Pediatric Device Clinical Trials Activity: 1999-2022.

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the state of pediatric medical device (PMD) development by comparing PMD clinical trials to pediatric trials evaluating drugs and biologics, from 1999 to 2022. METHODS: The site www.clinicaltrials.gov was used to identify and quantify both PMD clinical trials and pediatric trials for drugs and biologics. Clinical specialty was also assessed. The institutions included were the 7 children's hospitals primarily affiliated with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Pediatric Device Consortia (PDC) grant program between 2018 and 2023. For a national comparison, an additional search assessed PMD trials across all US medical institutions. RESULTS: A total of 243 PMD clinical trials were identified at the FDA-PDC institutions on the basis of the year of initiation; the average number of PMD trials initiated per year per institution was 1.5 from 1999 to 2022. However, PMD trials significantly increased during the period 2014 to 2022 compared with 1999 to 2013 (P < .001); the rate of initiation of drug and biologic pediatric trials demonstrated no significant differences between these time periods. A national survey of all institutions initiating PMD trials, and drugs and biologics trials, identified 1885 PMD trials out of a total 12 943. A comparable trend was noted in the national survey with initiation of PMD trials increasing significantly from 2014 to 2022 (P < .001), compared with 1999 to 2013, whereas the rate of initiation of drug and biologic trials during these periods did not demonstrate a significant change. CONCLUSIONS: Although pediatric clinical trial initiation for drugs and biologics remained stable from 1999 to 2022, the rate of new PMD trials significantly increased during the period 2014 to 2022 at FDA-PDC institutions and nationally.

Analysis of the first ten years of FDA's rare pediatric disease priority review voucher program: designations, diseases, and drug development.

BACKGROUND: The Rare Pediatric Disease (RPD) Priority Review Voucher (PRV) Program was enacted in 2012 to support the development of new products for children. Prior to requesting a voucher, applicants can request RPD designation, which confirms their product treats or prevents a rare disease in which the serious manifestations primarily affect children. This study describes the trends and characteristics of these designations. Details of RPD designations are not publicly disclosable; this research represents the first analysis of the RPD designation component of the program. RESULTS: We used an internal US Food and Drug Administration database to analyze all RPD designations between 2013 and 2022. Multiple characteristics were analyzed, including the diseases targeted by RPD designation, whether the product targeted a neonatal disease, product type (drug/biologic), and the level of evidence (preclinical/clinical) to support designation. There were 569 RPD designations during the study period. The top therapeutic areas were neurology (26%, n = 149), metabolism (23%, n = 131), oncology (18%, n = 105). The top diseases targeted by RPD designation were Duchenne muscular dystrophy, neuroblastoma, and sickle cell disease. Neonatology products represented 6% (n = 33), over half were for drug products and 38% were supported by clinical data. CONCLUSIONS: The RPD PRV program was created to encourage development of new products for children. The results of this study establish that a wide range of diseases have seen development-from rare pediatric cancers to rare genetic disorders. Continued support of product development for children with rare diseases is needed to find treatments for all children with unmet needs.

Anaphylactic reaction to recombinant insulin-like growth factor-I.

Mecasermin [rDNA] (Increlex; Tercica, Inc.) is recombinant insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) that has been approved to treat growth failure in children with severe primary IGF-I deficiency. Serious allergic reactions related to Increlex therapy have not been reported. We report a 13 year-old male who developed life-threatening anaphylaxis early in the course of Increlex therapy.