Regulatory Authority Actions

The agency is authorizing extending the time undiluted, thawed vaccine vials can be stored in the refrigerator to one month.

The guidance provides a framework for the management of postapproval chemistry, manufacturing, and controls changes.

The guidance document gives recommendations to support biopharmaceutics classification of drug substances and the Biopharmaceutics Classification System-based waiver of the in-vivo bioequivalence study requirement for drugs.

The agency has published multiple guidance documents and policy initiatives for updating and advancing the clinical research process.

FDA expects to conduct only a small portion of scheduled facility visits in 2021 due to continued limitations on travel imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Adolescents are now eligible for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-29 vaccine under expanded EUA.

The agency released a report that outlines inspectional activities conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic and discusses plans for future inspection operations.

The EC’s approval of GSK’s Benlysta (belimumab) marks the first and only biologic approved for both systemic lupus erythematosus and lupus nephritis.

The European Commission has approved an additional indication for Roche’s Tecentriq (atezolizumab) as a first-line monotherapy treatment for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.

The European Medicines Agency has announced the commencement of an evaluation for the extension of use of Comirnaty, Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine, to include young people aged 12 to 15 years.

The European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has started a rolling review of Vero Cell, an inactivated COVID-19 vaccine developed by Sinovac Life Sciences.

FDA has approved Keytruda, Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy, in combination with trastuzumab, fluoropyrimidine- and platinum-containing chemotherapy, for the treatment of patients with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma.

FDA is threatening enforcement action against a clinical trial sponsor that has ignored requirements to post study results on the ClinicalTrials.gov website.

Both the European Commission and FDA have granted approval to GlaxoSmithKline’s Jemperli (dostarlimab) for treating endometrial cancer.

Bio/pharma can learn ways to prevent recurring events and ineffective CAPA from the nuclear power sector.

Updates to user fee programs that fund FDA operations are being finalized by industry stakeholders for approval by Congress.

ADMA will now have the ability to produce Bivigam at an expanded capacity with the same manufacturing scale, while using the same equipment, release testing assays, disposables, and labor force.

The decision comes from the US CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices following the evaluation of data showing a rare adverse event involving blood clots in combination with low platelet counts within approximately one to two weeks following vaccination.

A FDA report cites multiple ongoing violations that undermine assurance of quality in products from this plant and the need for a continuing “pause” in production.

Post-inspection report reveals nine sanitary and process problems at Bayview, Md., facility.

FDA has called a halt in production of vaccine drug substance and to quarantine all remaining product at the Bayview plant.

Pending a completed FDA inspection, Emergent BioSolutions halts manufacture of vaccine drug substance at Maryland facility.

The agency revoked EUA status for the monoclonal antibody bamlanivimab to be administered alone to treat mild-to-moderate COVID-19.

The agency will use technology for “voluntary remote interactive evaluations” for pre- and post-approval and other types of inspections.

Patrizia Cavazzoni will become the director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, and Janet Woodcock remains in limbo as the temporary head of FDA.