Back to Explorer

Alternative Tools: Assessing Drug Manufacturing Facilities Identified in Pending Applications

FinalCenter for Drug Evaluation and Research Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research09/11/2025

Description

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) is announcing the availability of a final guidance for industry entitled “Alternative Tools:  Assessing Drug Manufacturing Facilities Identified in Pending Applications.” This guidance provides information to applicants on how FDA intends to use alternative tools to assess drug manufacturing facilities identified in a marketing application (i.e., a new drug application (NDA), an abbreviated new drug application (ANDA), a biologics license application (BLA), or a supplement to any of these types of applications). As part of the negotiations relating to the reauthorization of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) and the Biosimilar User Fee Act (BsUFA), as described in “PDUFA Reauthorization Performance Goals and Procedures Fiscal Years 2023 Through 2027” (PDUFA VII commitment letter) and “Biosimilar Biological Product Reauthorization Performance Goals and Procedures for Fiscal Years 2023 Through 2027” (BsUFA III commitment letter), FDA agreed to issue guidance on the use of alternative tools to assess manufacturing facilities named in pending applications and to incorporate best practices from the use of such tools during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This guidance finalizes the draft guidance of the same title issued on September 22, 2023.

Scope & Applicability

Stakeholders

3
applicant

entity submitting marketing applications

Subject Matter Expert

Remote FDA personnel providing technical expertise during inspections

Foreign Regulatory Partner

Trusted entities for mutual recognition agreements

Regulatory Context

Attributes

2
Risk-Based Approach

Methodology for determining when an inspection is necessary

User fee goal dates

Alternative tools help FDA fulfill commitments to meet dates

Related CFR Sections (4)

Related Warning Letters (10)

  • CGMP/Finished Pharmaceuticals/Adulterated

    SV Labs Corporation

    2025-12-23
  • CGMP/Finished Pharmaceuticals/Adulterated

    Guangdong Renhe Guozhuang Biotechnology Co., Ltd.

    2025-12-23
  • CGMP/Finished Pharmaceuticals/Adulterated

    Medinatura New Mexico, Inc.

    2025-12-23
  • CGMP/Finished Pharmaceuticals/Adulterated

    Sklar Personal Care Inc.

    2025-12-16
  • CGMP/Deviations/Biologics License Application (BLA)

    Microvascular Tissue, Inc.

    2025-12-16
  • CGMP/Finished Pharmaceuticals/Adulterated

    Catalent Indiana, LLC

    2025-12-11
  • CGMP/Finished Pharmaceuticals/Adulterated

    DeVere Manufacturing Inc.

    2025-12-09
  • CGMP/Finished Pharmaceuticals/Adulterated

    CDL Services, Inc. DBA Technichem

    2025-12-09
  • CGMP/Finished Pharmaceuticals/Adulterated

    Seaway Pharma Inc.

    2025-12-09
  • Compounding Pharmacy/Adulterated Drug Products

    PQ Pharmacy, LLC

    2025-12-02

See Also (8)