Richard Klein

Director - Expanded Access Programs & Policy GE2P2 Global Foundation

Richard Klein recently left FDA after more than 41 years with the agency. He served as director of the FDA’s Patient Liaison Program in the agency’s Office of Health and Constituent Affairs, the primary agency interface with patients and patient advocate communities. He interacted extensively with outside communities and within the agency’s scientific and policy offices to advocate for patient interests, and facilitate patient engagement. He actively addressed issues and concerns of patients in a variety of areas, including treatment access to unapproved drugs, product safety, and clinical trial design. Mr. Klein has worked in various capacities at FDA providing him with a well-rounded understanding of the regulatory issues that affect patients. He participated in the development of revised expanded access regulations and guidelines, and led the creation of the FDA expanded access website, played an active role in the development of the streamlined application for individual patient access, the exemption from full board IRB review for Individual Patient IND expanded access, and the Expanded Access Navigator.

Seminars

Wednesday 25th March 2026
Setting the Stage – Expanded Access in 2026: From Ethical Imperative to Strategic Necessity
8:30 am
  •  Discussing how EAPs have evolved since their inception, from ad hoc programs to strategic global tools
  • Highlighting the key forces shaping the landscape today: regulatory variability operational challenges, supply pressures, and the not-so-subtle shift toward data collection for regulatory purposes
  • How EAPs are redefining their role and impact as vehicles for generating Real World Data/Evidence in clinical development and commercialization
Wednesday 25th March 2026
Fireside Discussion: Driving Smarter Decisions by Clarifying the Role of RWD in EAPs
12:00 pm
  • Comparing how FDA, EMA, and national health authorities interpret the use of RWD in expanded and post-trial access programs
  • Examining differing company approaches, from limiting programs to treatment-only access to actively incorporating structured evidence generation
  • Exploring real-world examples of where regulators accepted or rejected RWD submissions in filings and approvals
  • Defining the boundaries of ethical and compliant RWD collection when patient care is the primary purpose
Richard Klein