Proprietary Product FDA Approval Process

U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval is required before any new drug can be marketed. A New Drug Application (NDA) is a filing submitted to the FDA to obtain approval of a new drug and must contain complete pre-clinical and clinical safety and efficacy data or a right of reference to such data. Before dosing a new drug in healthy human subjects or patients may begin, stringent government requirements for pre-clinical data must be satisfied. The pre-clinical data, typically obtained from laboratory studies, are submitted in an Investigational New Drug, or IND, application, or its equivalent in countries outside the United States where clinical trials are to be conducted. The pre-clinical data must provide an adequate basis for evaluating both the safety and the scientific rationale for the initiation of clinical trials.

Clinical trials are typically conducted in three sequential phases, although the phases may overlap.

• In Phase I, which frequently begins with the initial introduction of the compound into healthy human subjects prior to introduction into patients, the product is tested for safety, adverse effects, dosage, tolerance absorption, metabolism, excretion and other elements of clinical pharmacology.
• Phase II typically involves studies in a small sample of the intended patient population to assess the efficacy of the compound for a specific indication, to determine dose tolerance and the optimal dose range, and to gather additional information relating to safety and potential adverse effects.
• Phase III trials are undertaken to further evaluate clinical safety and efficacy in an expanded patient population at typically dispersed study sites, in order to determine the overall risk-benefit ratio of the compound and to provide an adequate basis for product labeling.

Each trial is conducted in accordance with certain standards under protocols that detail the objectives of the study, the parameters to be used to monitor safety and the efficacy criteria to be evaluated. Each protocol must be submitted to the FDA as part of the IND. In some cases, the FDA allows a company to rely on data developed in foreign countries, or previously published data, which eliminates the need to independently repeat some or all of the studies.

Data from pre-clinical testing and clinical trials are submitted to the FDA as an NDA for marketing approval and to other health authorities as a marketing authorization application. The process of completing clinical trials for a new drug may take several years and require the expenditure of substantial resources. Preparing an NDA or marketing authorization application involves considerable data collection, verification, analysis and expense, and there can be no assurance that approval from the FDA or any other health authority will be granted on a timely basis, if at all. The approval process is affected by a number of factors, primarily the risks and benefits demonstrated in clinical trials as well as the severity of the disease and the availability of alternative treatments. The FDA or other health authorities may deny an NDA or marketing authorization application if the regulatory criteria are not satisfied, or such authorities may require additional testing or information.

Even after initial FDA or other health authority approval has been obtained, further studies, including Phase IV post-marketing studies, may be required to provide additional data on safety. The post-marketing studies could be used to gain approval for the use of a product as a treatment for clinical indications other than those for which the product was initially tested.

Also, the FDA or other regulatory authorities require post-marketing reporting to monitor the adverse effects of the drug. Results of post-marketing programs may limit or expand the further marketing of the products. Further, if there are any modifications to the drug, including changes in indication, manufacturing process or labeling or a change in the manufacturing facility, an application seeking approval of such changes must be submitted to the FDA or other regulatory authority. Additionally, the FDA regulates post-approval promotional labeling and advertising activities to assure that such activities are being conducted in conformity with statutory and regulatory requirements. Failure to adhere to such requirements can result in regulatory actions that could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.