Regulatory Authority Actions

Scrutiny of the vulnerability in the biopharmaceutical supply chain has increased pressure on FDA to renew site visits of domestic and foreign facilities.

EMA has approved the manufacturing of drug product for BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine, BNT162b2, at BioNTech’s manufacturing site located in Marburg, Germany.

Abecma is the first B-cell maturation antigen-directed chimeric antigen receptor T cell immunotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma after four or more prior lines of therapy.

The need for added revenues to fund billion-dollar infrastructure improvements has fueled challenges to industry pricing practices.

FDA has issued warning letters to two US-based manufacturers, Honest Globe and Biolyte Laboratories, for selling products labeled as containing cannabidiol in ways that violate the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

BIA has released comments urging the UK government to take a science-based approach to the regulatory framework for gene editing and GMOs.

The agency’s focus appears to be on generic drugs for the upcoming year.

With no final nomination of FDA commissioner coming from the White House, concern has mounted among regulated industry and interested stakeholders that FDA operations and stature will suffer without a permanent commissioner able to articulate new policies and gain support for innovative programs.

Sagent Pharmaceuticals is voluntarily recalling three lots of Phenylephrine Hydrochloride Injection, USP (10 mg/mL) to the user level because of a customer complaint regarding potentially loose crimped vial overseals, which can result in a non-sterile product.

The European Medicines Agency and Health Canada have published clinical data used to support the authorization of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine.

The agency is working to identify and obstruct scammers looking to profit from the pandemic.

The European Medicines Agency has begun a rolling review based on laboratory and clinical studies of the Sputnik V (Gam-COVID-Vac).

The guidance document provides recommendations for reporting and implementing changes to container closure system components consisting of glass vials and stoppers for sterile drug products.

The EC has launched a structured dialogue aimed at gaining a better understanding of global medicines supply chains and to identify potential causes and drivers of vulnerabilities.

Reviews of FDA initiatives and activities recapitulate efforts to assess and approve new drugs, generic drugs, and biologics and strategies for advancing new initiatives.

To prevent future production delays of critical products, the Biden administration is examining supply chain vulnerabilities for pharmaceutical ingredients as part of a longer-range consideration of products important to public health.

Distribution of the first one-dose vaccine for COVID-19 to start in early March.

New data shows that the COVID-19 vaccines can be stored at standard freezer temperatures for up to two weeks.

The agency issued guidance for developers of vaccines, diagnostics, and therapeutics to address variants of the COVID-19 virus.

FDA issued a public statement and press release, along with a sharp warning letter rebuking AcelRx Pharmaceuticals for its messaging on painkiller Dsuvia.

FDA published recommendations on the use of COVID-19 convalescent plasma or investigational convalescent plasma during the pandemic.

The company has pleaded guilty to violating the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act by failing to provide certain records to FDA investigators and will pay a criminal fine of $30 million, and forfeit an additional $20 million.

Scientists and policy makers are looking more sharply at the lag in identifying and producing medicines to moderate early infections and to treat seriously ill patients.

The EUA is based on positive results from a Phase III trial that showed bamlanivimab and etesevimab together reduced the risk of COVID-19 hospitalizations and death by 70%.

The selection of a new FDA commissioner has become a contentious issue in Washington, as the White House delays a decision and interest groups line up behind competing candidates.

The cell therapy will be manufactured for each individual patient at BMS’ immunotherapy manufacturing facility in Bothell, WA, and will be launched across a network of treatment centers.

FDA considers regulatory flexibility to allow the agency and sponsors to adapt and pivot to changes in coronavirus.

FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee will meet on Feb. 26, 2021 to discuss the request for emergency use authorization for Janssen Biotech’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

FDA puts applications on hold as the agency limits alternative oversight methods.