在美国,罕见病的定义是指用于预防、诊断或治疗患病人数小于20万人的疾病或病症的药物(包括生物制剂)[1]。罕见病影响着患者及其家庭,许多罕见病危及生命,而且大多数都没有治疗方法[2]。美国于1983年颁布了《孤儿药法案》,旨在激励罕见病治疗药物的开发,获得孤儿药认定后,企业将获得一系列的经济及政策上的支持[3]。本篇文章将介绍一下FDA 孤儿药认定(ODD,Orphan Drug Designation)的申请流程及常见问题。
01
激励政策
支持罕见病新疗法的开发和评估是FDA的一个关键优先事项。FDA有权对药物或生物制品授予孤儿药资格,以预防、诊断或治疗罕见疾病或病症。获得孤儿药认定,申办者有资格获得一系列的激励政策,包括[3]:
为临床试验提供税收抵免;
免除申报费用;
上市批准后获得7年的市场独占权。
02
递交资料
ODD认定的申请材料相对比较简单,Cover Letter、Form 4035以及参考文献。4035表格旨在帮助申办者完整而简洁地为孤儿药认定申请提供所需的内容。可以在如下网址下载。
https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/reports-manuals-forms/forms
或
https://www.fda.gov/industry/designating-orphan-product-drugs-and-biological-products/orphan-drug-designation-request-form
03
递交程序
申办者可以通过以下三种方式之一提交孤儿药认定请求[3]:
a)通过CDER NextGen portal递交电子资料。
b)通过电子邮件发送申请资料至orphan@fda.hhs.gov。
c)通过邮寄方式,将纸质资料邮寄至以下地址:
Office of Orphan Products DevelopmentAttention: Orphan Drug [or Rare Pediatric Disease] Designation ProgramFood and Drug AdministrationWO32-529510903 New Hampshire AvenueSilver Spring, MD 20993-0002
以上三种方式中,邮件发送较为简单,我们通常采取这种方式。
04
Form 4035表格填写
1-3.申请日期、申请人信息
4.美国代理机构信息
5.产品信息
注意此处化学名信息,在获得ODD资格认定之后,这一信息将会被公示,有保密顾虑的企业请考虑清楚申请策略。
6.企业信息
7-8.拟定的适应症信息
9. 与疾病/病症有关的科学依据。
10.临床优势
按品种实际情况勾选。如果选是,请说明该药物在以下方面的临床优势:在目标人群中更有效、更安全,或与所有先前批准的同类药物相比,对病人护理做出了重大贡献。需要列出这些药物,包括名称和处方。
11.孤儿药特殊亚型
按品种实际情况勾选。如果是,请提供解释说明,由于该药物的某一特性(例如作用机制、毒性情况、先前临床经验),将限制其用于常见疾病或病症。
12.监管状态/市场历史情况
13.人群估算
05
Sponsor或Contact变更
FDA 316.27 Change in ownership of orphan-drug designation中将所需资料说的很清楚,笔者也邮件咨询了下ODD办公室,下图为ODD办公室的回应。如果只是变更Contact,提交一个letter说明变更信息就可以。如果变更sponsor,需要来自变更前后双方的letter。
笔者今年递交了一个Sponsor的变更,提交的文件有Cover Letter,说明变更事项;Statement on Change in Ownership,说明变更前后sponsor信息,包括双方名称、地址、联系人信息、agent信息,需要双方签名、联系人签名,邮件发给ODD办公室即可。ODD办公室反应很快,资料没问题的话通常第二天就会反馈Transfer Letter。这里提醒一下小伙伴们,Letter中一定要明确Designation request number,否则不能完成transfer。
06
常见问题(FAQ)
注:此问答英文原文内容来源于FDA Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Designating an Orphan Product(https://www.fda.gov/industry/designating-orphan-product-drugs-and-biological-products/frequently-asked-questions-faq-about-designating-orphan-product)
FAQ# 1 - Does the contact person’s signature need to be on the cover letter of the orphan drug designation request? Can a signature page be sent separately?
在孤儿药认定申请的cover letter上,是否需要联系人签名?是否可以单独发送签名页?
An original signature of an individual representing the sponsor organization is required on one copy of the orphan drug designation request (typically the cover letter.) The original signature does not have to be the contact person. For example, the sponsor’s CEO may sign the cover letter, but the individual listed as the contact person is the head of regulatory affairs.
在cover letter页通常需要申办者代表签名,此签名不一定是联系人。例如,CEO可以在cover letter上签字,但是联系人必须是法规事务人员。
FAQ# 2 - Can the orphan drug designation request be submitted electronically? What is required?
孤儿药认定可以以电子形式递交吗?有何要求?
Yes. Orphan drug requests can be submitted by email toorphan@fda.hhs.gov. Please include a dated and signed cover letter, a bibliography and full copies (not abstracts) of all references cited. See Designating an Orphan Product: Drugs and Biological Products for more information.
是的。孤儿药申请可以通过电子邮件发送至 orphan@fda.hhs.gov。内容包括:cover letter(含有申请日期并签名)、参考文献目录以及所引用文献的完整副本(非摘要)。相关信息可参考Designating an Orphan Product: Drugs and Biological Products。
FAQ# 3 - What information about orphan drug designations is publicly available? What if the sponsor does not provide a generic and trade name of the drug?
关于孤儿药认定,公众可以获取到哪些公开信息?如果申办者不提供药品的通用名称和商品名称怎么办?
If a product receives an orphan drug designation, certain information (sponsor’s name, address and contact information, name of drug, orphan designated use and date of designation and status) about the orphan designated product will be available in the FDA’ssearchable database.
FDA will post the generic and trade name of the drug, or if neither is available, the chemical name or a meaningful descriptive name of the drug provided by the sponsor and subject to approval by FDA. See21CFR 316.28(b) for more information.
If a designated product is approved by FDA for marketing, certain additional information is available on the website (approval date, approved indication and exclusivity status).
若产品获得孤儿药认定,申办者的名称、地址、联系信息、药品名称、用途和认定日期将会在FDA数据库中查询到。
FDA将公布药品的通用名称和商品名称,如果两者都没有,则公布申办者提供的药品化学名称或有意义的描述性名称,但须经FDA批准。更多信息见 21CFR 316.28(b)。
如果认定的产品已获 FDA 批准上市,网站上还会提供某些其他信息(例如批准日期、批准的适应症和排他性地位)。
FAQ# 4 - What is the review process once the orphan drug designation request is received by FDA?
FDA 收到指定孤儿药认定申请后的审评程序是什么?
The FDA will send an acknowledgement letter to the sponsor (or sponsor’s agent). The FDA conducts the review of the request, which may require agency-wide coordination. When FDA’s review of the request is complete, if FDA determines the drug is eligible for orphan drug designation, FDA will send the sponsor a designation letter. The sponsor may receive a deficiency letter requesting additional information or a denial letter as appropriate.
FDA 将向申办者(或申办者的代理人)发出acknowledgement letter。FDA 对申请进行审查,当 FDA 完成审查后,若 FDA 确定该药物符合孤儿药认定的条件,将向申办者发出designation letter,此外,申办者也可能会收到要求补充资料的deficiency letter或denial letter。
FAQ# 5 - The regulations say that the sponsor is required to submit all relevant data about their drug in the orphan drug designation request. Why doesn’t the sponsor have to submit animal toxicology data in the orphan drug designation request?
法规规定,申办者必须在孤儿药认定申请中提交其药物的所有相关数据。为什么动物毒理学数据不是必须?
In order to designate a product as an orphan drug, the scientific rationale portion of the designation application must include enough information to establish a medically plausible basis for expecting the drug to be effective in the rare disease. The scientific rationale is best supported by clinical data of the drug in treating, preventing or diagnosing the rare disease. However, in the absence of human data, the application for orphan drug designation may be satisfactorily supported with preclinical data using the drug in a relevant animal model for the human disease.
In the absence of human data and when a relevant animal model does not exist, the FDA may consider a combination of alternative data that includes the pathogenesis of the disease, a clear description of the drug and its mechanism of action specific to the disease and supporting in vitro data.
Animal toxicology data describing the safety of the drug in animals do not provide efficacy data and are not generally relevant in supporting the scientific rationale. Only in rare situations, where there is an absence of both human data and a relevant in vivo model, will FDA consider a combination of alternative data that include the pathogenesis of the disease, a clear description of the drug and its mechanism of action specific to the disease and supporting in vitro data.
为了成功获得孤儿药认定,申请中的科学依据部分必须包含充足的信息,以确立在医学上有合理依据预期该药物对罕见病有效。药物在治疗、预防或诊断罕见病方面的临床数据是最好的支持性数据。然而,在缺乏人体试验数据的情况下,孤儿药认定申请仍可通过在相关动物模型上进行的临床前研究数据来获得支持,这些动物模型应能有效模拟人类疾病的状态。
在缺乏人体数据和没有相关动物模型数据的情况下,FDA可能会考虑综合各种替代数据,包括疾病的发病机理、对药物及其作用机制的明确描述以及体外支持性数据。
动物毒理学数据虽然能够描述药物在动物体内的安全性,但并不提供关于药物有效性信息,通常与支持科学依据的直接证据不相关。仅在极少数情况下,当缺乏人体试验数据和相关体内模型时,FDA才会考虑综合评估替代性数据。这些替代性数据可能包括疾病的病理生理学机制、药物的详细描述、对疾病的作用机制,以及体外实验的支持性数据,以作为孤儿药认定申请的补充依据。
FAQ# 6 - What information is required for an orphan drug designation request?
申请孤儿药认定需要提供哪些信息?
SeeRecommended Tips for Creating an Orphan Drug Designation Application for information on compiling an orphan drug designation request.
可参考Recommended Tips for Creating an Orphan Drug Designation Application(https://collaboration.fda.gov/p7qz15qb11s/)
FAQ# 7 - If the sponsor is from a foreign country, is a U.S. agent required to file a designation request?
如果申办者来自国外,是否需要美国代理人提交申请?
A sponsor located outside the U.S. is required to have a U.S. permanent resident agent to file a request for an orphan drug designation. All correspondence to and from FDA related to international sponsors should go through the U.S. agent including submitting annual reports after a product is designated as an orphan drug.
A U.S. agent can be anyone residing in the U.S. who is responsible for the paperwork involved with the designation request and, if a designation is granted, will serve as the primary contact going forward. If the sponsor’s U.S. agent changes, FDA must be notified.
位于美国境外的申办者,必须通过美国永居机构才能提交孤儿药认定申请。与FDA的所有通信,包括产品获得孤儿药认定后需提交的年度报告,均应通过美国代理人进行。
美国代理人应是在美国居住的个人或实体,负责处理与孤儿药认定申请相关的所有文件工作。一旦孤儿药申请获得批准,该代理人将担任未来的主要联系人。若申办者更换代理人,必须及时通知FDA。
FAQ# 8 - What if the sponsor has difficulty finding data on prevalence? In the case of a product used for an acute condition, should incidence of fewer than 200,000 people be used instead of prevalence?
如果申办者在寻找患病率数据时遇到困难怎么办?在产品用于治疗急性病症的情况下,是否应使用少于200,000人的发病率来代替患病率?
Besides referenced texts and journals, prevalence data for many rare diseases can be found on the internet at government and patient support group websites. There is no general list of specific conditions considered to have prevalence of fewer than 200,000. Copies of all materials documenting how the prevalence estimate was determined should be provided in the designation request. If the reference source is from a website, a hard copy of the document should be included as well as the website address. The date each website was accessed should also be provided for all website sources referenced.
Sponsors are expected to make a good faith effort in finding the most recent prevalence data that refers to a United States population. If only old and/or foreign data are available, the sponsor should explain this in the request. If data are old, the sponsor should explain why the data are still pertinent and, if from a foreign source, why data from that country’s population could also be representative of U.S. population.
The prevalence estimate must be current to reflect the prevalence at the time of submission of the request for orphan drug designation(21CFR 316.21 (b)). To update this estimate, the sponsor should use U.S. population data available from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Provide all calculations and cite references used to make the population estimate. The estimate should be current at the time of the submission of the orphan drug designation request. U.S. Census Bureau data can be used to update any population estimate.
When a range of estimates exists, FDA accepts only the largest estimate unless a justification is provided why another estimate is more accurate.
If the drug is intended for diagnosis or prevention of a rare disease or condition, provide the estimated number of people to whom the drug will be administered annually.
If a disease is an acute condition (e.g., less than one year duration) incidence may be used as an estimate of the population. However, note that if the disease is a relapsing/remitting disease where each episode is acute in duration, a prevalence estimate may still be required.
If using data from a claims database or foreign data, clearly explain how such data are generalizable to the U.S. population and the limitations of the data.
The National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program is one recommended resource for determining cancer statistics in the United States.
除了参考文献和期刊文章之外,许多罕见病的患病率数据也可以在政府网站和患者支持团体的网站上找到。目前尚未无清单列出了所有患病率低于20万的特定疾病。在孤儿药认定申请中,应提供确定患病率数据的所有材料。如果数据来源于网站,应提交该网页的打印副本以及网站地址。同时,还需记录所有网站来源的访问日期。
申办者应尽可能获得涉及美国人群的最新患病率数据。若只能获取既往数据或国外数据,申办者应在申请中明确说明。对于既往数据,申办者需解释其为何仍具有相关性;对于国外数据,需说明为何该国的数据能够代表美国人群。
根据21 CFR 316.21 (b)的规定,患病率估计值必须是最新数据,以反映递交孤儿药认定申请时的实际情况。申办者应使用美国人口普查局提供的最新数据。应提供所有计算结果及参考文献。
若估计的数据是一个范围,FDA将仅接受最高估计值,除非申办者能够提供充分的理由说明为何其他估计值更为准确。
如果药物用于诊断或预防罕见病,请提供每年预计使用药物的人数。
对于急性疾病(如病程少于一年),可以使用发病率来估计人数。但需注意,如果是周期性复发/缓解性的疾病,且每次发作均为急性,仍需估算患病率。
如果使用索赔数据库数据或国外数据,请说明这些数据如何推广至美国人群,并说明数据的局限性。
国家癌症研究所的监测、流行病学和最终结果计划(SEER系统)是确定美国癌症统计数据的推荐资源。
FAQ# 9 - If the intended designated use of a drug is for prevention rather than treatment, how is the population estimated in each case?
如果药物指定适应性是用于预防而非治疗,如何估算人群数量?
If the drug is being used for prevention, the population estimate should be the number of people to whom the drug will be administered annually in the U.S. (21 CFR 316.21(b)(3).)
如果药物用于预防,则人群数量应为美国每年使用该药物的人数(21 CFR 316.21(b)(3))。
FAQ# 10 - Under what conditions will FDA designate an orphan drug and recognize orphan drug exclusivity for a new formulation of a drug that is otherwise the same as an approved drug for the same rare disease or condition?
在哪些情形下,FDA会认定一种孤儿药,并授予该药物的排他性权利,尤其是已有药物的罕见病?
The public policy objective of the Orphan Drug Act is to stimulate innovation in developing treatments for patients with rare diseases and conditions, and to foster the prompt availability of clinically superior drugs. Accordingly, FDA’s regulations help ensure orphan drug exclusivity does not preclude significant improvements in treating rare diseases.
FDA may grant orphan drug designation to a drug that is otherwise the same drug as a drug already approved in the U.S. for the same rare disease or condition only if the sponsor can present a plausible hypothesis that its drug may be clinically superior to the previously approved drug. See 21 CFR 316.20(a) for more information.
Clinical superiority may be established by means of greater effectiveness, greater safety in a substantial portion of the target populations, or in unusual cases a major contribution to patient care. (21 CFR 316.3(b)(3).)
If orphan drug designation is granted, and if the drug receives marketing approval for the designated use, in order for the drug to be eligible for orphan drug exclusivity, the sponsor must demonstrate that the drug is clinically superior to any previously approved same drug for the same use (21 CFR 316.34(c).) Any claim for clinical superiority could require a head-to-head trial.
《孤儿药法案》的目的是激励罕见病药物开发和治疗的创新,促进临床上疗效更好的药物的研发。因此,FDA的法规有助于确保孤儿药排他性而不会阻碍在治疗罕见病方面的重大进步。
只有当申办者能够提出合理的解释,证明其药物在临床上的疗效优于先前批准的药物时,FDA才会将孤儿药称号授予在美国已有药物治疗的罕见病的药物。更多信息请参见 21 CFR 316.20(a)。
临床优势可通过以下方式确定:更有效、对大部分目标人群更安全,或在特殊情况下对患者医护的重大贡献。(21 CFR 316.3(b)(3))。
如果被授予孤儿药称号,并且获得了上市许可,那么为了拥有排他性,申办者必须证明该药物比之前批准的药物更具有临床优势(21 CFR 316.34(c))。任何更具有临床优势的声明通常都需要进行头对头试验。
FAQ# 11 - What does FDA consider a major contribution to patient care?
FDA认为什么是对患者医护的重大贡献?
The following factors, when applicable to severe or life-threatening diseases, may in appropriate cases be taken into consideration when determining whether a drug makes a major contribution to patient care:
● Convenient treatment location
● Duration of treatment
● Patient comfort
● Reduced treatment burden
● Advances in ease and comfort of drug administration
● Longer periods between doses
● Potential for self-administration
Factors that FDA cannot consider when determining whether a drug makes a major contribution to patient care include:
● Cost of therapy
● Compliance to therapy (significantly improved compliance should be reflected by a measure of greater safety or efficacy)
对于严重或危及生命的疾病,以下因素将会被考虑,以确定一种药物是否对患者医护做出了重大贡献:
方便的治疗地点;
治疗周期;
患者舒适度;
降低治疗负担;
药物给药的方便性和舒适性的提升;
更长的给药间隔时间;
自我护理的潜力。
在确定药物是否对患者医护做出重大贡献时,FDA不会考虑以下因素:
治疗成本;
治疗依从性(显著的依从性改善应当通过更高的安全性和/或有效性指标来体现)
FAQ# 12 - Please explain orphan subset.
什么是orphan subset?
Sponsors can receive orphan drug designation for the use of a drug in an orphan subset of a non-rare disease or condition when they can explain based on a characteristic or feature of the drug why the drug will be limited to use in an orphan subset of a non-rare disease. An orphan subset is not based on an unmet need, or how a sponsor may wish to study or indicate a drug. The explanation for the orphan subset must make it clear that the drug could never be used in the disease or condition outside of the subset. See 21 CFR 316.3(b)(13) for more information.
如果申办者能够充分说明药物的特性或特点,并阐明为何该药物仅适用于非罕见疾病的特定亚型,则该药物可能被认定为孤儿药,专门用于治疗这些特定亚型的非罕见疾病。孤儿药的这一认定,不应基于未满足的医疗需求,也不应基于申办者的研究意图或对药物的使用说明。申办者必须明确指出该药物不得用于除所指定的亚型之外的任何疾病或病症。更多信息请参见 21 CFR 316.3(b)(13)。
FAQ# 13 - If changes are made to the product formulation after receiving orphan designation and prior to NDA submission, will the approved NDA still qualify for exclusivity?
在获得孤儿药认定后,递交NDA前变更了处方,NDA获批后是否仍具有市场排他性?
Orphan drug designation is generally granted to the active moiety rather than the product formulation so changes to the product formulation should not generally affect orphan drug designation status.
The first sponsor to bring an active moiety to market for a particular use or indication is generally eligible for orphan drug exclusivity if that sponsor has orphan designation for that drug. If the sponsor subsequently makes a change in formulation to the original product, which was designated and approved for marketing, we consider the sponsor to still have designation for the active moiety. The sponsor will not be eligible for a new term of orphan drug exclusivity upon approval of the changed formulation unless the sponsor can demonstrate that the changed formulation is clinically superior to the original approved product.
孤儿药认定通常授予其活性成分而非处方,因此,处方变更通常不会影响孤儿药认定的状态。首个将某一活性成分推向市场用于特定用途或适应症的申办者拥有该药物的孤儿药认定资格,享受市场排他性权益。如果申办者后续对产品处方进行了变更,我们仍认为该申办者拥有此活性成分孤儿药认定的资格,除非申办者能够证明变更处方后的新产品具有明显的临床优势。
07
其他问题
7.1 是否需要安全邮箱?
根据FDA的要求“Sponsors and others who plan to email information to FDA that is private, sensitive, proprietary or commercial confidential are strongly encouraged to send it from an FDA-secured email address so the transmission is encrypted. The agency will assume the addresses of emails received or email addresses provided as a point of contact are secure when responding to those email addresses”,申办者若通过电子邮件方式发送申请,需要通过FDA安全邮箱的方式。申办者可以通过邮件至SecureEmail@fda.hhs.gov来申请安全邮箱。
7.2 孤儿药申请时间
ODD申请不要求有临床数据,因此,在拿到非临床药效学模型数据之后就可以申请。
7.3 资格认定后信息查询
获得ODD资格认定后,可以在FDA认定和获批数据库查询相关信息:
Search Orphan Drug Designations and Approvals:
https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/opdlisting/oopd/
参考文献
[1] FDA Recommended Tips for Creating an OrphanDrug Designation Application
[2] FDA Medical products for rare diseases and conditions
[3] Designating an Orphan Product: Drugs and Biological Products
https://www.fda.gov/industry/medical-products-rare-diseases-and-conditions/designating-orphan-product-drugs-and-biological-products
[4] FDA 21 CFR Part 316
更多资料请前往注册圈网站
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编辑 | 注册圈 作者 | 宁以
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