Insights and issues from FDA Advisory Committee meetings on abuse-deterrent opioids

It is the current policy of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to convene expert Advisory Committees to provide input on key regulatory decisions regarding opioid products, including approval and labeling of opioid abuse-deterrent formulations (ADFs). Advisory Committee meetings on ADF opioids consider whether the laboratory and clinical data submitted by the sponsor are sufficient to support marketing approval and labeling of the product with properties expected to deter abuse by specific routes of abuse (ie, oral, intranasal, intravenous). The FDA has typically followed the approval and labeling recommendations for ADFs reviewed by its Advisory Committees, highlighting the importance of these meetings in the regulatory approval process. This review describes common issues considered by Advisory Committees for ADF opioids as well as insights on how to prepare for these meetings based on recent relevant experience and regulatory decisions.