FDA launches Coronavirus Treatment Acceleration Program

Yesterday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration launched what it’s calling the Coronavirus Treatment Acceleration Program (CTAP), which it describes as “a special emergency program for possible therapies” that “uses every available method to move new treatments to patients as quickly as possible, while at the same time finding out whether they are helpful or harmful.”

This seems like a very positive step.

Based on the information the FDA has provided, CTAP at this point seems to be mostly about FDA doing its work more rapidly rather than differently. The information released yesterday describes “ultra-rapid, interactive input on most development plans” and “ultra-rapid protocol review.”

Along with the information release about CTAP, the FDA is reporting 10 “therapeutic agents” that are currently in active trials, plus 15 more in planning stages.

by Eric E. Johnson
published April 1, 2020