Quality/GMPs

The European Medicines Agency has recommended Luxturna (voretigene neparvovec) as the first treatment option for hereditary retinal dystrophy with mutations of the RPE65 gene.

The agreement now includes 15 European Union (EU) member states.

The agency will review Praluent (alirocumab) Injection, a PCSK9 inhibitor, as a possible treatment of cardiovascular events.

FDA testing has found an additional impurity, N-Nitrosodiethylamine, in the API valsartan.

The agency approved AstraZeneca’s Lumoxiti (moxetumomab pasudotox-tdfk) injection for intravenous use for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory hairy cell leukemia.

FDA is revising its inspection process and seeks harmonization of standards for US and foreign regulatory oversight to ensure the safety of medicines.

FDA, innovator companies, and biosimilar developers maneuver over exclusivity, naming, interchangeability, and more.

Gore’s new flexible freeze containers are designed to protect high-value drug substances from container breakage or leakage.

As it investigates the root cause of an impurity discovered in valsartan, FDA extends its studies to APIs with similar synthesis processes.

More consistent and reliable production processes are critical for advancing innovative treatments.

Sharing of bioprocessing know-how can help resolve pressing industry problems.

Automation can improve many aspects of bioprocessing, but several hurdles must be overcome before the full range of benefits can be realized.

Detailed process descriptions and robust documentation aid in compliance as well as training, says Siegfried Schmitt, principal consultant at PAREXEL.

The development and optimization of an efficient conjugation process involves identifying the critical quality attributes and monitoring critical process parameters.

Trace elements in raw materials may impact the quality and safety of the finished biologic product, according to industry experts.

Viral vaccines and viral vectors used in biotherapeutic applications carry the risk of microbial contamination, which must be addressed.

This study was successful in establishing a reliable and effective method for evaluating cleaning processes based on risk. Click here to view a PDF of this article.

The US Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) is developing a new chapter for rapid sterility testing of short-life products based on the recommendations of a panel of experts and stakeholders.

Protagen Protein Services, a CRO, now offers quicker and more accurate characterization of biomolecular stability using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).

PDA Technical Report 80 (TR 80): Data Integrity in Laboratory Systems is the first in a series of three technical reports PDA will publish on data integrity.

The European Commission (EC) has approved Novartis’ chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) cell therapy Kymriah for the treatment of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma after two or more lines of systemic therapy.

The Senate approved a $159-million budget increase for FDA, to bring its resources up to $5.4 billion for 2019, including more than $2 billion in user fees.

Dompé Farmaceutici’s Oxervate (cenegermin), a topical eye drop, is the first treatment approved by the agency for neurotrophic keratitis, a rare disease affecting the cornea.

FDA sent a warning letter to Kyowa Hakko Bio Co., Ltd. after inspectors found data integrity problems at the company’s Yamaguchi, Japan facility.

Guidances for regulatory changes, batch testing, and reporting address situations resulting from “no-deal” Brexit scenario.

As a contingency against border delays resulting from a “no-deal” Brexit, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) directs pharma companies to stock extra medicines.

FDA approved the first generic version of EpiPen and EpiPen Jr (epinephrine) auto-injector.

FDA sent a warning letter to Apotex Research Private Limited after investigators found current good manufacturing practice violations.

FDA published a resource guide to promote responsible opioid prescribing in the treatment of animals.

The new drug, Onpattro (patisiran), by Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, is in a new class of drugs called small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) treatment.