An abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) is used to seek approval from the FDA for a generic drug equivalent to an existing branded drug. ANDAs are abbreviated because they do not require new clinical trials to establish safety and effectiveness since they reference an existing FDA-approved drug. The generic drug must demonstrate bioequivalence to the branded version in order to be approved for marketing in the US. The Hatch-Waxman Act established bioequivalence as the standard for approving generic drugs and created the ANDA pathway to facilitate approval of lower-cost generic alternatives.