Regulatory Authority Actions

FDA and ICH seek comment on new exposure levels for cadmium in drug products.

Inspectors found quality issues at bB BioChem Laboratories Inc, a California-based manufacturer of over-the-counter drug products.

Teva Pharmaceuticals, Major Pharmaceuticals, and Solco Healthcare are voluntarily recalling their products containing valsartan because of the presence of N-nitrosodimethylamine.

The agency is releasing six new draft guidances to provide a regulatory framework for handling gene therapies.

The agency is asking firms to discuss internal quality metrics efforts as part of the approval process for new medical products.

Legislators look to widen access to medications for addiction treatment and overdose emergencies.

The European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & Healthcare highlighted the organization’s achievements in 2017, including the first mAb monograph.

FDA sent a warning letter to Henan Lihua Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. after inspectors found the company failed to ensure the accuracy of its data.

GW Research’s Epidiolex, which treats two forms of epilepsy, receives FDA’s approval; spurs FDA reminders about unapproved products.

The agency published guidance about requests for Prescription Drug User Fee Act waivers, refunds, and reductions in user fees.

The agency launched a secure online portal for orphan drug designation applications.

FDA, EMA, and senior officials from the European Commission met to discuss the EU-US mutual recognition agreement for inspections, the development of advanced therapies, the requirements for approving generic drugs, and Real-World Evidence used for post-authorization monitoring.

The contract development and manufacturing company has received an additional approval from Health Canada to manufacture monoclonal antibody drug substance at its first plant in Icheon, South Korea.

Legislators have requested that FDA do more to prevent drug shortages.

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, released a statement on new agency efforts to involve the patient voice in medical product development and FDA regulatory decision-making.

Regulatory authorities have published draft guidance on strategies to facilitate pharmaceutical lifecycle management.

The agency is encouraging team-based reviews and streamlined processes that will make the oversight process more efficient and consistent.

The FDA commissioner announced proposed steps to modernize the organization and functions of CDER’s Office of New Drugs.

EMA has recommended marketing authorization for Aimovig (erenumab), a new treatment for migraine.

The agency has recommended approval of three biosimilar adalimumab products from Novartis, referencing AbbVie’s Humira, and a biosimilar trastuzumab from Pfizer, referencing Roche’s Herceptin.

The agency published two guidance documents to address brand drug makers’ use of REMS to block generic-drug development.

The new draft guidance addresses the premarketing assessment of a drug’s effect on blood pressure.

FDA sent a warning letter to Jilin Shulan Synthetic Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. after an inspection found CGMP violations including a lack of data integrity.

The European Commission has approved Zessly (infliximab), a biosimilar to Johnson & Johnson’s blockbuster Remicade (infliximab).

This marks the third FDA approval for the company’s second biomanufacturing plant in Incheon, Korea.