Sen. Bernie Sanders has introduced three bills aimed at reducing prescription drug prices, two of potential importance to biosimilar developers. This article discusses these cost-containment policies, as well as two other congressional initiatives to watch.
Cleanability is clearly an important parameter for determining the hardest-to-clean product for use in cleaning validation studies, and reliable methods for this determination are needed. For any analysis, quantitative methods should be preferred over qualitative methods as they are scientific, not subjective, and allow the easy application of statistical evaluation.
A team composed of nearly 70 FDA, pharma/biotech, and medical device leaders — spanning 39 organizations and five countries — have concluded that companies trying to get a handle on issues in their supply chains should focus less on their suppliers and more on themselves as the possible source of the problems.
For the first time ever, GCP collaborations between the FDA and Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) were the focus of a workshop for the drug development industry. In what is projected to be the initial installment in a series, the FDA hosted the MHRA and invited interested individuals to join the workshop “Data Integrity in Global Clinical Trials — Are We There Yet?”
A refreshed approach to fault tree analysis can be an incredibly helpful addition to your problem-solving armamentarium. Having the confidence to begin using it — or begin using it more often — is the first step toward getting more comfortable with it and mastering its effects and nuances.
With the recent breakthroughs in cell and gene therapy, there is increased emphasis on the design and implementation of different supply chain models to support the movement of materials and drug product across the chain of care. Unlike more traditional supply chains, many of these therapies have unpredictable sources and manufacturing and infusion locations. The most extreme example is loosely referred to as the “vein-to-vein” supply chain — particularly for autologous therapies.
Probably one of the most significant developments in sterilization and aseptic practices in pharma is that of vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP) as a contact or “cold” sterilizing agent. The use of VHP in contained environments has allowed us to decontaminate working spaces, equipment, and materials and has led to the development of the reliable isolator.
If we take for granted that there will always be new and changing processes, systems, and digital platforms and the organizational complexity within Big Pharma will not abate, how do we ensure we optimize the entire clinical trial process and make the best use of our technology and process investments?
The EMA Q&As and their updates mark an important turning point in the pharmaceutical industry regarding cleaning validation and quality risk management. The new ASTM standards will provide guidance to the industry on the appropriate development of health based exposure limits, for the implementation of science- and risk-based approaches to cleaning validation, and on the use of statistical techniques for measuring the risk in cleaning and assessing the effectiveness of cleaning processes.
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?