Routes of the same type are on the same row. Compare other markets.
14 pathway types exist in both markets: full application, new active substance, full or mixed application, known active substance, generic application, biosimilar application, well-established use, non-prescription application and more. The table lines up the routes of each type.
Germany: Centralised marketing authorisation, new active substance, 210 days. Switzerland: Ordinary authorization of a medicine with a new active substance, 330 days. These are official targets, not actual review times.
| Pathway type | Germany | Switzerland |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Ordinary authorization of a medicine with a new active substanceArt. 11 HMG · target 330 days · fee CHF 80,000 |
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 | Simplified authorization of a known active substance with innovationArt. 14 Abs. 1 Bst. a HMG; Art. 12-14 VAZV · target 330 days · fee CHF 30,000 |
| Generic application | National generic authorisation§ 24b AMG · fee €16,000 Centralised generic applicationtarget 210 days · fee €177,900 | Simplified authorization of a generic (known active substance without innovation)Art. 14 Abs. 1 Bst. a HMG; Art. 12-14 VAZV · target 330 days · fee CHF 15,000 |
| Biosimilar application | Centralised biosimilar applicationtarget 210 days · fee €732,400 | Authorization of a biosimilarArt. 4 Abs. 1 Bst. anovies HMG · target 330 days · fee CHF 50,000 · relies on EU, US |
| 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 | Simplified authorization for active substances used for ten years in the EU or EFTAArt. 14 Abs. 1 Bst. abis HMG; Art. 17a-17b VAZV · target 330 days · relies on EU Simplified authorization for long-used non-prescription medicinesArt. 14 Abs. 1 Bst. ater HMG; Art. 17c VAZV · target 330 days · relies on EU |
| Non-prescription application | Prescription status and switch to non-prescription§ 48 AMG; AMVV | Non-prescription status: dispensing category and switchArt. 23-23a HMG; Art. 40-44 VAM · target 270 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 | Simplified authorization of herbal and complementary medicinesArt. 14 Abs. 1 Bst. b und cbis HMG · target 120 days · fee CHF 3,000 |
| Conditional or accelerated approval | Conditional marketing authorisationtarget 210 days | Temporary authorization (incomplete data)Art. 9a HMG; Art. 18-22 VAZV · target 140 days · fee CHF 80,000 |
| Approval under exceptional circumstances | Authorisation under exceptional circumstancestarget 210 days | - |
| Priority or accelerated review | Accelerated assessmenttarget 150 days | Fast-track authorization procedureArt. 7 VAM · target 140 days |
| Intensive development support designation | - |
| Orphan or rare disease designation | Orphan designationtarget 90 days | Orphan drug status (important medicine for a rare disease)Art. 4 Abs. 1 Bst. adecies HMG; Art. 4-5 VAZV · target 210 days · relies on EU, US |
| Pediatric plan or incentive | Paediatric investigation plantarget 60 days | Pediatric investigation plan and pediatric incentivesArt. 54a HMG; Art. 5 VAM |
| Early or compassionate access | Compassionate use programme§ 21 Abs. 2 Nr. 3 AMG; AMHV | Exceptional authorization of a device without conformity assessmentArt. 22 MepV; Art. 18 IvDV |
| Reliance route, abridged review | - | Authorization based on a foreign authorization (Article 13 procedure)Art. 13 HMG; Art. 16-20 VAM · target 195 days · fee CHF 15,000 · relies on EU, US, GB, CA, AU, JP, SG |
| 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 | - |
| 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 | Medical device conformity assessment and placing on the marketArt. 45-47 HMG; MepV · relies on EU In vitro diagnostic device conformity assessment and placing on the marketIvDV · relies on EU |
| Device: registration or licence with the regulator | - | Registration of device economic operators and productsArt. 47 HMG; Art. 17 and 55 MepV |
| 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 | Procedure with prior notification (20 percent shorter review for a double fee)Art. 7 GebV-Swissmedic · target 264 days Simplified authorization for a parallel importArt. 14 Abs. 2 und 3 HMG · target 330 days · fee CHF 4,000 |