The FDA's controversial priority review vouchers, which grant companies coupons for quick approval, are all in hands of major drugmakers, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. The FDA's program, established in 2007, was designed to incentivize the development of treatments for tropical and rare pediatric diseases, giving companies that win such approvals a one-time voucher that shortens the review time from any medicine from 10 months to 6 months. And, to sweeten the deal, such vouchers can be sold to the highest bidder. Since the beginning of the program, 9 vouchers have been handed out and 5 have been sold, with the most recent going for $350 million. And, as PwC notes, all of the vouchers now rest in the hands of companies with market caps over $35 billion. More
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