Just as the tulip craze eventually subsided, it appears the pharma industry's infatuation with priority review vouchers also may be waning, as Sarepta sells its voucher for only $125m.

Companies’ decision to purchase and redeem BioMarin’s priority review voucher for their PCSK9 inhibitor alirocumab sets the first public benchmark for a voucher’s value and shows the potential advantages to be gained for sponsors in a race to market.

US FDA received 110 designation requests in July, a high mark that reflects the 60 days needed to review such requests ahead of the 30 September statutory expiration; agency is allowing email submission of RPD and orphan drug designation requests during the COVID-19 pandemic and expects to roll out an online portal for orphan designation requests later this year.