Routes of the same type are on the same row. Compare other markets.
9 pathway types exist in both markets: full application, new active substance, generic application, biosimilar application, non-prescription application, conditional or accelerated approval, priority or accelerated review and more. The table lines up the routes of each type.
Germany: Centralised marketing authorisation, new active substance, 210 days. Saudi Arabia: Marketing authorization for a new drug or biologic (regular review), 280 days. These are official targets, not actual review times.
| Pathway type | Germany | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Full application, new active substance | National marketing authorisation (new active substance)§ 21 AMG · fee €52,500 Centralised marketing authorisation, new active substancetarget 210 days · fee €865,200 Centralised authorisation of advanced therapy medicinal productstarget 210 days · fee €865,200 National authorisation of vaccines, sera, blood products and allergens (Paul-Ehrlich-Institut)§§ 21, 25 Abs. 8, 77 Abs. 2 AMG · fee €2,000 | Marketing authorization for a new drug or biologic (regular review)target 280 days · fee SAR 95,000 |
Not legal or regulatory advice. Check the current official rules before you act. Parts of the approvals data are official open data reused under open licences. Data sources.
| Full or mixed application, known active substance | Centralised marketing authorisation, known active substance or new fixed combinationtarget 210 days · fee €690,700 Centralised hybrid applicationtarget 210 days · fee €426,100 | - |
| Generic application | Centralised generic applicationtarget 210 days · fee €177,900 National generic authorisation§ 24b AMG · fee €16,000 | Registration of a generic medicinetarget 155 days · fee SAR 40,000 |
| Biosimilar application | Centralised biosimilar applicationtarget 210 days · fee €732,400 |
| Well-established use | National authorisation based on literature (well-established use)§ 22 Abs. 3 AMG · fee €22,100 Centralised well-established use applicationtarget 210 days · fee €780,900 | - |
| Non-prescription application | Prescription status and switch to non-prescription§ 48 AMG; AMVV | Over-the-counter status and switch from prescriptiontarget 100 days |
| Non-prescription monograph | Standard licence (monograph route)§ 36 AMG; StandZV | - |
| Traditional or herbal registration | Traditional herbal medicine registration§§ 39a to 39d AMG · fee €15,600 | - |
| Conditional or accelerated approval | Conditional marketing authorisationtarget 210 days |
| Approval under exceptional circumstances | Authorisation under exceptional circumstancestarget 210 days | - |
| Priority or accelerated review | Accelerated assessmenttarget 150 days | Priority reviewtarget 168 days |
| Intensive development support designation | Breakthrough Medicine Programtarget 60 days Research and Investigational Drugs (RAID) designationtarget 40 days |
| Rolling or phased review | - |
| Orphan or rare disease designation | Orphan designationtarget 90 days |
| Pediatric plan or incentive | Paediatric investigation plantarget 60 days | - |
| Early or compassionate access | Compassionate use programme§ 21 Abs. 2 Nr. 3 AMG; AMHV | - |
| Reliance route, abridged review | - | Abridged pathway (approved by US FDA or EMA)target 60 days · relies on US, EU |
| Reliance route, recognition or verification | Mutual recognition procedure (Germany as reference or concerned member state)§ 25b Abs. 2 AMG · fee €48,600 · relies on EU Mutual recognition proceduretarget 90 days | Verification pathway (approved by both US FDA and EMA)target 30 days · relies on US, EU |
| Work-sharing or joint review | Decentralised procedure with Germany as reference member state§ 25b Abs. 3 AMG · fee €92,800 Decentralised proceduretarget 210 days | - |
| Device: exempt or self-declared | - |
| Device: conformity assessment by a certification body | - |
| Device: registration or licence with the regulator | - | Medical Device Marketing Authorization (MDMA)MDMA · target 35 days · fee SAR 23,000 |
| Device: breakthrough or priority program | - |
| Other route | Homeopathic medicine registration§§ 38, 39 AMG · fee €6,400 Official batch release by the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut§ 32 AMG · relies on EU Hospital exemption for advanced therapy medicines§ 4b AMG · fee €4,250 Approval of tissue preparations§ 21a AMG · fee €2,000 Special national authorisation for a device without CE marking§ 7 MPDG · fee €250 DiGA fast track: listing of digital health applications for reimbursement§ 139e SGB V; DiGAV · target 91 days · fee €3,000 Listing of digital care applications (DiPA)§ 78a SGB XI; DiPAV · target 91 days · fee €3,000 Integral drug-device combination authorised as a medicinetarget 210 days | - |