Overview of Common Technical Document (CTD) Sections in an NDA Filing

The Common Technical Document (CTD) is a standardized format used for the submission of regulatory information in drug development, including New Drug Applications (NDAs) and Biologics Licensing Applications (BLAs). The CTD is a comprehensive dossier that provides a structured presentation of data, information, and analyses related to a new drug's quality, safety, and efficacy. In this article, I provide a high level overview of the 5 modules within the CTD framework that constitute an NDA/BLA filing.

1. Region-Specific Administrative and Prescribing Information (Module 1): Module 1 includes administrative information such as the cover letter, table of contents, and prescribing information. This section ensures that the submission adheres to the regulatory agency's guidelines and provides essential details about the submitted application.

Module 2 contains the summaries of the quality, nonclinical, and clinical data:

1. Quality Overall Summary (CMC portion of Module 2):

2. Module 2 contains a Quality Overall Summary (QOS) that provides a concise summary of the drug's manufacturing, composition, and control strategies. This section is vital for demonstrating the product's consistency, stability, and compliance with manufacturing standards.

   
   

3. Nonclinical Overview and Summaries (Nonclinical portion of Module 2): Module 2 also includes an overview and summaries of nonclinical studies, including pharmacology, toxicology, and environmental impact assessments.

   
   

4. Clinical Overview and Summaries (Clinical portion of Module 2): Module 2 also includes a clinical overview and summaries of individual studies. This section presents the cumulative clinical evidence, including study designs, patient populations, endpoints, and statistical analyses.

   
   

5. Quality (Module 3)

6. Module 3 contains the detailed information on the quality aspects of the drug, such as its composition, manufacturing process, and analytical methods.




Nonclinical Written and Tabulated Summaries (Module 4): Within Module 4, detailed nonclinical data is provided through written and tabulated summaries of studies. These summaries delve into specific nonclinical experiments, results, methodologies, and interpretations. They support the safety evaluation of the drug across multiple parameters.




7. Clinical Study Reports (Module 5): Module 5 includes the full clinical study reports for individual trials. These reports provide in-depth information on study design, patient characteristics, treatment regimens, outcomes, adverse events, statistical analyses, and interpretations. The clinical study reports are essential for demonstrating the drug's efficacy and safety in diverse patient populations.

   
   

8. The CTD framework provides a structured and standardized format for organizing the data and information required for an NDA or BLA filing. Each module and section within the CTD serves a distinct purpose in presenting comprehensive evidence of a drug's quality, safety, and efficacy. The collaborative effort to compile and present data in accordance with the CTD format is instrumental in obtaining regulatory approval for new pharmaceutical products.