Also known as: CBER
The FDA reversed its refusal to review Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine application and accepted a revised filing with split age cohorts and a post-market study for adults over 65. The reversal came amid broader vaccine regulatory uncertainty and industry concern about unpredictable review timelines.
The global antibody drug conjugate market is calculated at USD 14.76 billion in 2026 and is expected to reach USD 32.66 billion by 2035. North America held a 53% share in 2025, while Asia Pacific is projected to grow fastest.
FDA released its 2026 Rare Disease Hub Strategic Agenda and a draft guidance on 3-year New Clinical Investigation Exclusivity. The agency also outlined new pathways including the plausible mechanism pathway and Rare Disease Evidence Principles to accelerate treatments for rare diseases.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 extends the FDA’s rare pediatric disease priority review voucher authority through Sept. 30, 2029. The law also requires a GAO report on the program’s effectiveness.
The FDA will now allow drug approval based on a single pivotal trial instead of two, a policy change confirmed in a New England Journal of Medicine paper. The new guidance maintains requirements for confirmatory evidence and focuses on trial design quality, aiming to reduce development costs and speed drugs to market. FDA officials argue this approach may actually improve standards by concentrating scrutiny on a single well-designed study.
The FDA issued reforms on January 11, 2026, loosening chemistry, manufacturing, and control requirements for cell and gene therapy products to advance innovation and accommodate the unique complexity of these treatments.
The FDA has established a "plausible mechanism pathway" to approve personalized genome editing and RNA-based therapies for rare and ultra-rare diseases without requiring large randomized controlled trials, streamlining access to individualized treatments.
Dr. Vinay Prasad, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, will depart the agency by the end of April to return to an academic role at the University of California San Francisco.
Moderna's mRNA-1010 seasonal influenza vaccine enters FDA review following a revised approach that splits approval pathways by age group, with a decision expected by August 2026.
The FDA agreed to review Moderna's mRNA-1010 seasonal flu vaccine after initially refusing to file the application, setting a decision date of August 5, 2026. If approved, it would be the first mRNA-based seasonal influenza vaccine on the market.
