The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has awarded six additional companies under its “Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher” programme, bringing the total number of recipients to fifteen. The initiative aims to accelerate the review of new medicines that address critical public health or national security needs.

The latest recipients include drugs targeting obesity, cancer, tuberculosis, and sickle cell disease — among them the oral version of Wegovy by Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly’s orforglipron.

Through this programme, companies can receive an FDA decision within one to two months, a substantial reduction from the usual ten- to twelve-month review process. To qualify, companies must demonstrate commitments such as improving drug affordability, addressing unmet medical needs, or boosting domestic manufacturing.

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary stated that the programme reflects the agency’s efforts to bring innovative and essential therapies to patients more rapidly while maintaining stringent safety and scientific standards.

The expansion of this initiative underscores the FDA’s focus on streamlining access to treatments that tackle significant health challenges and ensuring that vital drugs reach the market faster.