United States Code
USC most recently checked for updates: Feb 18, 2025
The term “priority review”, with respect to a human drug application as defined in section 379g(1) of this title, means review and action by the Secretary on such application not later than 6 months after receipt by the Secretary of such application, as described in the Manual of Policies and Procedures of the Food and Drug Administration and goals identified in the letters described in section 101(b) of the Prescription Drug User Fee Amendments of 2012.
The term “priority review voucher” means a voucher issued by the Secretary to the sponsor of a rare pediatric disease product application that entitles the holder of such voucher to priority review of a single human drug application submitted under section 355(b)(1) of this title or section 351(a) of the Public Health Service Act [42 U.S.C. 262(a)] after the date of approval of the rare pediatric disease product application.
The Secretary shall award a priority review voucher to the sponsor of a rare pediatric disease product application upon approval by the Secretary of such rare pediatric disease product application.
The sponsor of a rare pediatric disease product application that receives a priority review voucher under this section may transfer (including by sale) the entitlement to such voucher. There is no limit on the number of times a priority review voucher may be transferred before such voucher is used.
Each person to whom a voucher is transferred shall notify the Secretary of such change in ownership of the voucher not later than 30 days after such transfer.
A sponsor of a rare pediatric disease product application may not receive a priority review voucher under this section if the rare pediatric disease product application was submitted to the Secretary prior to the date that is 90 days after
Beginning on the date that is 90 days after
The sponsor of a human drug application shall notify the Secretary not later than 90 days prior to submission of the human drug application that is the subject of a priority review voucher of an intent to submit the human drug application, including the date on which the sponsor intends to submit the application. Such notification shall be a legally binding commitment to pay the user fee to be assessed in accordance with this section.
The sponsor of a human drug application that provides notification of the intent of such sponsor to use the voucher for the human drug application under clause (i) may transfer the voucher after such notification is provided, if such sponsor has not yet submitted the human drug application described in the notification.
The Secretary shall establish a user fee program under which a sponsor of a human drug application that is the subject of a priority review voucher shall pay to the Secretary a fee determined under paragraph (2). Such fee shall be in addition to any fee required to be submitted by the sponsor under subchapter VII.
The Secretary shall establish, before the beginning of each fiscal year beginning after
The priority review user fee required by this subsection shall be due upon the notification by a sponsor of the intent of such sponsor to use the voucher, as specified in subsection (b)(4)(A).2
An application described under subparagraph (A) for which the sponsor requests the use of a priority review voucher shall be considered incomplete if the fee required by this subsection and all other applicable user fees are not paid in accordance with the Secretary’s procedures for paying such fees.
The Secretary may not grant a waiver, exemption, reduction, or refund of any fees due and payable under this section.
The request for a designation under paragraph (1) shall be made at the same time a request for designation of orphan disease status under section 360bb of this title or fast-track designation under section 356 of this title is made. Requesting designation under this subsection is not a prerequisite to receiving a priority review voucher under this section.
The Secretary may revoke any priority review voucher awarded under subsection (b) if the rare pediatric disease product for which such voucher was awarded is not marketed in the United States within the 365-day period beginning on the date of the approval of such drug under section 355 of this title or section 351 of the Public Health Service Act [42 U.S.C. 262].
Nothing in this section precludes a sponsor who seeks a priority review voucher under this section from participating in any other incentive program, including under this chapter, except that no sponsor of a rare pediatric disease product application may receive more than one priority review voucher issued under any section of this chapter with respect to the drug for which the application is made..3
The provisions of this section shall supplement, not supplant, any other provisions of this chapter or the Public Health Service Act [42 U.S.C. 201 et seq.] that encourage the development of drugs for tropical diseases and rare pediatric diseases.
Beginning on the date that the Secretary awards the third rare pediatric disease priority voucher under this section, the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study of the effectiveness of awarding rare pediatric disease priority vouchers under this section in the development of human drug products that treat or prevent such diseases.
Not later than 1 year after the date under paragraph (1)(A), the Comptroller General shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, a report containing the results of the study under paragraph (1).