FDA Issues Proposal to Streamline Registration for Advanced Distributed Manufacturers

The FDA states that its newly proposed rule, if finalized, would create a streamlined registration pathway for distributed manufacturing establishments that operate as a single establishment using a “hub-and-spoke” model. The proposed rule would also clarify registration requirements for certain foreign establishments that manufacture drugs, including active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), that indirectly enter the U.S. drug supply.

This action is another step forward in the FDA’s coordinated effort to help ensure Americans have reliable access to safe, quality medicines by strengthening domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing, and ensuring that regulatory frameworks keep pace with innovation, according to agency officials.

Distributed manufacturing establishments operate using a hub-and-spoke model, with a central quality oversight hub and multiple equivalent manufacturing units at different locations. Currently, regulations require each manufacturing unit in such a network to register separately, creating unnecessary administrative burdens.

Under the proposed rule, distributed manufacturing establishments could register as a single establishment. Units could be added, relocated, or removed through a streamlined update process, and companies would be required to notify the FDA in advance of any unit relocation, closing a gap in the agency’s real-time oversight.

“The FDA is proposing changes to our establishment registration regulations that would reflect how distributed manufacturing actually works—as one single establishment,” said Michael Davis, MD, PhD, acting director of FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). “The proposed changes would make it easier for innovative manufacturers to operate efficiently, and give the FDA a clearer, more accurate picture of how and where drugs are being made.”

The proposed rule would also clarify registration and drug listing requirements for certain foreign drug manufacturing establishments. Currently, some foreign establishments that manufacture drugs (including components of drugs, such as APIs) only for distribution to other foreign establishments may not be registered with the FDA, limiting the agency’s visibility into upstream supply chains.

By aligning the agency’s regulations to the statutory requirements, this proposed rule would make it clearer that these establishments must register with the FDA and report on the drugs they produce, giving the FDA greater ability to detect and respond to potential safety concerns.

“When an active ingredient in a medicine reaches an American patient, the FDA should be able to trace exactly where it came from,” added Davis. “Closing this registration gap for foreign establishments is a concrete step toward increasing the supply chain transparency that patients deserve.”

If finalized, the proposed rule is expected to reduce registration costs for distributed manufacturing companies and generate long-term efficiencies for both industry and the agency. It builds on a series of administration actions aimed at revitalizing American pharmaceutical manufacturing, improving supply chain transparency, and reducing vulnerabilities in the drug supply chain, noted a spokesperson for the FDA.