In addition to reviewing proposed lists of targets for relevance to pediatric cancer, advisory committee will discuss possible criteria for prioritizing same-in-class agents for evaluation and ways to promote international collaboration and global development; proposed list of substantially relevant targets is growing.

The advisory committee route for approving a first biosimilar to a reference product is no longer necessarily the norm, going by FDA's recent approval of Mylan/Biocon's pegfilgrastim-jmdb, which references Amgen’s Neulasta; agency’s view that a meeting was not needed should encourage other biosimilar aspirants.

Many biopharmas have not publicly posted their policies for evaluating and responding to expanded access requests as required under the 21^st Century Cures Act. Putting this information out will help set patient community expectations, but will not viewed by US FDA as off-label promotion, experts say at BIO annual meeting.

Two CEOs explain why their rare disease companies will not grant preapproval access to investigational drugs under new federal law; Alnylam sees no need for framework beyond FDA’s expanded access pathway, while Sarepta is focused on the ‘grand goal’ of getting drugs studied and approved for the patient community.

Internal group headed by Principal Deputy Commissioner Rachel Sherman will develop implementation recommendations, which could include new guidance, regulations, a Q&A document or ‘nothing at all,’ Commissioner Gottlieb tells BIO annual meeting; he promises consultation with the law’s supporters and critics on Capitol Hill ‘to fully understand what the intent was with different provisions.’

Generic companies might get more transparency than they bargained for if there is misuse of the public list of reference drugs they say they have trouble obtaining; at BIO annual meeting, FDA Commissioner Gottlieb also suggests VA procurement of brand drugs as possible alternative if innovators continue to hinder access for bioequivalence testing.