Clinical development of therapeutic recombinant proteins

Only a small subset of the therapeutics that enter clinical studies will prove to be safe and effective in humans and gain approval for marketing. The success of the products and, by inference, the sponsoring companies can be measured by tracking advancement through the clinical phase and review transitions to marketing approval. To determine phase transition probabilities and approval success rates for recombinant protein (rDNA) therapeutics, the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development collected data for 271 rDNA therapeutics that entered clinical study between 1980 and 2002. The data were stratified into eight therapeutic categories. Approval success rates were calculated for rDNA therapeutics with two possible fates: (i) approval in any country and (ii) U.S. approval only. Global approval success rates ranged from 23% to 63%, and U.S. approval success rates ranged from 17% to 58%. Trends in clinical phase lengths over five time periods and an overview of the rDNA therapeutics currently under Food and Drug Administration review are discussed.