Regulators Share Pandemic’s CMC Impact at CASSS Japan Forum; Guidance Output Continues Apace in Q1 2021

April 1, 2021

This four-part story explores the significant impact of the pandemic during 2020-2021 on the CMC review processes for vaccines and biotherapeutics at FDA, EMA and Japan’s PMDA in their efforts to support accelerated product development and review, while assuring that quality standards are met and the ongoing non-COVID-related workload addressed.

Part I: EMA Perspective

Part II: FDA CBER Perspective

Part III: FDA CDER Perspective

Part IV: Panel Discussion Among US, Europe, and Japan Regulators

Academia/Industry Collaboration Intensifies on Addressing the Pressing Needs in Biopharma Workforce Development

March 18, 2021

Academia and industry are collaborating more intensely on addressing the pressing needs in biopharma workforce development, in recognition of the challenges of keeping pace with the rapidly evolving process and product technologies and the cross-functional understanding and skills needed to support them.

Part I: NIIMBL’s Engagement with Academia on Workforce Development Needs

Part II: ISPE Workforce of the Future Traction at UMBC and UC Davis

Part III: Keck Institute’s Behrens on Biopharma Talent Needs and KGI/Industry Partnering

Part IV: Xavier’s Phillips on Sharable Quality and Regulatory Science Curriculum

Part V: CASSS Panel on Opening Up Biopharma Career Pathways

Part VI: European and Global Workforce Development Collaborations

Latest Improvements in FDA’s Inactive Ingredient Database Include Change Log and Use of Maximum Daily Exposure

February 9, 2021

FDA’s latest efforts to improve the functionality of its Inactive Ingredient Database (IID) include a quarterly log to track changes in the records and the use of the term “maximum daily exposure” (MDE) in lieu of “maximum potency.”

Recent Technology and Partnership Advances Made Possible Precision and Speed of Vaccine Response to Pandemic, NIAID’s Graham Stresses at CASSS WCBP Conference

February 2, 2021

The precision and speed of COVID-19 vaccine development was made possible by recent R&D advancements and a strengthened network of public-private partnerships, NIH National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Vaccine Research Center (VCR) Deputy Director Barney Graham affirmed in his keynote presentation at the opening session of the CASSS Well-Characterized Biotechnology Products (WCBP) conference in late January.

Pandemic Intensifies USP’s Focus on Supply Chain Vulnerabilities and Vaccine Development

January 28, 2021

Improving understanding of supply chain vulnerabilities and providing support for vaccine development and delivery are two focal points of the USP effort to help address the pressing challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the fore regarding the availability of quality medicines.

Pandemic Spurs Deepening of Pharmacopoeia/Regulator/Industry Communication Channels

December 23, 2020

The pandemic is prompting all of those involved in medicine production, regulation, and standards-setting to take a hard look at their operations for how they can be: ● adapted to continue being productive and address the pandemic exigencies, as well as ● potentially improved on a longer-term basis. It is also significantly deepening communication and cooperation channels.

Part I: EDQM Pandemic Actions Continue Apace in Fall 2020

Part II: Pharmacopeia, Regulator and Industry Expert Panel Explores Pandemic and Nitrosamine Communications

Part III: Second Panel Focuses on Pandemic Organizational Impacts and Key Learnings

Part IV: EDQM and Ph. Eur. Evolution Addressed by Leaders Keitel and Vielle

COVID Vaccine Global Distribution Challenges Explored by Bio Supply Management Alliance (BSMA) Panel of European Experts

December 3, 2020

A panel of leading experts, assembled virtually for the 2020 Bio Supply Management Alliance (BSMA) Europe symposium on November 12, seized on the analogy of a Formula One race pitstop in assessing the expertise, cooperation, and timing that will be needed for successfully delivering COVID-19 vaccinations.

Pandemic Stresses Increase FDA Attention on Risk Management Plans for Drug Shortage Prevention and Mitigation

November 15, 2020

The stresses of the COVID pandemic on the drug supply chain have thrown a spotlight on the importance of risk management plans (RMPs) in preventing and addressing drug shortages.

USP’s Global Efforts to Strengthen Standards and Accelerate Innovation for Biologics Include ICH Engagement

November 9, 2020

Direct engagement in the ICH guideline development and revision process is helping USP prioritize its related compendial standard setting, revision, and harmonization efforts, and, in turn, enriching ICH awareness of the pharmacopeial standards and approaches that can help inform its guidelines.

CBER Director Marks Traverses the Complex COVID-19 Vaccine/Therapy Regulatory Landscape at FDLI’s Annual Conference

October 13, 2020

At the 2020 annual conference of the Washington, D.C.-based Food and Drug Law Institute (FDLI), held virtually on October 6-8, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) Director Peter Marks provided valuable insights on the difficult terrain that the regulators at CBER have to navigate to reach their goal of making effective vaccines and therapeutics for COVID-19 available as efficiently as possible.

Stronger Unapproved Stem-Cell Enforcement Accompanies FDA Center for Biologics’ Cell and Gene Therapy Advancement Efforts

September 14, 2020

Over the last few years, FDA has ramped up its efforts to protect the public from unapproved and potentially dangerous stem cell products, while striving to create a regulatory framework and approach that is as supportive as possible for the advancement of the entire cell and gene therapy (CGT) field.

Design-Based Development Paradigm for Cell/Gene Therapies Will Significantly Reduce Costs, Timelines and Regulatory Concerns, AGT CEO Galvin Maintains

August 27, 2020

The more efficient, design-based development paradigm for cell and gene therapies, coupled with their therapeutic power, will dramatically reduce manufacturing and testing costs and timelines and significantly alter the regulatory dynamics, American Gene Technologies CEO Jeff Galvin affirmed in his plenary presentation at the PDA annual meeting held virtually in late July.

Synthesis and Analysis Advancements Are Unleashing the Potential of Peptides and Oligos, Spurring CMC Regulatory Dialogue

July 23, 2020

Advancements in synthesis and analysis technologies are helping unleash the therapeutic potential of peptides and oligonucleotides, spurring the dialogue on how the CMC/quality regulatory expectations, guidance and standards should keep pace.

USP Convention Meets Virtually in May 2020 to Review Upcoming Priorities, with Both 200-Year Legacy and Current Pandemic in Focus

July 16, 2020

In May 2020, the USP Convention (USPC) met virtually to review how its central role in advancing public health has evolved during the broad sweep of its 200-year history on the one hand, while assessing its response to the pressing needs of the COVID-19 crisis now dominating the healthcare field on the other.

COVID-19 Vaccine Urgency Throws Spotlight on Next-Gen Sequencing as Key Facilitator

May 31, 2020

The urgency of delivering a vaccine for COVID-19 in previously unattainable timeframes and volumes is throwing the spotlight on the expanded role next-generation sequencing (NGS) needs to play to avoid the time delays and other limitations of in vivo/animal testing.

PART II: Sanofi Pasteur and Ghent University Experience with NGS [CLICK HERE]

PART III: A Decade of Regulator/Industry Collaboration on NGS [CLICK HERE]

PART IV: Stakeholder Engagement Begins on ICH Q5A Revision [CLICK HERE]

PART V: Effort to Reduce Animal Testing for Vaccines Includes Global Health Fund Support for NGS [CLICK HERE]

NIIMBL Progress Includes Partnership with Biophorum on Buffer Mixing and Global Health Fund with Gates Foundation

May 15, 2020

The National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) is partnering with the industry consortium BioPhorum to develop a more streamlined, cost-effective, and resource-conserving way of addressing the buffers used in biopharmaceutical manufacturing.

Top FDA Drug Compliance Concerns during 2019 Included OTCs, Supply Chain Information Flow, Compounding, and Genotoxic Impurities

April 16, 2020

Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs – from raw material supply through product manufacturing and distribution – remained a central concern at the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) Office of Compliance (OC) during 2019.

Existing Accelerated CMC, Advanced Manufacturing, and Inspection Initiatives are Supporting Regulators in Pandemic Response, FDA’s Cruse Explains in Recent Field Office Updates

April 7, 2020

Initiatives that the major regulatory agencies have been advancing to help address the CMC and technology challenges of developing complex medicines under accelerated timelines are creating a critical foundation for responding to the current coronavirus pandemic.

Attention Heightens on Creating an Independent Regulatory Pathway for Introducing Novel Excipients

March 20, 2020

IPQ’s five part series is exploring the need for: ● a more qualified-for-purpose excipient toolbox that can help address the formulation, quality, and manufacturing challenges posed by a new generation of medicines, and ● a regulatory process that can better accommodate novel excipients.

INTRODUCTION

PART I: FDA’S Novel Excipient Program Proposal and Stakeholder Comments

PART II: IPEC/IQ Thought Leaders on the Novel Excipient Drivers

PART III: Subcutaneous Biotherapeutics, Pediatrics, and Delayed Release

PART IV: USP Initiatives Supporting Novel Excipient Development

PART V: Assessing and Managing Excipient Risks

US/EU MRA Implementation, US Congressional Hearings, and Industry Surveys Shed Light on Global GMP Inspection Challenges and Collaboration Opportunities

January 15, 2020

During the past decade, industry and regulators around the world have been heavily focused on addressing the daunting challenges of assuring the quality of medicines across an increasingly globalized supply chain.

International Mutual Inspection Recognition Expands with ASEAN Accrediting Philippines Using PIC/S Criteria

December 29, 2019

The FDA Philippines (FDAP) has been approved to join the regulatory agencies of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Listed Inspection Services (LIS), after an extended review process that included documentary, on-site, and in-process inspection assessment.

CDRH Case for Quality Voluntary Improvement Pilot Collaboration Shows Impressive Results for Device Manufacturers

December 19, 2019

FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) expects to fully implement its “Voluntary Manufacturing and Product Quality” program in 2020, following a positive experience during the pilot phase of this highly collaborative alternative to traditional agency inspections.

FDA and Industry Quality Metrics Initiatives Are Paving the Way to Manufacturing and Regulatory Advancements

December 12, 2019

Three FDA quality metrics initiatives – involving site visits, industry feedback, and academic research – are expanding the understanding of how metrics can be most effective in advancing pharmaceutical quality and culture and preventing process failures and product shortages, while streamlining regulatory oversight.

Industry Experience with Autologous Cell Therapies Underscores Need for Upfront Planning on Integrating Facility Design, Operations, and Supply Lines

November 8, 2019

Industry experience with autologous cell therapies is matching up with that of regulators in underscoring the importance of comprehensive integrated planning – encompassing internal operations and facility design as well as the complexities of the supply chain – to be able to meet future capacity needs.

The Processing and Formulation Complexities of Therapeutic Biologics Compel Heightened Focus on Excipient Needs

November 5, 2019

The processing and formulation complexities of the new generation of therapeutic biologics are compelling industry and regulators to take a hard look at the risks and requirements of the raw materials and excipients involved.