The FDA just completed an inspection of your firm, and one or more FDA Form 483 inspectional observations were noted by the inspection team. How and when your firm reacts to these observations is a significant decision. This article will provide guidance on what actions to take to minimize or avoid additional enforcement actions.

Decisions made upstream in the supply chain can have enormous repercussions downstream at the bedside or in the home, where medications are administered. How do we guarantee that the big and seemingly small decisions being made with each batch manufactured will be the “right” ones when there is so much inherent variability around us?

The current approach to clinical trial recruitment is prolonged, costly, and inefficient and often causes major delays and challenges for research across multiple disease states. The vast majority (85 to 90 percent) of studies in the U.S. experience significant delays in recruitment and enrollment. Nearly one-third of trials under-enroll, and only 7 percent meet their target enrollment number on deadline.

Clinical research associate (CRA) turnover has long been a complex and challenging issue. We can recruit more CRAs, increase publicity in colleges, and introduce assessment standards. I could quote various statistics regarding turnover, but I won’t.

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.

Artificial intelligence and Big Data have the potential to lower the cost and time of drug trials, to better determine patient outcomes with established drugs, and to better design new drugs.

While risk management as a concept has always played a role in the clinical trial space, there is increased pressure to identify and manage trial-related risks more systematically. This article discusses six important considerations when making the decision to utilize RBM as part of your operational growth strategies.

In November 2018, I wrote an article about establishing a supply chain for autologous cell therapies — those formulated using a patient’s own cells. This partner piece highlights considerations that need to be taken into account when developing a commercialization and supply chain strategy for allogeneic cell therapies, in which cells from a single donor are expanded and used to treat multiple patients.

Pharmaceutical companies have three targeted users: physicians, pharmacists, and patients. Various digital platforms are used to create a good customer experience for educating these end users. The core focus is on patients driving patient care, education, and adherence.

This article examines how to achieve cross-functional ownership of quality and the efforts of the CQO team to build quality for the 21st century, including exploring the creation of formal degree programs in quality.