Computer-Simulated Tests Eyed at FDA to Cut Drug Approval Costs
- FDA plans to help speed adoption of trials in virtual patients
- Research on new drugs, rare diseases could be expedited
A worker tests a liquid chemical inside of a laboratory at the Pfizer Inc. research and development facility in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S., on Monday, Oct. 26, 2015. Pfizer is expected to report quarterly earnings on October 27.
Photographer: Scott Eisen/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Computer simulations may get a role alongside human testing as part of an effort to bring new medications and medical devices to market more quickly and cheaply.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration outlined a proposal Friday to help integrate computer modeling and virtual testing as part of the regulatory approval process for manufacturers -- a step the agency said could save money while helping find cures for puzzling conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease.