By Mark I. Schwartz – The Mutual Reliance Initiative was announced by FDA a couple of years back. It has as its goal “…to increase…[FDA’s]…exchange, with the European Commission and the European Medicines Agency, of information that is critical to making decisions that protect our public …
In recent years, the level of scrutiny on foreign pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities in countries like China and India has skyrocketed—along with the demand and dependence of western countries on the supply of goods coming from those facilities. With the international pharmaceutical supply chain imperiled …
By James C. Shehan – In a bluntly-worded warning letter to contract manufacturer Sri Krishna Pharmaceuticals Ltd. issued April 1, 2016, we see another example of increasing FDA concern over data integrity issues at non-US drug manufacturing facilities, particularly those in India. This rather remarkable letter contains …
Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, P.C. (“HP&M”) is proud to announce the publication of its FDA Deskbook, incorporating more than a century of experience of HP&M’s attorneys from positions in the government and regulated industry. The FDA Deskbook provides a comprehensive resource that details the ins-and-outs …
By Mark I. Schwartz & Douglas B. Farquhar - After several years of observing an increase in data integrity issues, particularly with overseas drug manufacturers regulated by CDER, on Thursday, April 14th, FDA issued a question-and-answer-based draft guidance entitled “Data Integrity and Compliance with cGMP”. We …
By Andrew J. Hull – FDA often seeks permanent injunctions against FDA-regulated companies that allegedly run seriously afoul of FDA’s cGMP requirements. FDA usually asks courts, in granting a permanent injunction (the agency’s most powerful civil enforcement tool against U.S. facilities), to order the complete shutdown …
By Mark I. Schwartz – One of the pre-eminent rules in QSR and cGMP compliance is to document one’s activities. In the eyes of FDA, the “failure to document” is often equated with the failure to perform the underlying regulated activity. FDA takes this position principally …
By Mark I. Schwartz – There have been at least four FDA initiatives, in the works for some time that, in the coming years, will change the way pharmaceutical (and indeed all FDA) inspections are conducted. We think you should know about these initiatives, and how …
By Mark I. Schwartz – Unlike solid oral dosage form drugs that don’t require sterilization, generally, parenteral drug products must be sterilized and, due to their nature, many parenteral drug products cannot be terminally sterilized. This leaves aseptic manufacturing. In the aseptic process, the drug product and …
By Mark I. Schwartz – [1] According to our calculations, 2015 was a banner year, from CDER’s perspective, for foreign drug facilities receiving cGMP Warning Letters citing data integrity issues. While the overall number of cGMP Warning Letters issued by CDER was only 23 (compared, for …
