FDA has recently released a final guidance document on in vitro diagnostic (IVD) companion diagnostic (CDx) products, which are used in conjunction with therapeutic or biological products to maximize effectiveness based on the genetic characteristics of a patient or population. Companion diagnostic products have become more common in the past few years and provide great benefits to both regulators and industry.
Regulators find that diagnostics make it easier to determine which patient populations will benefit, and reduce the risk of drugs being used improperly or on untested patients. In turn, this information helps regulators see who could potentially benefit from a drug and why, ultimately simplifying the approval process for drug manufacturers.
The final guidance provides clarification on policies from the original draft guidance that may have been unclear, but is otherwise the same. According to the guidance, although FDA may approve some drugs without a companion diagnostic device, “in most circumstances an IVD companion diagnostic device and its corresponding therapeutic product should be approved or cleared contemporaneously by FDA for the use indicated in the therapeutic product labeling” in order to ensure safety and efficacy.
To read Alexander Gaffney’s full article on raps.org, click here.