It was the announcement many have been dreading — but expecting — for several months now. Dr. Scott Gottlieb, 23rd Commissioner of the FDA, announced his decision to step down after 663 days (22 months) on the job. The news is sure to raise concerns for many. But I think the biggest surprise is how equally sad thought-leaders within the agency will be to say goodbye.

This article presents a detailed summary of the drug GMP warning letters issued in FY2018, as well as a comparison of trends since fiscal year 2013. A comprehensive GMP intelligence program includes evaluation of health authority enforcement actions, including FDA Forms 483, warning letters, seizures, recalls, and consent decree agreements. This allows manufacturers and sponsors to identify new trends in the focus of FDA inspectors and to act to address or justify similar situations at their own firms.

The true effect of an intervention is often not seen until real-world usage takes place, but with such a delay between R&D and healthcare delivery, how can the industry close the gap? And what is needed to deliver more effective interventions that patients really want?

While the designation for what constitutes a combination product is clearly defined by the FDA, industry continues to push the boundaries for disease treatment with new and innovative breakthrough drug therapies. As regulatory professionals, the challenge we face is to align these new therapies with application-filing strategies including investigational new drug applications, new drug applications, biologics license applications, and medical devices.

Getting to this point has been a multi-year progression of technological development and regulatory evolution by both the market and government.

In July 2018, the FDA unveiled a Biosimilar Action Plan (BAP) intended to “facilitate the efficient development and approval” of biosimilar products. When FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb introduced the BAP, he emphasized the importance of building a market for biosimilar products and expressed concern that the market is not yet established.

With the 2018 Compounding Policy Priorities Plan, the FDA has established a clear pathway for advancement of policies for traditional compounding pharmacies and associated outsourcing facilities. The agency intends to implement the strategies while ensuring access to medications for the critical patient population. It is acting under the belief that a growing number of organizations are trying to get into the large drug manufacturers’ domain while operating under pharmacy licenses.

Are you ready to give the FDA more? “What?” you ask, as a manufacturer of API and finished goods. Are you ready to give them more data and information about your manufacturing process? You think, “Don’t they get all the necessary information from me during their inspections and from my filings?” Well, the answer is yes and no.

The draft guidance document provides recommendations regarding the testing for RCR during the manufacture of retroviral vector-based gene therapy products, and for follow-up monitoring of patients who have received retroviral vector-based gene therapy products.