Quality/GMPs

FDA has approved Truxima (rituximab-abbs), a biosimilar to Roche’s anti-cancer biologic, Rituxan (rituximab).

Shire has announced that the European Commission has granted marketing authorisation for Takhzyro (lanadelumab) subcutaneous injection.

The proposal from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposes to give plans more flexibility to limit coverage of certain drugs.

Microbial identity data can be critical for determining contamination sources.

Unprocessed bulk material harvested directly from the bioreactor should be tested for contamination prior to downstream processing.

A required time frame should not be the driving force behind root cause investigations, says Susan Schniepp, executive vice-president of Post-Approval Pharma and Distinguished Fellow, Regulatory Compliance Associates.

Success depends on supplier communication and transparency, but it’s up to buyers to demand the right information and to look at the vendor’s overall business.

Fluorescence has long been used to detect biological targets. As these measurements are becoming more and more quantitative, standards are needed to ensure accuracy and reproducibility.

Innovation may capture headlines, but quality programs are the foundation to biopharma success.

The partnership, co-funded by Enterprise Ireland, will develop technologies for monitoring the quality of biopharma processes.

FDA’s 21st Century goals can be realized by using a multi-purpose manufacturing facility with a flexible design that provides reliable production without extensive regulatory oversight.

Despite ongoing efforts to address the problem, FDA now sees a rise in active shortages and in the duration of supply problems.

The positive opinions included the first oral-only tablet for the treatment of human African trypanosomiasis.

Moving forward with gene therapy development requires a “quantum leap” in manufacturing capabilities.

The agency provided an update on its relocation plans and assured that core activities are continuing uninterrupted.

The new good pharmacovigilance practice chapter IV on specific considerations for the pediatric population offers a holistic view of pediatric pharmacovigilance and provides guidance on how to address the specific needs and challenges of safety monitoring of medicines used in children.

The agency sent a warning letter to the company for marketing an unapproved stem cell product and CGMP violations.

Improving the manufacturing of gene therapy vectors will be crucial to making advanced treatments accessible to more patients who need them, agreed panelists at the 2018 Galien Forum.

The agency is developing a new way to assess, record, and report data from surveillance and preapproval inspections of sterile drugs.

The new program will provide cell and gene therapy companies a more efficient way to ensure quality compliance across collection center networks and to minimize quality system audit burden on these centers.

Leaders of the two parties are open to challenging the status quo on drug costs and spending.

The decision follows an FDA request for additional information to complement the company’s submission for biosimilar rituximab.

The company received FDA approval for Hyrimoz (adalimumab-adaz), its biosimilar referencing AbbVie’s blockbuster Humira (adalimumab).

Survey results and record attendance may show positive signs for established and emerging biopharma regions.

Building up relevant expertise in-house will make writing spec sheets for software easier, according to Siegfried Schmitt, principal consultant at PAREXEL.

Industry is searching for ways to deal with the criticality of ensuring data integrity.

This article will explore the requirements for media and supplements needed to maintain newer cell lines, such as those based on human cells and fungal cells.

The second half of this article describes the testing methods used by the authors to demonstrate the applicability of single-use mixing technology for virus inactivation.

Advanced therapy medicinal products pose unique manufacturing challenges that will require appropriate and thoughtful facility design and equipment.

A statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb and Deputy Commissioner Anna Abram detailed FDA’s new plan to advance plant and animal biotechnology innovation.