Quality/GMPs

The vaccine is now authorized for ages 12 and older in European Union member states and the UK.

The agency issued two final and two draft guidance documents to help identify and trace drug products in the supply chain.

FDA has granted fast track designation to a GLP-1/glucagon dual agonist in development by Boehringer Ingelheim and Zealand Pharma for the treatment of NASH.

FDA has granted Janssen breakthrough therapy designation for teclistamab, an investigational bispecific antibody under development for treating relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

FDA has granted accelerated approval to Biogen for Aduhelm (aducanumab), a new mAb treatment for Alzheimer’ disease.

The Biden administration supports a notable increase in funding for public health and research as a lead priority for the coming year.

Digitalization of bioprocessing operations, equipment, and facilities can improve workflow and output, but maintaining data integrity is a concern.

The increased number of regulatory filings for cell and gene therapies requires reevaluation of bioassay methods because of their complexity.

Expanded interest in advanced drug manufacturing and continuous production methods calls for more flexible production systems and regulatory policies.

Susan J. Schniepp, distinguished fellow at Regulatory Compliance Associates, answers some commonly asked questions about regulatory filings.

ISPE’s latest guide ISPE Good Practice Guide: Knowledge Management in the Pharmaceutical Industry focuses on how knowledge management allows for a more effective pharmaceutical quality system.

The guidance addresses implementation of amendments made by the FDA Reauthorization Act of 2017.

The final guidance document provides recommendations for regulatory, quality, nonclinical, and clinical considerations for bispecific antibody development programs.

The agency’s human medicines committee concluded sotrovimab can be used to treat COVID-19 in adults and adolescents who do not require supplemental oxygen therapy and are at risk for severe COVID-19.

Developing and manufacturing a therapy in a regulated environment demands careful adherence to quality practices.

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.

The agency’s human medicines committee has recommended extending the approved storage period of unopened thawed vials at 2–8 0C from five days to 31 days.

Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline reported that their adjuvanted recombinant COVID-19 vaccine candidate demonstrated strong immune responses across all adult age groups in a Phase II trial.

Assessing biosafety using NGS-based tests requires a continuum of skills in molecular biology, biocomputing, virology, and quality systems.

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered additional considerations to supplier oversight of contract manufacturing facilities.

Preparation is key for remote vendor and contract partner audits.

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.

Sandoz will soon begin enrolling patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration in a Phase III study with its proposed biosimilar to aflibercept.