Regulatory Oversight and Compliance

FDA has approved Relyrio as a once-to-twice daily treatment for patients with ALS.

FDA is highlighting how the Patient-Focused Drug Development program has encouraged active involvement of many patient groups in bringing their perspectives into the process of developing, testing, and approving new medicines.

EC has approved Roche’s Vabysmo, the first bispecific antibody for the eye, for two leading causes of vision loss.

Legislative leaders are looking to approve a bare-bones measure to fund FDA operations as part of a short-term government funding bill.

FDA backs the benefits of adopting continuous manufacturing, a strategy which has accelerated approval and launch timelines, and its Emerging Technology Program could be a helpful tool.

FDA granted accelerated approval to Skysona (elivaldogene autotemcel), which is designed to slow the progression of neurologic dysfunction in adolescents with CALD.

Regulatory officials are addressing challenges in ensuring that clinical data can be relied on in making regulatory decisions.

Otsuka announced that the EC has approved Lupkynis as the first oral treatment for active lupus nephritis.

EMA has recommended approval of Enjaymo for the treatment of hemolytic anemia in adult patients with cold agglutinin disease.

The White House hopes to expand US modern biotech manufacturing and reduce reliance on foreign sources of bioindustrial materials.

WHO has awarded prequalification to GSK’s Mosquirix, an approved malaria vaccine.

FDA is in jeopardy of losing its fees for assessing and approving new drugs and medical products.

Lynparza has been approved in Great Britain as an adjuvant treatment for patients with germline BRCA-mutated HER2-negative high-risk early breast cancer.

Sanofi’s Xenpozyme (olipudase alfa-rpcp) is now the only approved treatment for acid sphingomyelinase deficiency.

The patent applications are for programs concerning lupus, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and chronic kidney disease.

A new survey has demonstrated that remote audits, brought to the fore thanks to COVID-19, are not necessarily a preferred option for clients.

A Post Approval Change (PAC) to replace identity (ID) testing of incoming liquid drug substance with ID by visual inspection is considered a low risk provided questioned listed in this example have been answered favorably. In that case the PAC can be downgraded from a prior approval to a notification to health authorities, and managed in the PQS with immediate implementation effect.

FDA has issued an emergency use authorization for both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna bivalent COVID-19 boosters.

Change of lot or extension of reference standard shelf-life is considered low risk and should be downgraded from prior-approval to being managed in the Pharmaceutical Quality System (PQS) only based on a science and risk-based approach.

EMA has announced a change of plan for the IDMP.

Pharma loses battle to block price negotiations, but implementation faces many challenges.

A new unitary patent system is due to come into effect in Europe later on this year.

A Post Approval Change (PAC) in size of thermal shipping solution used for transport of product is considered a low risk provided it has been qualified and temperature monitored, and therefore can be downgraded from a prior approval to a notification to health authorities, and managed in the PQS with immediate implementation effect.

Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine, Nuvaxovid, can now be given to adolescents aged 12 to 17 in the UK.

The European Union publishes long-awaited changes to Annex 1.

Addition of a testing lab to an existing testing site as a Post Approval Change (PAC) is considered low risk when there is no change to testing procedure, specifications, equipment, and the additional lab is already approved by health authorities for other testing activities. Such PACs should be managed in the Pharmaceutical Quality System (PQS) only rather than requiring prior approval.

NICE has recommended the use of Tavneos (avacopan) in combination with rituximab or cyclophosphamide regimen.

Kapruvia (difelikefalin) has been granted approval by Swissmedic as a treatment for moderate-to-severe pruritis associated with CKD.

The European Commission (EC) has approved Celltrion Healthcare's Vegzelma (CT-P16), a biosimilar to bevacizumab referencing Avastin.

EMA has accepted the marketing authorization application for an oral fixed-dose combination treatment as an initial treatment for adults with AML.