Development and approval of vaccines in the United States.

In the United States, vaccines and the establishments in which they are manufactured are required to be licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before the vaccine can be marketed. This licensing process, as well as the development and investigation of vaccines, is regulated by the FDA's Office of Biologics Research and Review. An application for licensing must contain information supporting the safety, effectiveness, purity and potency of the product. These are data obtained during the investigational phase and then submitted by a commercial sponsor for review and approval. Inspections, surveillance and laboratory testing are performed by the FDA before and after issuance of a license for marketing. The procedures and policies in the investigational and licensing phases of vaccine development are described.