Discover your next big idea for life sciences at PACK EXPO Las Vegas
Experience a breakthrough in life sciences packaging—explore solutions from 2,300 suppliers spanning all industries, all in one place this September

Your Drug Candidate Has About a One in 10 Chance of FDA Approval

A BIO (Biotechnology Innovation Organization) report concluded that out of more than 7,000 drug development programs reviewed between 2006 and 2015, candidates had a roughly one in 10 chance to gain the agency’s approval.

A June 2 FDAnews.com article said, “The report found the overall likelihood of approval for all developmental candidates in Phase 1 trials to be 9.6 percent, with that number climbing to 11.9 percent if oncology candidates are excluded.”

A deeper dive into BIO’s “Clinical Development Success Rates 2006-2015” shows exactly 7,455 development programs across 1,103 companies were recorded and analyzed.

Among the key takeaways from BIO’s report were the following:

• Rare disease programs and programs that utilized selection biomarkers had higher success rates at each phase of development vs the overall dataset.

• Chronic diseases with high populations had lower likelihood of approval (LOA) from Phase I vs the overall dataset.

• Of the 14 major disease areas, Hematology had the highest LOA from Phase I (26.1%) and Oncology had the lowest (5.1%).

• Sub-indication analysis within Oncology revealed hematological cancers had 2x higher LOA from Phase I than solid tumors.

• Oncology drugs had a 2x higher rate of first cycle approval than Psychiatric drugs, which had the lowest percent of first-cycle review approvals. Oncology drugs were also approved the fastest of all 14 disease areas.

• Phase II clinical programs continue to experience the lowest success rate of the four development phases, with only 30.7% of developmental candidates advancing to Phase III.

BIO is a global trade organization representing biotechnology companies across the U.S. and in more than 30 other nations.

Medical Device Innovations Report
Cutting-edge packaging technologies are transforming the medical device sector in PMMI’s “Innovation in Medical Device” report, featuring advanced materials, smart solutions, and evolving regulations. Editors share insights from nearly 300 PACK EXPO booth visits—each product deemed new and truly innovative—alongside video demonstrations of the equipment and materials on display.
Learn More
Medical Device Innovations Report
Pharmaceutical Innovations Report
Discover the latest breakthrough packaging technologies shaping the pharmaceutical sector. This report dives into cutting-edge innovations, from smart containers that enhance patient safety to eco-friendly materials poised to transform the industry’s sustainability practices. All from PACK EXPO. Learn how forward-thinking strategies are driving efficiency and redefining what’s possible in pharma packaging.
Learn More
Pharmaceutical Innovations Report