Estimating the Impact of Food and Drug Administration’s Unapproved Drug Initiative on Drug Prices and Sales

Abstract

Background

The 2006 FDA’s Unapproved Drug Initiative (UDI) aimed to improve safety and public health by decreasing the availability of drug products that never obtained FDA approval (unapproved drug products) in the market and incentivizing manufacturers to emphasize that these products must obtain FDA approval. The objective of this study was to measure changes in the prices, sales, and quantities sold of drug products approved under the FDA-UDI.

Methods

Drug products that obtained voluntary approval under FDA-UDI from 2006 to 2015 were identified and trends in prices, sales, and units sold were analyzed using the IQVIA National Sales Perspective database.

Results

Eleven drug products were included in the final analysis. Relative to baseline levels 2 years before approval, a steep increase in price and sales was observed 2 years postapproval for all except 2 of the drug categories—with median percent change of 245% (range: −37% to 9618%) for price and 238% (range: −4% to 6707%) for sales. Substantial variance was observed in the changes in units sold.

Conclusion

A marked increase was seen in postapproval prices and sales for the vast majority of drug products approved in the FDA-UDI with mixed results in changes in units sold. In addition to increased information on safety, the policy’s impact on postapproval drug prices and associated effects on units sold should be considered in assessing the policy, especially when substantial price increases and decreases in units sold may negatively impact health.