FDA to Replace Guidance on Developing New Pain Drugs

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said the agency plans to scrap its existing guidance on developing new pain drugs and replace it with guidances designed to promote development of new opioid alternatives and improve benefit and risk assessments of new opioid drugs in the works.

“Everything is on the table,” Gottlieb said Wednesday in announcing the move aimed at driving innovation for fresh options to the potent, addictive pain meds. He noted the initiative will include at least four new guidances.

Gottlieb said the agency will release the new guidance over the next six to twelve months.