| Feb 25, 2014 |
The guidance states that because fixed-combinations have become increasingly prevalent in certain therapeutic areas (e.g., cancer, cardiovascular, and infectious disease) and play an important role in optimizing adherence to dosing regimens, FDA is revising their interpretation of the five-year NCE exclusivity provisions “to further incentivize the development of certain fixed-combination products.” FDA intends to apply the new interpretation prospectively. The guidance, however, does not apply to fixed-combination drug products that were approved prior to adopting the new interpretation.
Source: FDA.gov
see below
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or the Agency) is issuing this guidance to set forth a change in the Agency’s interpretation of the 5-year new chemical entity (NCE) exclusivity provisions as they apply to certain fixed-combination drug products (fixed-combinations).
Historically, FDA has interpreted these provisions such that a fixed-combination was ineligible for 5-year NCE exclusivity if it contained a previously approved active moiety, even if the product also contained a new active moiety (i.e., an active moiety that the Agency had not previously approved).
The Agency recognizes that fixed-combinations have become increasingly prevalent in certain therapeutic areas (including cancer, cardiovascular, and infectious disease) and that these products play an important role in optimizing adherence to
dosing regimens and improving patient outcomes.
As further discussed below, we are therefore revising our historical interpretation of the 5-year NCE exclusivity provisions to further incentivize the development of certain fixed-combination products.
If the new interpretation is adopted, FDA intends to apply the new interpretation prospectively.Therefore, this guidance does not apply to fixed-combination drug products that were approvedprior to adopting the new interpretation.
FDA’s guidance documents, including this guidance, do not establish legally enforceable responsibilities. Instead, guidances describe the Agency’s current thinking on a topic and should be viewed only as recommendations, unless specific regulatory or statutory requirements are cited. The use of the word should in Agency guidances means that something is suggested or
recommended, but not required. read at
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Guidances/UCM386685.pdf
Filed under: Regulatory Tagged: exclusivity, fda, NCE
