some of its practices surrounding the publication of guidance documents. However, the draft document was somewhat FDA-focused, and industry asked the agency to incorporate other ideas into the final version. We will see if FDA is willing to accept those changes later this month.
- The Summer Slowdown: For regulatory professionals, July and August are that time of the year when the FDA actually slows down in noticeable ways. After an extremely busy June, the calendar of events FDA and industry groups have for July and August has noticeably slowed down
Things FDA expects to do in July and August
This list is comprised of specific actions and the dates by which FDA has said it plans to accomplish them.
Date |
What’s Happening |
Explanation |
Source |
June 29 |
GGP Report |
FDA expected to finalize report on Good Guidance Practices |
|
June 30 |
User Fee Payments |
Industry required to confirm NDA prescription drug products in Orange Book for purposes of PDUFA payments in FY 2025 |
|
July 1 |
Anniversary |
Anniversary of the signing of the Public Health Service Act of 1944 |
|
July 21 |
Anniversary |
Anniversary of the signing of Project BioShield |
|
July 5 |
Comment |
FDA deadline to respond to new Project 5 in 5 |
|
July 31 |
FDA |
Due date for submission of reports on drug/biologic production for 2023 |
|
August 7 |
FDA |
Guidance on Covid-19 container closure systems (glass vials and stoppers) to expire. |
Regulations and guidance under OIRA review as of July
The White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) is the regulator of regulators, tasked with ensuring that all federal policies and regulations adhere to laws, existing regulations, federal policies and the wishes of the President. This is what OIRA is currently reviewing. (Note: If a link no longer works, it is likely because OIRA has since cleared the document.)
Title |
Type |
Date Received by OIRA |
Legal Deadline |
Addressing Misinformation About Medical Devices and Prescription Drugs: Questions and Answers |
Draft Guidance |
May 21 |
None |
Regulations and guidance awaiting immediate publication in July
The following documents have cleared review by the White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) and may be released by the FDA at any time. (Note: If a link no longer works, it is likely because OIRA has since deleted it.)
Title |
Type |
Date Cleared by OIRA |
Legal Deadline |
Addressing Misinformation About Medical Devices and Prescription Drugs: Questions and Answers |
Draft Guidance |
May 21 |
None |
Notable FDA Comment Periods Closing in July and August
FDA comment periods are typically open for 30-60 days, unless they are extended.
Meetings that FDA has planned for July and August
These are FDA-hosted events set to take place over the next two months.
Start Date |
End Date |
Event |
Event Type |
Center |
07/10/2024 |
07/10/2024 |
Webcast |
CDRH |
|
07/10/2024 |
07/10/2024 |
Webcast |
Office of the Commissioner |
|
07/11/2024 |
07/12/2024 |
Evaluating Immunosuppressive Effects of In Utero Exposure to Drug and Biologic Products |
Public |
CDER |
07/16/2024 |
07/16/2024 |
Webcast |
CDRH |
|
07/22/2024 |
07/22/2024 |
Public Workshop: Best Practices for Meeting Management Under PDUFA VII |
Workshop |
CDER |
07/23/2024 |
07/23/2024 |
Introduction to FDA’s Office of Trade and Global Partnerships |
Virtual |
CDER |
07/25/2024 |
07/25/2024 |
Meeting of the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (AstraZeneca’s IMFINZI) |
Advisory Committee Meeting |
CDER |
07/25/2024 |
07/26/2024 |
Virtual |
CDER |
|
07/25/2024 |
07/25/2024 |
Virtual Public Meeting – Home as a Health Care Hub – Stakeholder Listening Session |
Meeting |
CDRH |
07/25/2024 |
07/25/2024 |
Virtual Public Meeting – Home as a Health Care Hub – Stakeholder Listening Session |
Meeting |
CDRH |
07/30/2024 |
07/30/2024 |
Virtual |
CDER |
|
08/16/2024 |
08/16/2024 |
Evaluating the Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia in Clinical Trials |
Meeting |
CDER |
08/21/2024 |
08/23/2024 |
2024 Compounding Quality Center of Excellence Annual Conference |
Conference |
CDER |
Third-party regulatory meetings being held in July and August
These are notable industry events related to regulation, including those at which FDA speakers are confirmed or likely to speak.
Date |
Group |
Event |
Notable FDA Speakers |
July 11 |
UMaryland / FDA |
Evaluating Immuno-suppressive Effects of In Utero Exposure to Drug and Biologic Products |
Numerous |
July 15-16 |
Alliance for Regenerative Medicine |
Nicole Verdun |
|
July 18 |
Critical Path Institute |
|
|
July 23-24 |
MDIC |
Keisha Thomas, Daniel Walter, Erin Keith |
|
July 25 |
Duke-Margolis |
|
|
July 25-26 |
Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA |
TBD |
|
July 28 – August 1 |
Alzheimer’s Association |
Unknown |
|
August 5 |
Sentinel |
Overview of CDER’s Real-World Evidence Demonstration Projects |
|
August 12-14 |
Pharma Conference Education |
Peter Marks, Emily Thakur, Alonzo Cruse, Numerous others |
|
August 20 |
Duke-Margolis |
|
|
August 22 |
HL7 |
|
PDUFA Dates expected in July and August
PDUFA dates represent the expected date of a regulatory decision by the FDA on a New Drug Application or Biologics License Application. The following PDUFA dates were obtained from publicly available sources.
Date |
Company |
Drug |
Indication |
July 7 |
Arcutis |
Atopic Dermatitis in Adults and Children Down to Age 6 |
|
July 15 |
Orexo |
High-dose rescue medication for opioid overdose |
|
July 19 |
Phathom |
Daily treatment of heartburn associated with Non-Erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in adults |
|
July 27 |
Alpha Cognition |
Mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease |
|
August 4 |
Adaptimmune |
Treatment of Advanced Synovial Sarcoma |
|
August 10 |
Humacyte |
Treatment of Vascular Trauma |
|
August 13 |
Citius Pharma |
Treatment of patients with persistent or recurrent CTCL |
|
August 14 |
Ascendis Pharma |
Adults with hypoparathyroidism |
|
August 14 |
Gilead Sciences |
Treatment of Primary Biliary Cholangitis |
|
August 20 |
Servier |
Treatment of IDH-mutant diffuse glioma |
|
August 22 |
Regeneron |
Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma |
|
August 28 |
Incyte, Syndax Pharmaceuticals |
cGVHD |
User Fee Deliverables expected in July and August
FDA has generally been meeting its commitments under its various new user fee programs, and typically weeks or months ahead of schedule. The following commitments are due within the next two months, minus any commitments the FDA has already met (to our knowledge).
Letter |
Program Tag |
Commitment |
Due Date |
PDUFA |
Advancing RWE Program |
Report containing aggregated and anonymized information describing RWE submissions to CDER and CBER. (Completed) |
June 30, 2024 |
GDUFA |
Facility related CRL |
FDA will issue a MAPP on the process for Reclassification of Facility-Based Major CRL Amendments set forth in section II(C)(7) (Complete) |
June 30, 2024 |
GDUFA |
Facility related CRL |
FDA will issue a MAPP on the prioritization of FDA assessment of solicited DMF amendments (Completed) |
June 30, 2024 |
PDUFA |
Meetings |
Hold a public meeting to discuss best practices for meeting management, including issues related to submission of meeting requests, efficient time management, coordinating meeting agenda, development and submission of meeting background packages and lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic including virtual meeting platforms (Scheduled) |
July 30, 2024 |
Upcoming (or overdue) legislative requirements due as of July and August
Congress often asks the FDA to release or hold guidance documents, regulation, reports, meetings, hearings or pilot programs as of specific dates. Many of these requirements will be met weeks or months before the actual due date. The following legislative requirements are due within the next two months:
Legislation |
Requirement |
Due Date |
Shortages: FDA must review its policies related to drug or biologic expiration dates and issue draft guidance or revise existing guidance on stability testing data in drug and biological product submissions. The guidance will include FDORA, Section recommendations FDORA, Section on the inclusion of the “the longest feasible expiration date supported by such data” in a drug’s label. |
12/29/2023 |
|
Rare Diseases: GAO to release a report to Congress assessing the policies, practices, and programs of the FDA with respect to the review of applications for approval of drugs and biologics intended to treat rare disease, with a focus on the effectiveness of FDA’s policies and challenges encountered by sponsors. |
6/29/2024 |
|
FDA must publish draft guidance on how sponsor questions about novel surrogate or intermediate endpoints can be answered earlier in the development process, as well as other factors related to the accelerated approval process. |
6/29/2024 |
Overdue and pending regulatory actions
This list, based on the federal government’s Unified Agenda, contains all the regulations that FDA has said it intended to release, or plans to release in the coming months. In our experience, the FDA does not meet its own intended deadlines for the release of these actions in more than half of all cases (sometimes due to delays at the White House reviewing regulations). We’ve also included documents that are actively under White House review – a process which often takes several weeks (or months) to conclude. [ Read the full list of documents on FDA’s Unified Agenda here.]
Agenda Stage of Rulemaking |
Title |
Status |
Estimated Publication |
Proposed Rule |
Past Due |
November 2023 |
|
Proposed Rule |
Past Due |
November 2023 |
|
Prerule |
Recalls of Products Subject to the Jurisdiction of the Food and Drug Administration |
Past Due |
November 2023 |
Proposed Rule |
Current Good Manufacturing Practice for Positron Emission Tomography Drugs |
Past Due |
December 2023 |
Proposed Rule |
Past Due |
December 2023 |
|
Proposed Rule |
Past Due |
December 2023 |
|
Proposed Rule |
Past Due |
January 2024 |
|
Proposed Rule |
Registration of Commercial Importers of Drugs; Good Importing Practice |
Past Due |
January 2024 |
Final Rule |
Past Due |
January 2024 |
|
Final Rule |
Past Due |
January 2024 |
|
Proposed Rule |
Past Due |
March 2024 |
|
Final Rule |
Past Due |
March 2024 |
|
Final Rule |
General and Plastic Surgery Devices: Restricted Sale, Distribution, and Use of Sunlamp Products |
Past Due |
March 2024 |
Proposed Rule |
Past Due |
April 2024 |
|
Proposed Rule |
Contact Lens Devices; Designation of Special Controls for Daily Wear Contact Lenses |
Past Due |
April 2024 |
Final Rule |
Past Due |
April 2024 |
|
Final Rule |
Nonprescription Drug Product With an Additional Condition for Nonprescription Use |
Past Due |
April 2024 |
Final Rule |
Color Additive Certification; Increase in Fees for Certification Services |
April 2024 |
|
Proposed Rule |
Past Due |
May 2024 |
|
Proposed Rule |
Past Due |
June 2024 |
|
Proposed Rule |
Amending Regulations That Require Multiple Copies Submissions |
Past Due |
June 2024 |
Final Rule |
Past Due |
June 2024 |
|
Final Rule |
Past Due |
June 2024 |
|
Proposed Rule |
Revisions to Regulation for Receiving an Abbreviated New Drug Application |
|
August 2024 |
Proposed Rule |
Conduct of Analytical and Clinical Pharmacology, Bioavailability, and Bioequivalence Studies |
|
August 2024 |
Final Rule |
Revising the National Drug Code Format and Drug Labeling Barcode Requirements |
|
August 2024 |
To contact the author of this piece, please email Alec Gaffney (agaffney@agencyiq.com)