Title: PRESENTATION TO
1Steven A. Grossman President
- PRESENTATION TO
- CBI Bio/Pharmaceutical
- Public Policy Congress
- July 15, 2008
For more information sgrossman_at_hpsgroup.com
2Presentation Outline
- Day-to-Day FDA Issues
- Congress and FDA
- FDA and the Election/New Administration
- Long-term Issues and Opportunities
3 4Overall Status of FDA
- The beatings will continue until morale
improves. - Relentless attackHouse, Senate, media.
- Election will quiet this new hires ease internal
pressures - Hot topics heparin, food safety, DTC, funding,
Ketek - PDUFA deadlines being missed
- Over-caution, especially around safety, trial
site integrity - Manpower shortages, delays in hiring from new
user fee funds - New requirements, particularly implementation of
REMS - Janet Woodcock re-appointed CDER director (the
virtues of a known quantity and a steady hand) - Uncertainty around election/new Administration
5The Janet Woodcock Factor
- Model for commitment to public service
- Experienced hands still in charge at FDA
- Widely viewed as thoughtful and fair
- No learning curve for the new CDER director
- Originator/advocate for Critical Path Initiative
- Proponent of Safety First
- Can implement change while maintaining work flow
- Will oversee PDUFA-driven hiring spree
- No public position CBER vs. CDER
jurisdiction/priorities
6PDUFA/Drug Safety
- Nine titles, varied provisions
- Major focus beefing up post-market safety
- Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS)
- Phase 4 requirements can be made mandatory
- Review of prior Phase 4 commitments
- Post-market surveillance by FDA using CMS,
insurer data - Substantial civil penalties for FDCA violations
- Mandatory use of clinical trials registry
- New emphasis on science at FDA
- User fees increased substantially now cover drug
safety - Not in the final bill Follow-on Biologics, drug
reimportation and DTC moratorium
7Implementation of FDAAA
- Strong shift toward safety concerns over efficacy
- Statutory initiatives blended with administrative
changes - Transparency imbedded in the new approaches
- Woodcock approval standards have not changed
- Implementation of REMS/mandatory Phase 4s
- REMS replaces Risk-Maps, as of March 25
- First uses judicious unblocked drugs stalled at
FDA for years - Implementation initially slowing drug approval
decisions - Newly approved drugs to be re-reviewed at
intervals - Hot phase 4 priorities immunogenicity, patient
registries, risk communication, validation of
subset treatment options
8Safety First Sentinel System
- Safety First--administrative changes to emphasize
safety - Office of Surveillance and Epidemiology (OSE) put
on parity with Office of New Drugs (OND) - Dispute resolution process put in place
- Expertise model, e.g. pharmacologists advise on
pharmacology - OSE to gain substantial new hires paid through
PDUFA - Sentinel System
- Newly announced collaboration to use CMS Medicare
data for active drug surveillance - Targeted first at a limited number of drugs and
the frequency/incidence of certain associated
adverse events
9New Emphasis on Science
- Broad critique from FDA Science Board (December
2007) - Per FDAAA, new FDA Chief Scientist, Frank Torti
- 100-Day Plan for FDA science unveiled May 30
- Fellowship program, journal, professional
opportunities - Cross-center risk communications research team
- Deputy science directors created in each FDA
center - Key areas
- Genomic database access, biostatistics,
biodefense/food risks, clinical trial design,
ecology and environmental issues, software in
medical devices, nanotechnology, medical imaging
and combination products.
10Critical Path Initiative
- Recognition that regulatory science is lagging
will result in drugs that are safe, effective and
not approvable - Challenge of complex biology on clinical trial
design, statistics, endpoints, approval standards - Particular focus surrogate endpoints/biological
markers - Slow start conceptualization and funding
- Gaining momentum PDUFA funding
- Creation of Reagan-Udall Foundation to guide CPI
- McClellan/Board working to overcome dispute with
critics regarding industry involvement/influence
on agency
11FDA Lacks Resources
- FDA mission needs resources Science Board, GAO,
IOM - User fees one-fourth of FDA, growing
- Commissioners first-ever professional judgment
letter - FDA seeking 1300 new employees now more in FY
09 - most are unfilled vacancies or from new user fee
dollars - PDUFA crunch eases when new staff hired/trained
(takes time) - FY 08 supplemental FY 09 appropriations 300M
to spend - New Administrations challenges
- More forthright in identifying and prioritizing
needs - Assuring that new monies are well-spent
- Foreign expansion identifying/upscaling right
IT systems
12 13FDA Inspections Bill
- House Draft (April 17) Senate Draft (May 6)
- Intent was food safety reform this year Heparin,
Ketek, counterfeits, globalization broadened
scope of drafts - Expands inspection authority and manpower
agency-wide, funded by facility user fees on
food, drugs, and devices - Key requirements for drugs and device companies
- New registry of all drug and device facilities
with a unique identifier - Import registry restrict entry of imports
lacking documentation - Require verification of drug identity and purity
- Create strong new enforcement tools
- Require country-of-origin labels
- Prohibit false or misleading reporting to FDA
14Rx Gift Disclosure Legislation
- Grassley-Kohl Physician Payments Sunshine Act, S.
2029 introduced in 2007, based on oversight
hearings - In May, Lilly, PhRMA, AdvaMed, Merck, AZ endorsed
revised legislation creating national, public
registry - New features pre-emption of state requirements,
500 annual aggregate threshold, more exempted
activities - Grassley has not found a legislative vehicle to
move revised bill this year - Many companies starting voluntary reporting
- New PhRMA marketing code announced July 10
15Federal Pre-Emption
- Does FDA approval pre-empt state law claims?
- Medical device PMAsyes
- Medical device 510(k)sno
- Pharmaceuticalsgenerally yes, but under Supreme
Court review - Industry/FDA/DOJwithout pre-emption, state
courts second-guess FDAs decision on scientific
merit - Trial bar---state courts best tool for consumer
protection force industry to prioritize safety
and disclose risk - Congress interested in preserving access to state
courts for FDA claims HR 6381, Senate bill
pending
16Other Legislation
- Follow-on Biologics (bio-similars)
- Negotiations continuing, political calculation
2008 vs. 2009 - Roadblock years of data exclusivity
- DTC restrictions
- Congressional sentiment negative toward DTC
- Re-importation
- Supported by next President (whoever it is)
- FY 2009 budget resolution anticipates 2009
passage - Patent Reform
- Senate deal collapsed in April little hope of
compromise - Issues assessing damages for infringement
inequitable conduct, post-grant review
provisions, two windows for challenges
17Oversight and Investigations
- Democratic Congress vs. Republican President
- House oversight from 3 committees (Energy
Commerce, Govt Oversight, Appropriations)
Senate oversight from 3 committees (HELP,
Finance, Appropriations) - Drug/device safety (esp. heparin, counterfeiting)
- Food safety (imports, inadequate inspections,
microbial contamination, source tracking) - DTC (Lipitor, Vytorin, Procrit)
- Integrity of FDA, sponsors, trial sites (Ketek)
- Will ease toward election dynamic unpredictable
if Democratic President/Democratic Congress in
2009
18FDA Appropriations
- FDA small agency 1.7B plus user fees
- FDA responsibilities far outstrip resources
- Ongoing crisis of problems, priorities
- Alliance for a Stronger FDA advocate for
increased appropriations for agency - FY 2007 90M FY 2008 145M
- FY 2008 emergency supplemental added 150M
- FY 2009 mark-ups in June/July FDA to have 300M
- Funding by omnibus bill or continuing resolution?
- Senate champion of cause House following
19FDA Receives Less Funding than the Local School
District...
- FY07CR FY08 FY09
- Proposed
- Montgomery County (MD) 1.85B 1.98B
2.11B - Public Schools
- FDA (appropriated funds) 1.57B 1.72B
(Presidents Request
1.77B) - http//www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/bud
get/citizens/pdf/Citizens_BudgetFY09.pdf - Alliance for a Stronger FDAFebruary 2008
www.StrengthenFDA.org
20...Yet Its Reach is Global
21 22Pharmaceutical Industry No Good Choices for
President
- Obama For re-importation for generics. Not
overtly hostile to pharmaceutical industry, but
"Billy ad in PA primary implies that Tauzin
heads PhRMA as quid-pro-quo for
non-interference clause in Medicare Part D. - McCain For re-importation for generics. Overtly
hostile to pharmaceutical industry. Exchange in
NH debate - McCain Why shouldnt we be able to reimport
drugs from Canada? Its because of the power of
pharmaceutical companies - Romney Dont turn the pharmaceutical companies
into the big bad guys. - McCain Well, they are.
23Health ReformElection Year
- Both presidential candidates (Obama, McCain) have
reform plans that exceed their ability to deliver - Regardless of whose electedchanges in pieces
improved child health insurance, attack on drug
prices, payment reform, cost-cutting - Four ex-Senators (Dole, Mitchell, Daschle, Baker)
plan health reform proposals for new
presidentpost-electionto move more systemic
reform - As with 1981, 1993, 2001...policy opportunities
will be wide-open, untied to previous
Administration
24Working Without a Commissioner
- FDA is extraordinarily complex, every move has
worldwide consequences, many unintended - FDA had acting commissioner for half of Bush
Administration...a worrisome trend - Challenge to identify a new Commissioner, get
him/her confirmed quickly, and help them get a
team in place - Six months would be a serious problem a year
without a leadership team could be disastrous - Not about competency of FDA civil service
leadership - Many decisions can't or won't be made without a
permanent, confirmed Commissioner.
25- Long-Term Issues
- and Opportunities
26 Balancing Safety with Patient Risk and Need
- FDA heading toward near-absolute safety standard
costly for industry, not necessarily good for
patients - Severely-ill patients require more balanced, more
individualistic and less paternalistic approach - FDA standards varied/inconsistent on patient risk
vs. access to potentially-useful therapy.
Safety/risk/benefit trade-offs - Obvious stage 4 cancer vs. gastric reflux
disease - Difficult 12 of patients get a clear and
durable response 88 suffer beyond the
parameters of their disease - More difficult patients with non-life
threatening debilitating conditions (e.g.
blindness) may be willing to take more risks than
patients with a life-threatening but manageable
disease - Subtle Alzheimer's patient/family willing to
take great risks in early stage/intact fewer
risks in late stage/mentally absent
27Integrating New Science into Traditional
Clinical Paths
- Accepted means of proving safety and efficacy vs.
new scientific knowledge (e.g. oncology,
Alzheimers) - end-points/methodologies (biological/surrogate/sta
tistical) - products that don't fit traditional paradigms
- challenges in the construction of real-world
clinical trials - Disease symptomology vs.fundamental biological
processes - Late stage treatment vs. earlier interventions
- Critical Path for the future what about today?
- Study designs now products FDA will see
2010-2015 - Where pathways are unclear clinical trial costs
escalate, cutting edge science slows and RD may
stop
28Sifting Valuable Informationfrom Background
Noise
- Difficult, iterative process to turn data into
intelligence - More information may not produce better decisions
- FDA must absorb growing volume of sophisticated
biological, clinical and disease information - Medical knowledge growing faster than FDA
expertise - Not every cluster is medically or scientifically
important - Real world data sets uncontrolled variables
inconsistent data collection questionable data
accuracy - FDA must absorb growing volume of global
production, distribution, and medical use
information - Transactions/movement/uses mount faster than FDA
can absorb - FDA cannot guarantee world-wide food, drug,
device safety - Creation/use of IT systems for these tasks will
be difficult
29Managing Globalization
- FDA in China, India front-end of world-wide
presence - US inspection/quality control implemented
globally? In tandem with Australia and EU?
(limited success in past) - 3B in counterfeit medicine seized in 2008
- 24 percent jump in 2007 illicit versions of 403
different prescription drugs were confiscated in
99 countries - Primarily generic copies that violate patent
laws and products that lack active chemical
ingredients or contain improper dosages - Lucrative opportunity for organized crime
- Reimportation tipping point to a system
out-of-control? - FDA will need hundreds of millions of s to
implement? - European experience with parallel
tradeinstructive or not? - EMEA increasingly concerned about China, India,
counterfeits
30Resisting Bias TowardNegative Decisions
- No heroes for approvals (Frances Kelsey syndrome)
- Global communications magnifies idiosyncratic and
multivariate adverse events - Congressional/media/trial bar scrutiny is
remorseless - Uncertainty inherent in all approval decisions
e.g. doubling clinical trial size may only
modestly increase ability to detect adverse
events - Thorough review of safety is appropriate and
necessary, but pre-occupation is not always
responsible or reasonable - Will greater industry attention to safety data
post-market commitments allow balanced FDA
decisionmaking?
31Staying Focused on Priorities
- FDAs responsibilities substantially exceed its
resources - Large gaps in inspections, safety, information
technology - Constant pressure from globalization
- Challenge from innovationhuman, microbial, viral
- Some mission creep inevitable
- Might new missions risk FDA focus and
effectiveness? - Tobacco
- Re-importation
- Comparative effectiveness/reimbursement wars
- Is it time to re-assess whether foods and medical
products belong in the same agency?
32Keeping the Best and the Brightest
- Public service cannot be allowed to go out of
style - FDA needs the resources and tools to do its job
- People cannot effectively do 3 or 4 jobs at a
time - Medical reviewers need time to refresh their
knowledge - Congressional oversight must be measured, not
vitriolic - Learning from mistakes is good second-guessing
is bad - Scientific/statistical decisions should be
evidence-based - Differing interpretations are to be expected
- Science should rule, but there have always been
agency decisions where politics played a role
(not new!)
33- A strong FDA benefits all Americans
- Patients, consumers, health professionals,
industry - ....and the whole world benefits, too.