(a) Application requirements

(1)(A) Except as provided in paragraph (3), any person may file with the Secretary an application for conditional approval of—

(i) a new animal drug intended for a minor use or a minor species; or

(ii) a new animal drug not intended for a minor use or minor species—

(I) that is intended to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition or addresses an unmet animal or human health need; and

(II) for which the Secretary determines that a demonstration of effectiveness would require a complex or particularly difficult study or studies.

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(B) The Secretary shall, not later than September 30, 2019, issue guidance or regulations further clarifying the criteria specified in subparagraph (A)(ii).

(C) An application under this paragraph shall comply in all respects with the provisions of section 360b of this title except for subsections (a)(4), (b)(2), (c)(1), (c)(2), (c)(3), (d)(1), (e), (h), and (n) of such section unless otherwise stated in this section, and any additional provisions of this section.

(D) New animal drugs for which conditional approval is sought under this section are subject to the same safety standards that would be applied to new animal drugs under section 360b(d) of this title (including, for antimicrobial new animal drugs, with respect to antimicrobial resistance).

(2) The applicant shall submit to the Secretary as part of an application for the conditional approval of a new animal drug—

(A) all information necessary to meet the requirements of section 360b(b)(1) of this title except section 360b(b)(1)(A) of this title;

(B) full reports of investigations which have been made to show whether or not such drug is safe under section 360b(d) of this title (including, for an antimicrobial new animal drug, with respect to antimicrobial resistance) and there is a reasonable expectation of effectiveness for use;

(C) data for establishing a conditional dose;

(D) projections of expected need and the justification for that expectation based on the best information available;

(E) information regarding the quantity of drug expected to be distributed on an annual basis to meet the expected need; and

(F) a commitment that the applicant will conduct additional investigations to meet the requirements for the full demonstration of effectiveness under section 360b(d)(1)(E) of this title within 5 years.

(3)(A) A person may not file an application under paragraph (1) if—

(i) the application seeks conditional approval of a new animal drug that is contained in, or is a product of, a transgenic animal.¹

(ii) the person has previously filed an application for conditional approval under paragraph (1) for the same drug in the same dosage form for the same intended use whether or not subsequently conditionally approved by the Secretary under subsection (b); or

(iii) the person obtained the application, or data or other information contained therein, directly or indirectly from the person who filed for conditional approval under paragraph (1) for the same drug in the same dosage form for the same intended use whether or not subsequently conditionally approved by the Secretary under subsection (b).

(B) A person may not file an application under paragraph (1)(A)(ii) if the application seeks conditional approval of a new animal drug that contains an antimicrobial active ingredient.

(4) Beginning on October 1, 2018, all applications or submissions pursuant to this subsection shall be submitted by electronic means in such format as the Secretary may require.

(b) Order of approval or hearing

Within 180 days after the filing of an application pursuant to subsection (a), or such additional period as may be agreed upon by the Secretary and the applicant, the Secretary shall either—

(1) issue an order, effective for one year, conditionally approving the application if the Secretary finds that none of the grounds for denying conditional approval, specified in subsection (c) of this section applies and publish a Federal Register notice of the conditional approval, or

(2) give the applicant notice of an opportunity for an informal hearing on the question whether such application can be conditionally approved.

(c) Order of approval or refusal after hearing

If the Secretary finds, after giving the applicant notice and an opportunity for an informal hearing, that—

(1) any of the provisions of section 360b(d)(1)(A) through (D) or (F) through (I) of this title are applicable;

(2) the information submitted to the Secretary as part of the application and any other information before the Secretary with respect to such drug, is insufficient to show that there is a reasonable expectation that the drug will have the effect it purports or is represented to have under the conditions of use prescribed, recommended, or suggested in the proposed labeling thereof; or

(3) another person has received approval under section 360b of this title for the same drug in the same dosage form for the same intended use, and that person is able to assure the availability of sufficient quantities of the drug to meet the needs for which the drug is intended;

the Secretary shall issue an order refusing to conditionally approve the application. If, after such notice and opportunity for an informal hearing, the Secretary finds that paragraphs (1) through (3) do not apply, the Secretary shall issue an order conditionally approving the application effective for one year and publish a Federal Register notice of the conditional approval. Any order issued under this subsection refusing to conditionally approve an application shall state the findings upon which it is based.

(d) Effective period; renewal; refusal of renewal

A conditional approval under this section is effective for a 1-year period and is thereafter renewable by the Secretary annually for up to 4 additional 1-year terms. A conditional approval shall be in effect for no more than 5 years from the date of approval under subsection (b)(1) or (c) of this section unless extended as provided for in subsection (h) of this section. The following shall also apply:

(1) No later than 90 days from the end of the 1-year period for which the original or renewed conditional approval is effective, the applicant may submit a request to renew a conditional approval for an additional 1-year term.

(2) A conditional approval shall be deemed renewed at the end of the 1-year period, or at the end of a 90-day extension that the Secretary may, at the Secretary’s discretion, grant by letter in order to complete review of the renewal request, unless the Secretary determines before the expiration of the 1-year period or the 90-day extension that—

(A) the applicant failed to submit a timely renewal request;

(B) the request fails to contain sufficient information to show that—

(i) the applicant is making sufficient progress toward meeting approval requirements under section 360b(d)(1)(E) of this title, and is likely to be able to fulfill those requirements and obtain an approval under section 360b of this title before the expiration of the 5-year maximum term of the conditional approval;

(ii) the quantity of the drug that has been distributed is consistent with the conditionally approved intended use and conditions of use, unless there is adequate explanation that ensures that the drug is only used for its intended purpose; or

(iii) the same drug in the same dosage form for the same intended use has not received approval under section 360b of this title, or if such a drug has been approved, that the holder of the approved application is unable to assure the availability of sufficient quantities of the drug to meet the needs for which the drug is intended; or

(C) any of the provisions of section 360b(e)(1)(A) through (B) or (D) through (F) of this title are applicable.

(3) If the Secretary determines before the end of the 1-year period or the 90-day extension, if granted, that a conditional approval should not be renewed, the Secretary shall issue an order refusing to renew the conditional approval, and such conditional approval shall be deemed withdrawn and no longer in effect. The Secretary shall thereafter provide an opportunity for an informal hearing to the applicant on the issue whether the conditional approval shall be reinstated.

(4)(A) In the case of an application under subsection (a) with respect to a drug for which the Secretary provides notice to the sponsor that the Secretary intends to issue a scientific and medical evaluation and recommend controls under the Controlled Substances Act [21 U.S.C. 801 et seq.], conditional approval of such application shall not take effect until the interim final rule controlling the drug is issued in accordance with section 201(j) of the Controlled Substances Act [21 U.S.C. 811(j)].

(B) For purposes of this section, with respect to an application described in subparagraph (A), the term “date of approval” shall mean the later of—

(i) the date an application under subsection (a) is conditionally approved under subsection (b); or

(ii) the date of issuance of the interim final rule controlling the drug.

(e) Withdrawal of conditional approval

(1) The Secretary shall issue an order withdrawing conditional approval of an application filed pursuant to subsection (a) if the Secretary finds that another person has received approval under section 360b of this title for the same drug in the same dosage form for the same intended use and that person is able to assure the availability of sufficient quantities of the drug to meet the needs for which the drug is intended.

(2) The Secretary shall, after due notice and opportunity for an informal hearing to the applicant, issue an order withdrawing conditional approval of an application filed pursuant to subsection (a) if the Secretary finds that—

(A) any of the provisions of section 360b(e)(1)(A) through (B) or (D) through (F) of this title are applicable; or

(B) on the basis of new information before the Secretary with respect to such drug, evaluated together with the evidence available to the Secretary when the application was conditionally approved, that there is not a reasonable expectation that such drug will have the effect it purports or is represented to have under the conditions of use prescribed, recommended, or suggested in the labeling thereof.

(3) The Secretary may also, after due notice and opportunity for an informal hearing to the applicant, issue an order withdrawing conditional approval of an application filed pursuant to subsection (a) if the Secretary finds that any of the provisions of section 360b(e)(2) of this title are applicable.

(f) Labeling

(1) The label and labeling of a new animal drug with a conditional approval under this section shall for the conditionally approved use—

(A) bear the statement, “conditionally approved by FDA pending a full demonstration of effectiveness under application number”; and

(B) contain such other information as prescribed by the Secretary.

(2) The Secretary shall, through regulation or guidance, determine under what conditions an intended use that is the subject of a conditional approval under this section may be included in the same product label with any intended use approved under section 360b of this title.

(g) Amendment of application

A conditionally approved new animal drug application may not be amended or supplemented to add indications for use.

(h) Order of approval after conditional approval period termination

180 days prior to the termination date established under subsection (d) of this section, an applicant shall have submitted all the information necessary to support a complete new animal drug application in accordance with section 360b(b)(1) of this title or the conditional approval issued under this section is no longer in effect. Following review of this information, the Secretary shall either—

(1) issue an order approving the application under section 360b(c) of this title if the Secretary finds that none of the grounds for denying approval specified in section 360b(d)(1) of this title applies, or

(2) give the applicant an opportunity for a hearing before the Secretary under section 360b(d) of this title on the question whether such application can be approved.

Upon issuance of an order approving the application, product labeling and administrative records of approval shall be modified accordingly. If the Secretary has not issued an order under section 360b(c) of this title approving such application prior to the termination date established under subsection (d) of this section, the conditional approval issued under this section is no longer in effect unless the Secretary grants an extension of an additional 180-day period so that the Secretary can complete review of the application. The decision to grant an extension is committed to the discretion of the Secretary and not subject to judicial review.

(i) Judicial review

The decision of the Secretary under subsection (c), (d), or (e) of this section refusing or withdrawing conditional approval of an application shall constitute final agency action subject to judicial review.

(j) Definition

In this section and section 360ccc-1 of this title, the term “transgenic animal” means an animal whose genome contains a nucleotide sequence that has been intentionally modified in vitro, and the progeny of such an animal; Provided that the term “transgenic animal” does not include an animal of which the nucleotide sequence of the genome has been modified solely by selective breeding.

(k) Sunset

(1) The Secretary’s authority to grant conditional approval of new animal drugs not intended for a minor use or minor species pursuant to subsection (a)(1)(A)(ii) terminates on October 1, 2028.

(2) The Secretary—

(A) may not accept any new applications for such conditional approval pursuant to subsection (a)(1)(A)(ii) on or after such date; and

(B) may continue all activities under this section with respect to drugs that were conditionally approved pursuant to ² (a)(1)(A)(ii) prior to such date.

(3) The Secretary may, until October 1, 2032, accept applications for approval under ³ 360b of this title of drugs conditionally approved pursuant to ² (a)(1)(A)(ii).