Quality Control/Quality Assurance

FDA issued a statement about the importance of reporting adverse events resulting from the use of compounded drugs.

FDA announced it is developing a series of guidance documents to promote methodological patient-focused drug development.

FDA sent a warning letter to Stemell, Inc. for manufacturing and distributing unapproved products derived from umbilical cord blood and umbilical cord and for significant deviations from current good tissue practice and current good manufacturing practices.

A US District Court judge in Tennessee entered a consent decree of permanent injunction against Basic Reset and Biogenyx after multiple FDA inspections of the companies’ facility found violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

Stability testing for biologics is more complex than for small-molecule drugs, so companies should be aware of the potentially serious issues that can be costly and jeopardize drug development.

As regulatory guidance has evolved, changes in CCIT testing have also become apparent. In this article, possible CCIT strategy approaches are outlined.

Industry and regulators seek global system that reduces regional differences.

Industry experts discuss the challenges and regulations of setting up a CGMP-compliant stability testing program.

Providing regulators with a holistic approach to addressing deficiencies is the best response to an inspection, says Siegfried Schmitt, PhD, vice-president, technical, Parexel Consulting.

FDA sent a warning letter to NingBo Huize Commodity Co. after an investigation of the company’s Zhejiang facility found falsified quality documents.

FDA sent a warning letter to Emcure Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. because of sterility testing CGMP violations.

Spectrum Laboratory Products received an FDA warning letter after violations were found at its New Brunswick, NJ facility.

The agency is keeping Zolgensma on the market as it evaluates the accuracy of data submitted with the product’s biologics license application.

Quality risk management plans provide identified actions to ensure a continuous supply of safe and effective drug products, says Susan J. Schniepp, executive vice-president of post-approval pharma and distinguished fellow, Regulatory Compliance Associates.

Strong personnel training, detailed SOPs, commitment to data integrity, investigation and implementation of appropriate modern methods, and employing Lean and Six Sigma methodology initiatives are key best practices for the quality control microbiology lab.

Too narrow a focus on regulatory compliance may prevent organizations from embracing-and profiting from-quality and operational excellence.

Protein characterization is a critical part of drug development, but as there are still limitations with available techniques, industry needs to look at technological advances to meet the specific requirements of complex molecule characterization.

The draft guidance describes how content should be organized in electronic submissions for all submission types under section 745A(a) of the FD&C Act.

FDA sent a warning letter to Ecometics, Inc. after the agency found CGMP violations at the company’s Norwalk facility.

Slovakia becomes the final European Union country to be recognized by FDA, and the mutual recognition agreement for inspections of manufacturing sites between the US and the EU is now fully implemented.

The FDA guidance defines changes to approved risk evaluation and mitigation strategies and clarifies submission guidelines.

The draft guidance provides industry with a guide for using the database to assist in the development of drug products.

FDA released draft guidance on using the USP pending monograph process in the drug application process.

Cultural and language discrepancies during an audit can be resolved using what many call a “playbook,” says Siegfried Schmitt, PhD, vice-president, technical, Parexel Consulting.

Using a QbD approach from early-stage development through commercialization can ensure that upstream processes are efficient and reliable.