Federal health regulators are preparing to launch a financial incentive program designed to accelerate the drug approval process, according to a Bloomberg News report published Thursday.
The Food and Drug Administration will implement a quarterly bonus system for scientific reviewers who finish drug evaluations ahead of their deadlines while maintaining high standards, sources familiar with the initiative told Bloomberg.
Scientists participating in the program could earn bonuses valued at several thousand dollars each quarter for expedited, quality work, the report indicated. Agency officials are expected to unveil the program during an internal FDA meeting scheduled for today.
When contacted by Reuters, the Department of Health and Human Services, which supervises the FDA, had not yet provided a response regarding the bonus program.
Bloomberg’s reporting also revealed that the agency is actively recruiting more than 1,000 additional scientists as part of a comprehensive strategy to speed up drug evaluation timelines.
The bonus system is set to launch on April 1 and will cover reviewers working within the FDA’s two primary divisions responsible for evaluating pharmaceuticals and vaccines. The first bonus payments are anticipated to be distributed around August, according to the report.
