I think parties should recognize that when you're doing something for the first time as opposed to the twentieth time, or the fortieth, it's always more difficult. So in terms of joint reviews and talking with registrants, it's been a learning experience for all involved. We're at the point now where one of the major five registrants has told us that this is their business model; they're always using joint reviews. Others are still learning as they go and experimenting with it.
On the global joint reviews, again, the companies are saying that you do put in more effort up front, but compared with coming independently to Europe, to the U.S., to Canada, to Australia, to New Zealand, they recognize that there is less upfront effort there than doing it all separately.
But it's still quite an effort. We had to send people to scheduling meetings where they figured out who was going to do what part of the review, to have some good clarity--i.e., we're doing studies 10 through 20, the U.S. is doing studies 20 through 25, and this is the timetable.
So it takes an awful lot of upfront effort to make agreements, to schedule, to have registrants involved, but the joint reviews, especially between Canada and the U.S., as I said, are clearly building momentum. The registrants are recognizing that although it seems to be more effort, it is actually less effort than going to the two countries individually.
Because we as a regulator see the advantage, we are offering them incentives to submit joint reviews. In terms of things like field trials, we've been clear. We'll say, for instance, that if you bring a joint review to us, you'll get at least a 25% reduction in the number of field trials you have to do, as compared to your coming to the U.S. and Canada separately. And our cost estimates show that the savings there alone are very considerable.
Again, internationally this is the first truly global.... This isn't the first time it's been Canada, U.S., and Europe, but this is the first time it's been Canada, U.S., Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan participating.