§ 379h. Authority to assess and use drug fees

(a) Types of fees

Beginning in fiscal year 2008, the Secretary shall assess and collect fees in accordance with this section as follows:

(1) Human drug application and supplement fee

(A) In general

Each person that submits, on or after September 1, 1992, a human drug application or a supplement shall be subject to a fee as follows:

(i) A fee established under subsection (c)(5) of this section for a human drug application for which clinical data (other than bioavailability or bioequivalence studies) with respect to safety or effectiveness are required for approval.

(ii) A fee established under subsection (c)(5) of this section for a human drug application for which clinical data with respect to safety or effectiveness are not required or a supplement for which clinical data (other than bioavailability or bioequivalence studies) with respect to safety or effectiveness are required. Such fee shall be half of the amount of the fee established under clause (i).

(B) Payment

The fee required by subparagraph (A) shall be due upon submission of the application or supplement.

If a human drug application or supplement was submitted by a person that paid the fee for such application or supplement, was accepted for filing, and was not approved or was withdrawn (without a waiver), the submission of a human drug application or a supplement for the same product by the same person (or the person’s licensee, assignee, or successor) shall not be subject to a fee under subparagraph (A).

(D) Refund of fee if application refused for filing or withdrawn before filing

The Secretary shall refund 75 percent of the fee paid under subparagraph (B) for any application or supplement which is refused for filing or withdrawn without a waiver before filing.

(E) Fees for applications previously refused for filing or withdrawn before filing

A human drug application or supplement that was submitted but was refused for filing, or was withdrawn before being accepted or refused for filing, shall be subject to the full fee under subparagraph (A) upon being resubmitted or filed over protest, unless the fee is waived or reduced under subsection (d).

(F) Exception for designated orphan drug or indication

A human drug application for a prescription drug product that has been designated as a drug for a rare disease or condition pursuant to section 360bb of this title shall not be subject to a fee under subparagraph (A), unless the human drug application includes an indication for other than a rare disease or condition. A supplement proposing to include a new indication for a rare disease or condition in a human drug application shall not be subject to a fee under subparagraph (A), if the drug has been designated pursuant to section 360bb of this title as a drug for a rare disease or condition with regard to the indication proposed in such supplement.

(G) Refund of fee if application withdrawn

If an application or supplement is withdrawn after the application or supplement was filed, the Secretary may refund the fee or a portion of the fee if no substantial work was performed on the application or supplement after the application or supplement was filed. The Secretary shall have the sole discretion to refund a fee or a portion of the fee under this subparagraph. A determination by the Secretary concerning a refund under this paragraph shall not be reviewable.

(2) Prescription drug establishment fee

(A) In general

Except as provided in subparagraphs (B) and (C), each person that—

(i) is named as the applicant in a human drug application; and

(ii) after September 1, 1992, had pending before the Secretary a human drug application or supplement,

shall be assessed an annual fee established under subsection (c)(5) of this section for each prescription drug establishment listed in its approved human drug application as an establishment that manufactures the prescription drug product named in the application. The annual establishment fee shall be assessed in each fiscal year in which the prescription drug product named in the application is assessed a fee under paragraph (3) unless the prescription drug establishment listed in the application does not engage in the manufacture of the prescription drug product during the fiscal year. The establishment fee shall be payable on or before October 1 of each year. Each such establishment shall be assessed only one fee per establishment, notwithstanding the number of prescription drug products manufactured at the establishment. In the event an establishment is listed in a human drug application by more than one applicant, the establishment fee for the fiscal year shall be divided equally and assessed among the applicants whose prescription drug products are manufactured by the establishment during the fiscal year and assessed product fees under paragraph (3).

(B) Exception

If, during the fiscal year, an applicant initiates or causes to be initiated the manufacture of a prescription drug product at an establishment listed in its human drug application—

(i) that did not manufacture the product in the previous fiscal year; and

(ii) for which the full establishment fee has been assessed in the fiscal year at a time before manufacture of the prescription drug product was begun;

the applicant will not be assessed a share of the establishment fee for the fiscal year in which the manufacture of the product began.

(i) In general Except as provided in clause (ii), each person who is named as the applicant in an approved human drug application for a positron emission tomography drug shall be subject under subparagraph (A) to one-sixth of an annual establishment fee with respect to each such establishment identified in the application as producing positron emission tomography drugs under the approved application.

(ii) Exception from annual establishment fee Each person who is named as the applicant in an application described in clause (i) shall not be assessed an annual establishment fee for a fiscal year if the person certifies to the Secretary, at a time specified by the Secretary and using procedures specified by the Secretary, that—

(I) the person is a not-for-profit medical center that has only 1 establishment for the production of positron emission tomography drugs; and

(II) at least 95 percent of the total number of doses of each positron emission tomography drug produced by such establishment during such fiscal year will be used within the medical center.

(iii) Definition For purposes of this subparagraph, the term “positron emission tomography drug” has the meaning given to the term “compounded positron emission tomography drug” in section 321 (ii) of this title, except that paragraph (1)(B) of such section shall not apply.

(3) Prescription drug product fee

(A) In general

Except as provided in subparagraph (B), each person who is named as the applicant in a human drug application, and who, after September 1, 1992, had pending before the Secretary a human drug application or supplement, shall pay for each such prescription drug product the annual fee established under subsection (c)(5) of this section. Such fee shall be payable on or before October 1 of each year. Such fee shall be paid only once for each product for a fiscal year in which the fee is payable.

(B) Exception

A prescription drug product shall not be assessed a fee under subparagraph (A) if such product is identified on the list compiled under section 355 (j)(7)(A) of this title with a potency described in terms of per 100 mL, or if such product is the same product as another product approved under an application filed under section 355 (b) or 355 (j) of this title, under an abbreviated application filed under section 357 of this title (as in effect on the day before November 21, 1997), or under an abbreviated new drug application pursuant to regulations in effect prior to the implementation of the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984.

(b) Fee revenue amounts

(1) In general

For each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2012, fees under subsection (a) shall, except as provided in subsections (c), (d), (f), and (g), be established to generate a total revenue amount under such subsection that is equal to the sum of—

(A) $392,783,000; and

(B) an amount equal to the modified workload adjustment factor for fiscal year 2007 (as determined under paragraph (3)).

(2) Types of fees

Of the total revenue amount determined for a fiscal year under paragraph (1)—

(A) one-third shall be derived from fees under subsection (a)(1) (relating to human drug applications and supplements);

(B) one-third shall be derived from fees under subsection (a)(2) (relating to prescription drug establishments); and

(3) Modified workload adjustment factor for fiscal year 2007

For purposes of paragraph (1)(B), the Secretary shall determine the modified workload adjustment factor by determining the dollar amount that results from applying the methodology that was in effect under subsection (c)(2) for fiscal year 2007 to the amount $354,893,000, except that, with respect to the portion of such determination that is based on the change in the total number of commercial investigational new drug applications, the Secretary shall count the number of such applications that were active during the most recent 12-month period for which data on such submissions is available.

(4) Additional fee revenues for drug safety

(A) In general

For each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2012, paragraph (1)(A) shall be applied by substituting the amount determined under subparagraph (B) for “$392,783,000”.

(B) Amount determined

For each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2012, the amount determined under this subparagraph is the sum of—

(i) $392,783,000; plus

(ii)

(I) for fiscal year 2008, $25,000,000;

(II) for fiscal year 2009, $35,000,000;

(III) for fiscal year 2010, $45,000,000;

(IV) for fiscal year 2011, $55,000,000; and

(V) for fiscal year 2012, $65,000,000.

(1) Inflation adjustment

For fiscal year 2009 and subsequent fiscal years, the revenues established in subsection (b) shall be adjusted by the Secretary by notice, published in the Federal Register, for a fiscal year to reflect the greater of—

(A) the total percentage change that occurred in the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers (all items; U.S. city average) for the 12 month period ending June 30 preceding the fiscal year for which fees are being established,

(B) the total percentage change for the previous fiscal year in basic pay under the General Schedule in accordance with section 5332 of title 5, as adjusted by any locality-based comparability payment pursuant to section 5304 of such title for Federal employees stationed in the District of Columbia, or

(C) the average annual change in the cost, per full-time equivalent position of the Food and Drug Administration, of all personnel compensation and benefits paid with respect to such positions for the first 5 years of the preceding 6 fiscal years.

The adjustment made each fiscal year by this subsection will be added on a compounded basis to the sum of all adjustments made each fiscal year after fiscal year 2008 under this subsection.

(2) Workload adjustment

For fiscal year 2009 and subsequent fiscal years, after the fee revenues established in subsection (b) of this section are adjusted for a fiscal year for inflation in accordance with paragraph (1), the fee revenues shall be adjusted further for such fiscal year to reflect changes in the workload of the Secretary for the process for the review of human drug applications. With respect to such adjustment:

(A) The adjustment shall be determined by the Secretary based on a weighted average of the change in the total number of human drug applications (adjusted for changes in review activities, as described in the notice that the Secretary is required to publish in the Federal Register under this subparagraph), efficacy supplements, and manufacturing supplements submitted to the Secretary, and the change in the total number of active commercial investigational new drug applications (adjusted for changes in review activities, as so described) during the most recent 12-month period for which data on such submissions is available. The Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register the fee revenues and fees resulting from the adjustment and the supporting methodologies.

(B) Under no circumstances shall the adjustment result in fee revenues for a fiscal year that are less than the fee revenues for the fiscal year established in subsection (b) of this section, as adjusted for inflation under paragraph (1). Any adjustment for changes in review activities made in setting fees and revenue amounts for fiscal year 2009 may not result in the total workload adjustment being more than 2 percentage points higher than it would have been in the absence of the adjustment for changes in review activities.

(C) The Secretary shall contract with an independent accounting firm to study the adjustment for changes in review activities applied in setting fees and revenue amounts for fiscal year 2009 and to make recommendations, if warranted, for future changes in the methodology for calculating the adjustment. After review of the recommendations, the Secretary shall, if warranted, make appropriate changes to the methodology, and the changes shall be effective for each of the fiscal years 2010 through 2012. The Secretary shall not make any adjustment for changes in review activities for any fiscal year after 2009 unless such study has been completed.

(3) Rent and rent-related cost adjustment

For fiscal year 2010 and each subsequent fiscal year, the Secretary shall, before making adjustments under paragraphs (1) and (2), decrease the fee revenue amount established in subsection (b) if actual costs paid for rent and rent-related expenses for the preceding fiscal year are less than estimates made for such year in fiscal year 2006. Any reduction made under this paragraph shall not exceed the amount by which such costs fall below the estimates made in fiscal year 2006 for such fiscal year, and shall not exceed $11,721,000 for any fiscal year.

(4) Final year adjustment

(A) Increase in fees

For fiscal year 2012, the Secretary may, in addition to adjustments under this paragraph and paragraphs (1), (2), and (3), further increase the fee revenues and fees established in subsection (b) if such an adjustment is necessary to provide for not more than 3 months of operating reserves of carryover user fees for the process for the review of human drug applications for the first 3 months of fiscal year 2013. If such an adjustment is necessary, the rationale for the amount of the increase shall be contained in the annual notice establishing fee revenues and fees for fiscal year 2012. If the Secretary has carryover balances for such process in excess of 3 months of such operating reserves, the adjustment under this subparagraph shall not be made.

(B) Decrease in fees

(i) In general For fiscal year 2012, the Secretary may, in addition to adjustments under this paragraph and paragraphs (1), (2), and (3), decrease the fee revenues and fees established in subsection (b) by the amount determined in clause (ii), if, for fiscal year 2009 or 2010—

(I) the amount of the total appropriations for the Food and Drug Administration for such fiscal year (excluding the amount of fees appropriated for such fiscal year) exceeds the amount of the total appropriations for the Food and Drug Administration for fiscal year 2008 (excluding the amount of fees appropriated for such fiscal year), adjusted as provided under paragraph (1); and

(II) the amount of the total appropriations expended for the process for the review of human drug applications at the Food and Drug Administration for such fiscal year (excluding the amount of fees appropriated for such fiscal year) exceeds the amount of appropriations expended for the process for the review of human drug applications at the Food and Drug Administration for fiscal year 2008 (excluding the amount of fees appropriated for such fiscal year), adjusted as provided under paragraph (1).

(ii) Amount of decrease The amount determined in this clause is the lesser of—

(I) the amount equal to the sum of the amounts that, for each of fiscal years 2009 and 2010, is the lesser of—

(aa) the excess amount described in clause (i)(II) for such fiscal year; or

(bb) the amount specified in subsection (b)(4)(B)(ii) for such fiscal year; or

(II) $65,000,000.

(iii) Limitations

(I) Fiscal year condition In making the determination under clause (ii), an amount described in subclause (I) of such clause for fiscal year 2009 or 2010 shall be taken into account only if subclauses (I) and (II) of clause (i) apply to such fiscal year.

(II) Relation to subparagraph (A) The Secretary shall limit any decrease under this paragraph if such a limitation is necessary to provide for the 3 months of operating reserves described in subparagraph (A).

(5) Annual fee setting

The Secretary shall, 60 days before the start of each fiscal year that begins after September 30, 2007, establish, for the next fiscal year, application, product, and establishment fees under subsection (a) of this section, based on the revenue amounts established under subsection (b) of this section and the adjustments provided under this subsection.

(6) Limit

The total amount of fees charged, as adjusted under this subsection, for a fiscal year may not exceed the total costs for such fiscal year for the resources allocated for the process for the review of human drug applications.

(d) Fee waiver or reduction

(1) In general

The Secretary shall grant to a person who is named as the applicant in a human drug application a waiver from or a reduction of one or more fees assessed to that person under subsection (a) of this section where the Secretary finds that—

(A) such waiver or reduction is necessary to protect the public health,

(B) the assessment of the fee would present a significant barrier to innovation because of limited resources available to such person or other circumstances,

(C) the fees to be paid by such person will exceed the anticipated present and future costs incurred by the Secretary in conducting the process for the review of human drug applications for such person, or

(D) the applicant involved is a small business submitting its first human drug application to the Secretary for review.

(2) Considerations

In determining whether to grant a waiver or reduction of a fee under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consider only the circumstances and assets of the applicant involved and any affiliate of the applicant.

(3) Use of standard costs

In making the finding in paragraph (1)(C), the Secretary may use standard costs.

(4) Rules relating to small businesses

(A) “Small business” defined

In paragraph (1)(D), the term “small business” means an entity that has fewer than 500 employees, including employees of affiliates, and that does not have a drug product that has been approved under a human drug application and introduced or delivered for introduction into interstate commerce.

(B) Waiver of application fee

The Secretary shall waive under paragraph (1)(D) the application fee for the first human drug application that a small business or its affiliate submits to the Secretary for review. After a small business or its affiliate is granted such a waiver, the small business or its affiliate shall pay—

(i) application fees for all subsequent human drug applications submitted to the Secretary for review in the same manner as an entity that does not qualify as a small business; and

(ii) all supplement fees for all supplements to human drug applications submitted to the Secretary for review in the same manner as an entity that does not qualify as a small business.

(e) Effect of failure to pay fees

A human drug application or supplement submitted by a person subject to fees under subsection (a) of this section shall be considered incomplete and shall not be accepted for filing by the Secretary until all fees owed by such person have been paid.

(f) Limitations

(1) In general

Fees under subsection (a) of this section shall be refunded for a fiscal year beginning after fiscal year 1997 unless appropriations for salaries and expenses of the Food and Drug Administration for such fiscal year (excluding the amount of fees appropriated for such fiscal year) are equal to or greater than the amount of appropriations for the salaries and expenses of the Food and Drug Administration for the fiscal year 1997 (excluding the amount of fees appropriated for such fiscal year) multiplied by the adjustment factor applicable to the fiscal year involved.

(2) Authority

If the Secretary does not assess fees under subsection (a) of this section during any portion of a fiscal year because of paragraph (1) and if at a later date in such fiscal year the Secretary may assess such fees, the Secretary may assess and collect such fees, without any modification in the rate, for human drug applications and supplements, prescription drug establishments, and prescription drug products at any time in such fiscal year notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section relating to the date fees are to be paid.

(g) Crediting and availability of fees

(1) In general

Fees authorized under subsection (a) shall be collected and available for obligation only to the extent and in the amount provided in advance in appropriations Acts. Such fees are authorized to remain available until expended. Such sums as may be necessary may be transferred from the Food and Drug Administration salaries and expenses appropriation account without fiscal year limitation to such appropriation account for salaries and expenses with such fiscal year limitation. The sums transferred shall be available solely for the process for the review of human drug applications.

(2) Collections and appropriation acts

(A) In general

The fees authorized by this section—

(i) shall be retained in each fiscal year in an amount not to exceed the amount specified in appropriation Acts, or otherwise made available for obligation, for such fiscal year, and

(ii) shall only be collected and available to defray increases in the costs of the resources allocated for the process for the review of human drug applications (including increases in such costs for an additional number of full-time equivalent positions in the Department of Health and Human Services to be engaged in such process) over such costs, excluding costs paid from fees collected under this section, for fiscal year 1997 multiplied by the adjustment factor.

(B) Compliance

The Secretary shall be considered to have met the requirements of subparagraph (A)(ii) in any fiscal year if the costs funded by appropriations and allocated for the process for the review of human drug applications—

(i) are not more than 3 percent below the level specified in subparagraph (A)(ii); or

(ii)

(I) are more than 3 percent below the level specified in subparagraph (A)(ii), and fees assessed for the fiscal year following the subsequent fiscal year are decreased by the amount in excess of 3 percent by which such costs fell below the level specified in such subparagraph; and

(II) such costs are not more than 5 percent below the level specified in such subparagraph.

(3) Authorization of appropriations

For each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2012, there is authorized to be appropriated for fees under this section an amount equal to the total revenue amount determined under subsection (b) for the fiscal year, as adjusted or otherwise affected under subsection (c) and paragraph (4) of this subsection.

(4) Offset

If the sum of the cumulative amount of fees collected under this section for the fiscal years 2008 through 2010 and the amount of fees estimated to be collected under this section for fiscal year 2011 exceeds the cumulative amount appropriated under paragraph (3) for the fiscal years 2008 through 2011, the excess shall be credited to the appropriation account of the Food and Drug Administration as provided in paragraph (1), and shall be subtracted from the amount of fees that would otherwise be authorized to be collected under this section pursuant to appropriation Acts for fiscal year 2012.

(h) Collection of unpaid fees

In any case where the Secretary does not receive payment of a fee assessed under subsection (a) of this section within 30 days after it is due, such fee shall be treated as a claim of the United States Government subject to subchapter II of chapter 37 of title 31.

(i) Written requests for waivers, reductions, and refunds

To qualify for consideration for a waiver or reduction under subsection (d) of this section, or for a refund of any fee collected in accordance with subsection (a) of this section, a person shall submit to the Secretary a written request for such waiver, reduction, or refund not later than 180 days after such fee is due.

(j) Construction

This section may not be construed to require that the number of full-time equivalent positions in the Department of Health and Human Services, for officers, employers, and advisory committees not engaged in the process of the review of human drug applications, be reduced to offset the number of officers, employees, and advisory committees so engaged.

(k) Orphan drugs

(1) Exemption

A drug designated under section 360bb of this title for a rare disease or condition and approved under section 355 of this title or under section 262 of title 42 shall be exempt from product and establishment fees under this section, if the drug meets all of the following conditions:

(A) The drug meets the public health requirements contained in this chapter as such requirements are applied to requests for waivers for product and establishment fees.

(B) The drug is owned or licensed and is marketed by a company that had less than $50,000,000 in gross worldwide revenue during the previous year.

(2) Evidence of qualification

An exemption under paragraph (1) applies with respect to a drug only if the applicant involved submits a certification that its gross annual revenues did not exceed $50,000,000 for the preceding 12 months before the exemption was requested.

U.S. Code

§ 379h. Authority to assess and use drug fees