What is a PDUFA date?

It is the target date by which the FDA aims to complete its review of a drug application. It is a decision deadline, not a promise of approval, and the date can be extended.

The name is just the law

PDUFA stands for the Prescription Drug User Fee Act. Under it, drug companies pay fees to the FDA, and in exchange the agency commits to reviewing applications within set timeframes.

The PDUFA date is the target the agency has set for a particular application. It is a scheduling commitment, not a verdict.

Standard and Priority Review

A standard review targets roughly ten months. Priority Review targets roughly six, and is granted where the treatment could be a significant improvement over what already exists.

Priority Review says the FDA considers the application important enough to look at sooner. It is not a signal about the outcome.

What can happen on or before the date

The FDA may approve the application, approve it with a narrower label than requested, or issue a Complete Response Letter setting out what would be needed for approval.

The date can also move. The agency may extend the review — often by three months — if substantial new information is submitted.

New drug or wider label

Some applications are for a brand new medicine. Others are supplemental: the drug is already approved, and the company is asking to use it for an additional condition or in combination with something else.

The distinction matters, because a supplemental application is about how large the market for an existing product becomes — not about whether the product exists.

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