The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is introducing electronic submission of safety reports for investigational new drug (IND) applications through the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). The FDA has released new draft guidance on the process as well as supporting technical specification documents. The changes will enable the FDA to review pre-and post-marketing safety data within in the same system, with the same data standard. Publication of the draft guidance and technical documents should assist drug manufacturers in beginning preparations for when final draft guidance is issued and becomes effective. IND safety reports will be submitted in a reporting format that is consistent with International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) E2B guidelines. The FDA will shortly announce when sponsors can begin voluntary submissions of IND safety reports to FAERS. "The FDA highly encourages sponsors of all INDs, both commercial and noncommercial, to begin submitting IND safety reports to FAERS voluntarily as soon as the new submission process is available," said Dr. Janet Woodcock, Director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). IND safety reporting via FAERS will be voluntary until 2 years after the final guidance has been issued, after which it will become mandatory for commercial INDs. The FDA has created a separate submission path to FAERS for IND safety report submissions; they will remain designated as investigational and will not be publicly available. US Food and Drug Administration. Digital submission of adverse event reports for investigational new drug applications reflects FDA's ongoing modernization efforts. 29 Oct 2019. https ://www.fda.gov/news-event s/press-annou nceme nts/digit al-submi ssion-adver se-event-repor ts-inves tigat ional-new-drug-appli catio ns-refle cts-fdas-ongoi ng. Accessed 11 Dec 2019.