IPQ Monthly Update – August 2021 in Review

The feature story in this issue centers on the challenges and developments around raw material control for biological products. A main focus is the discussion that took place at a USP workshop on the raw material issues held in April 2021. The story’s three parts delve into: ● FDA views on where the regulatory concerns and expectations lie across the review and inspection continuum ● how the challenges expand in handling raw materials in the CGT context, and ● where biomanufacturers are in using and controlling polysorbates, in particular.

Biomanufacturer Raw Material Control on Regulatory Front Burner as Analytical Power and Formulation Challenges Intensify

A more powerful analytical toolbox is allowing industry and regulators to better understand how biotech product manufacturers can improve the control strategies for the raw materials they are using. However, there are still significant knowledge and control gaps, and experts from industry, regulatory agencies, and pharmacopeias are actively sharing insights on how best to fill them.

Part I: Biotech Regulator Vantage Point on Raw Material Control

Part II: The Added Challenges of Materials Management for CGTs

Part III: Biomanufacturer Use and Control of Polysorbates

IPQ Monthly Update – July 2021 in Review

The feature story in this issue explores the dialogue regulators and industry are having on the key CMC issues that are presenting themselves in the development and review of peptides and oligonucleotides and the approaches and expectations for addressing them. A central focus is the discussion that took place at the USP 2021 peptides/oligonucleotides workshop. The story’s four parts explore: ● recent CMC/regulatory challenges of oligonucleotide drugs ● comparability challenges in crossing over to generics, including insights from recent FDA research ● comparing peptide and oligonucleotide CMC issues, and ● starting material specifications for oligonucleotides.

Manufacturing, Impurities, and Characterization Methods Are Key Regulatory Focal Points for Peptides and Oligonucleotides

The manufacturing process, the control of impurities – in the starting materials, the API and the drug product – and the analytical methods for characterization are focal points for regulators during CMC reviews of both synthetic peptide and oligonucleotide (oligo) therapeutics.

Part I: Recent CMC/Regulatory Challenges of Oligonucleotide Drugs

Part II: Comparability Challenges in Crossing Over to Generics

Part III: Comparing Peptide and Oligonucleotide CMC Issues

Part IV: Starting Material Specifications for Oligonucleotides

IPQ Monthly Update – June 2021 in Review

The four-part IPQ story in this issue explores the current dialogue on the drivers and pathways for a more collaborative, streamlined and globally-minded regulatory approach to medicine/device combination products in Europe and the activity in progress to reach that goal. In focus in the four parts are: ● the EU Pharma Strategy roadmap, comments from industry, and related agency strategies ● culture/structure/process change and global alignment ● HPRA CEO Lorraine Nolan on HPRA and EMA strategy, and ● EMA’s Zaïde Frias and NB/industry perspectives on EU regulatory transformation.

A Confluence of Forces Is Now Spurring Combination Product Regulatory Reform in Europe

A confluence of forces is intensifying the pressure on and opening pathways to the reform of drug/device combination product regulation in Europe, with legislative changes and strategic priority needs at issue.

Part I: EU Pharma Strategy Roadmap, Comments from Industry, and Related Agency Strategies

Part II: Culture/Structure/Process Change and Global Alignment

Part III: HPRA CEO Lorraine Nolan on HPRA and EMA Strategy

Part IV: EMA’s Zaïde Frias and NB/Industry Perspectives on EU Regulatory Transformation

Pandemic Urgencies Highlight Constraints in Manufacturing Change Regulatory Paradigm and Where Adjustments Are Needed

The pressing need during the COVID-19 pandemic to accelerate product development and rapidly accommodate the shifting manufacturing and distribution demands has shed strong light on the constraints in the existing quality regulatory framework and the pathways to reducing them.

Part I: Industry Quality Leaders on the Global PAC Regulatory Problem and Solutions

Part II: Evolving the Quality Regulatory Paradigm at the Global Level

IPQ Monthly Update – April 2021 in Review

The feature story in the April issue explores how regulators and industry are working together to make quality risk management (QRM) a more effective force in improving quality systems and the regulatory communication process at the review and inspections levels. The three parts of the story provide insights from: ● HPRA’S Kevin O’Donnell on the evolution of QRM and the revision now underway of ICH’s 15-year-old QRM guideline Q9, which he is leading ● FDA’s Rick Friedman, also on the Q9 revision Expert Working Group, on advancing aseptic processes through QRM, and ● industry/academia thought leaders on evolving QRM’s relationship with knowledge management across the product lifecycle.

Regulators Are Exploring with Industry How to Strengthen Quality Risk Management Practices, with Revision of ICH Q9 a Key Focal Point

Regulators and industry are sitting down together to mine their experience and map out some clearer directions and expectations about what is needed to empower quality risk management (QRM) in improving the pharmaceutical quality system (PQS) and the industry/regulatory communication process at the review and inspection levels.

Part I: ICH Q9 Revision Lead O’Donnell on the Evolution of QRM

Part II: FDA’s Rick Friedman on Advancing Aseptic Processing through QRM

Part III: Industry/Academia Thought Leaders on the Evolving QRM/KM Relationship

IPQ Monthly Update – March 2021 in Review

The March issue provides a wealth of insights shared by FDA, EMA and PMDA biotherapeutic and vaccine regulators on the challenges, opportunities, and learnings as they have sought to support the accelerated product development and review called for by the pandemic, while assuring that CMC/quality standards are met and keeping up with their non-COVID-related workload. Included are updates on the guidances and other quality-related initiatives impacting vaccines and biotherapeutics that have been forthcoming during the first quarter of 2021.