A comparison of regulatory approval times for new chemical entities in Australia, Canada, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Regulatory approval times of new chemical entities (NCEs) in Australia, Canada, Sweden, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US) were compared. The approval times of a set of common 25 NCEs and a larger set of unmatched NCEs were very similar in Australia, Canada, Sweden and the US, with median approval times from 23 to 29 months. The median approval time in the UK was approximately 11 months. Analysis of the data showed that the approval times in Australia, Sweden, and the UK were not significantly affected by the therapeutic classification of the drug, the amount of additional data requested and received, or the submission date. In Canada, the date the drug submission was received and the frequency of additional data requests significantly affected the approval times. In the US, the date the drug submission was received and the frequency of additional data received significantly affected the approval times. The therapeutic classification of the drug did not significantly affect the approval time in Canada or the US.