GMP:Blog

The EMA has published a four-page consultation document in the form of Q&As concerning the physical attendance and the place of a personal residence of a Qualified Person on 11 May 2022. The guidance states that the work of a QP must be adapted to current standards to enable remote certifications without a QP being present at the site. A public consultation is possible until 13 June 2022.

On 26 May 2022, the European IVD Regulation (EU) 2017/746 (In vitro Device Regulation) will enter into force. This will be accompanied by various transitional periods and requirements, which have been summarised and explained by the MDCG (Medical Device Coordination Group) in a new guidance document. The 17-page Guidance on significant changes regarding the transitional provision under Article 110(3) of the IVDR is aimed at manufacturers who have so far complied with the requirements of Directive 98/79/EC and may continue to market their in vitro diagnostic devices in accordance with this Directive during the transitional periods.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has updated the annexes for the conduct of GCP inspections. First published in 2007, the annexes compile a number of seven documents.

Japan's PMDA (Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency) published changes to its principles for global clinical trials late last year. This revised document was published in English at the end of April 2022.

Centrally authorised medicinal products placed on the market in one European Member State may be marketed under the same name in any other Member State by a distributor independent of the marketing authorisation holder. This process of parallel distribution is supervised by the EMA.

The EMA has released the comments of the ICH guideline Q9 (R1) draft from december 2021 in late april. The document contributes principles and examples of tools for quality risk management. The document consists of 56 pages of comments from organizations such as the PDA, EFPIA and many others. In the following some excerpts:

On 19 April 2022, the EMA published the annual report of the GMP/GDP Inspectors Working Group for the year 2021. Both, Brexit and the COVID pandemic had resulted in no reports being issued for the last three years. Instead the EMA had published a Business Continuity Plan (BCP), which was primarily based on a prioritisation of tasks.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) presented a "scaled-down" plan for collecting quality metrics from drug manufacturers end of March. The docket is an attempt to reactivate previously paused efforts to collect manufacturing quality metrics data. The primary aim of the program is to mitigate potential drug shortages and promote improved quality management in the pharmaceutical industry.

The Japanese MHLW (Japanese Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare) has released the 18^th Edition of the Japanese Pharmacopoeia (JP) as an English translation for download free of charge.

The Australian regulatory authority for therapeutic goods TGA has updated its 19-pages quality requirements for medical cannabis products. These are now in line with TGO 93 and refer to

• any medicinal cannabis product imported into or supplied in Australia
• cannabis plant used in the manufacture of medicinal cannabis products e.g., as an ingredient or as a starting material for an extract used as an ingredient
• any other ingredients used in the manufacture of medicinal cannabis products, such as excipients
• steps and procedures carried out in the manufacture of medicinal cannabis product.

The Medical Device Coordination Group MDCG, a group of Member States experts, endorsed a joint implementation plan on the implementation of the IVDR, more precisely Regulation (EU) 2017/746 on invitro diagnostic medical devices. The plan should serve to set priority actions and monitor their implementation.  The IVDR will enter into force on 26 May 2022 with an extended transitional period of five years.

The draft ICH Q14 guideline on analytical procedure development reached stage 2 of the ICH process on 24 March 2022. This also applies to the revised ICH Q2 (R2) guideline on the validation of analytical procedures. Both documents are now in the public consultation phase. They jointly describe the development and validation activities that should be applied during the life cycle of an analytical procedure to assess the quality of medicinal substances and products.

On 14/15 March 2022, the ISPE Aseptic Conference took place in North Bethesda, USA. The hybrid conference opened with a keynote presentations on regulatory news.

Paul A. Gustafson, who is chairing the PIC/S this year, gave an overview on the PIC/S activities and in this context referred to the future Annex 1 of the EU GMP Guide: The document is in its final adoption process. A publication is to be expected between the beginning of July and the end of September this year. The European Commission is currently awaiting the review of the PIC/S and the WHO. Both organisations had contributed to the two draft documents of Annex 1. The European Commission has not revealed a release date, yet.

The HPMC (Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products, HPMC) of the EMA has published a concept paper on Good agricultural and collection practice for starting materials of herbal origin on 1 March 2022. Of interest to GMP professionales is, that the revision of the original guideline dating back to 2006, will address open questions about the applicability of GACP versus GMP, or a requirement of a combination of both. With a growing market for herbal medicinal product, e.g., Cannabis products, enhanced guidelines on the subject intent to clarify open issues.

Swissmedic announces the following regarding the validity of GMP certificates:

"The GMP certificates issued by Swissmedic list the date of the underlying inspection. They do not contain a validity date. However, following the practice for GMP certificates in the EU database EudraGMDP, it is often assumed by companies or other authorities that GMP certificates based on an inspection more than 3 years ago lose their informative value about the compliance status and therefore lose their validity."

The IPEC (International Pharmaceutical Excipients Council Federation) has published a summarizing position paper on „The Role of Excipients in Determining N-Nitrosamine Risks for Drug Products. The 7-page paper describes the IPEC Federation’s position on the role of excipients when conducting N-nitrosamine risk assessments for medicinal products.

The US FDA is proposing to amend the cGMP requirements of the Quality System Regulation for medical devices, namely the 21 CFR Parts 4 and 820. Finally, the ISO 13485:2016 should be incorporated in the US Quality System, by reference. This proposal comes four years after the US FDA announced its willingness to align the two systems.

The EU GMP Annex 21: Importation of medicinal products has finally been published on February 21, 2022, and will enter into force on August 21, 2022. The 6-page new Annex summarises the GMP requirements for Manufacturing Import Authorization (MIA) holders of human, investigational, and veterinary medicinal products from outside the EU/EEA. Medicinal products entering the EU/EEA for export only and are neither processed in any way nor released for placing on the EU/EEA market, are not covered by this Annex.

CDER released its Guidance Agenda for the year 2022. The list includes all guidances planned to be developed or finalised this year. The agenda should be seen as an indicator for the topics CDER is advancing to tackle but is not binding for the Center.

Robert M. Califf, M.D., was sworn in as new Commissioner of the Food and Drugs Administration on February 17, 2022. He has previously served as Commissioner from February 2016 to January 2017, during President Obama’s final year in office. 

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) issued a revised Version 7 of its Q&A guidance on nitrosamines dated January 22, 2022. The revision includes a new nitrosamine for testing and an updated section on testing and control of multiple impurities in one product. For such a case, a step-by-step decision tree is presented in Annex 1.

The Veterinary Medicinal Products Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2019/6) entered into force on 28 January 2022.  It modernises the existing rules on the authorisation and use of veterinary medicines in the European Union (EU). 

The Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme (PIC/S) has revised its PIC/S GMP Guide to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for Medicinal Products to include

• the revised Annex 13 on the Manufacture of Investigational Medicinal Products and
• the new Annex 16 on the Certification by the Authorised Person and Batch Release.

As of 31 January 2022, the new Clinical Trials Regulation (EU) No. 536/2014 (CTR) entered into force, repealing the Clinical Trial Directive (EC) No. 2001/20/EC. This step is meant to facilitate the daily business of sponsors in the EU immensely, when it comes to filing clinical trial applications. The new Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS) serves as a single-entry point for submission and assessment of clinical trial data for all EU and EEA countries and has gone live.

The EMA released Version 2 of its Reflection paper on GMP and Marketing Authorisation Holders on 10 January 2022. A minor text addition to the document was performed: The section on „Serialisation Data - Uploading Responsibilities" was amended with the following paragraph regarding Contract Manufacturing Organisations:

The US FDA announces that the spread of the Omicron variant will lead to further delays in resuming inspection activities. Originally, this step was planned for February 2022. The date is now being pushed further back. With the current developments of the Covid 19 pandemic, no new resumption date has been communicated.  

Already in March last year, an adaption of the Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/161 on safety features allowed a temporary derogation of the obligation for wholesalers to deactivate the individual identifier (IE) of medicinal products exported to the UK - as a third country (we reported). This exemption was granted for the year 2021.

The European Commission published Version 19 of the Q&A on safety features for medicinal products in late December 2021.

What's new?

• Question 1.29: Do the unique identifiers of reference and retention samples taken from stock in compliance with Annex 19 of the EU GMP Guidelines5 and uploaded to the EMVS have to be decommissioned? If yes, to what status?
  Answer: Yes, if a sample of a batch is taken as reference or retention sample after uploading in EMVS, it should be decommissioned as "sample". If a sample is taken voluntarily by a wholesaler that fall outside the scope of Annex 19, they should be decommissioned as "destroyed".

On 16 December 2021, EMA published the ICH Q9 draft document on Quality Risk Management (QRM) in step 2b. The draft provides important additional guidance on four specific areas:

• the levels of subjectivity in risk assessments and in QRM outputs,
• the product availability risks,
• the lack of understanding as to what constitutes formality in QRM work, and
• the lack of clarity on risk-based decision-making.

The International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities, ICMRA, has published a comprehensive reflection paper on experiences with different inspection models to maintain GCP and GMP inspections during the covid pandemic. The working group responsible for the paper was composed of representatives from various regulatory agencies around the world. To anticipate the group's conclusion: Remote inspections enable minimal regulatory oversight during the pandemic but will not be able to replace on-site inspections in the future.

The Australian authority TGA has published a revision of the guideline on licenses and certification "Guidance on Australian manufacturing licenses and overseas good manufacturing practice (GMP) certification" on 1 December 2021. The revision relates to an expansion of possible inspection types as well as the scheduling of the inspection for licensing procedures.

On 6 December 2021, the EMA published all stakeholder comments received on the Guideline on quality documentation for medicinal products when used with a medical device (we reported). It will enter into force on 1 January 2022. Comments were received from 36 different stakeholders from all over Europe, including e.g., MedTech Europe, Medicines for Europe or the Parenteral Drug Association, PDA.

To ensure market surveillance of medical devices, manufacturers, authorized representatives and importers based in Switzerland must register with Swissmedic within three months of first placing a product on the market. This was revealed in a Swissmedic announcement in late November.
After the applicants have undergone the process, they will be assigned an individual Swiss identification number, the Swiss Single Registration Number (CHRN).

On 26 November 2021, the European Commission issued the Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/2078 on the European Database for Medical Devices, Eudamed. The document provides a legally binding framework for all users.

As of 2 December 2021, the new general chapter <1469> on nitrosamine impurities has been added to the United States Pharmacopeia (USP). With this, it is intended to support both pharmaceutical manufacturers and authorities in assessing the presence of nitrosamines and implementing appropriate control strategies and analytical procedures. The chapter is aligned with the current FDA guidances.

The European Medicines Agency has revised its 142-page document European Medicines Agency pre-authorisation procedural advice for users of the centralised procedure. The publication of 22 November 2021 includes the adjustments already made in October, as well as an update to paragraph 2.9 on the procedural structure of application from November. All changes to the document are marked with a corresponding date reference and concern section 2 "Steps prior to submitting the application".

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has published a 13-page Q&A including 87 questions and answers from a webinar held on the topic of integrating EudraGMDP and OMS (Organisation Management Services) into the new regulatory framework for veterinary medicines.

Finally, the long-awaited nomination for the next FDA commissioner is here. President Biden has nominated Dr. Robert Califf, a clinical trial expert and founding director of the Duke Clinical Research Institute.

The European Medicines Agency has published two new concept papers for Annex 4 and Annex 5 for veterinary medicinal products on 11 November 2021:

• Concept paper on the revision of annex 4 of the guidelines on good manufacturing practice – manufacture of veterinary medicinal products other than immunologicals
• Concept paper on the revision of annex 5 of the guidelines on good manufacturing practice for medicinal products – manufacture of immunological veterinary medicinal products

The European Commission has tasked its ad-hoc working group (WG) on pharmaceuticals in the environment with drafting a concept paper on the regulatory framework. The WG formed in 2020, is joined by the following Member States: Austria, The Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, The Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Poland, Romania, Italy and the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

The Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration, TGA,  updated its GMP approach to overseas manufacturers of medicines and biologicals on 1 November 2021. With the COVID-pandemic still being an issue, TGA named remote inspections the only currently available option for certification applications.

The European Commission has revised and restructured the Compilation of Community Procedures on Inspections and Exchange of Information. In addition to new content and editorial adjustments, the 295-page document has been divided into a Part I including procedural topics and a Part II containing interpretation documents and templates. The documents were last updated in 2014.

The FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) has published its lists with guidance documents intended to be published next year. At this stage CDRH is interested in receiving external feedback on whether the listed documents should be revised or withdrawn.

The US FDA, Health Canada, and the British regulatory agency MHRA have jointly released 10 guiding principles to support the development of Good Machine Learning Practice (GMLP). As a basic framework it should help to promote safe, effective, and high-quality medical devices, while using AI (artificial intelligence) and ML (machine learning).

The FDA’s Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA), responsible for inspections and other field activities, has released its summary on inspectional observations listed on FDA Forms 483 from October 2020 to September 2021.

The United States Pharmacopeia has released a new Chapter 1220 on “Analytical Procedure Life Cycle” prior to its official publication and entering into force on 1 May 2022. The chapter considers the validation activities that take place across the entire life cycle of an analytical procedure and provides a framework for the implementation of the life cycle approach.

On 14 October 2021, the European Commission has proposed a “progressive roll-out” of the upcoming In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices Regulation, IVDR. The reason given for that is to prevent disruption in the supply of those essential healthcare products that fall under it, as well as a serious shortage of notified body capacity. The IVDR was planned to apply as of 26 May 2022.

The European Medicines Agency EMA has further updated its Q&A on nitrosamine impurities. The document is intended to support marketing authorization holders of human medicinal products and considers the latest regulatory requirements (we reported).

The Chinese NMPA applied for PIC/S pre-accession on 24 September 2021. Although this stage is a voluntary assessment process, gaps are identified between PIC/S membership requirements and the system used by the regulatory agency that is interested.

The European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines, EDQM, has identified another azido impurity which was tested positive in a mutagenic evaluation. So far, it has only been found in "Losartan potassium".

The European medicines regulatory network has announced the automatically applied extension of the validity of GMP and GDP certificates for sites in the EEA (European Economic Area) until the end of 2022, unless there are restrictions on the validity period stated in the clarifying remarks of the certificate. This extension also applies to time-limited manufacturing and import and wholesale authorisations.

As communicated by the EMA, the EUDRAGMDP database will be „merged“ with EMA’s Organisation Management Service (OMS). This is an important change to be aware of for all manufacturers, importers and distributors of human and veterinary medicines whose information is recorded in EUDRAGMDP.

On 17 September 2021, the US FDA released the revised Q&A Guidance on Biosimilar Development and the BPCI Act. The 28-page document provides rapid, development-related guidance to biosimilar and interchangeable biosimilar sponsors and other stakeholders on discrete issues.

On 21 September 2021, an amendment to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/161 was published in the Official Journal of the European Union. Article 47 "Evaluation of notifications" was adapted and in Annex I, containing the list of medicinal products exempted from the obligation to bear the safety features, a new entry has been added.

On September 15, the U.S. Pharmacopeia USP published the final draft of the chapter <1083> Supplier Qualification.

As of July 2021, the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) now contains chapter 2.1.7 "Balances for analytical purposes". It was included as an addition to section 2.1 Apparatus and defines the requirements placed on the "balance" tool in an analytical procedure.

In July 2021, EDQM published a revised version of the document "Guidance for electronic submissions for Certificates of Suitability (CEP) applications" (PA/PHCEP (09) 108). This guidance includes the current requirements for how an application for Certificates of Suitability must be conducted in eCTD format.

This month, the Medical Devices Coordinating Group of the European Commission, MDCG, published a 7-page guideline for notified bodies, distributors, and importers of medical devices. It should provide a basis for the certification of quality management systems (QMS) related to repackaging and relabeling processes of medical devices according to MDR and IVDR.

The WHO has published three GMP-relevant draft documents in recent weeks:

• WHO good manufacturing practices for investigational products
• WHO good manufacturing practices for medicinal gases, Rev.1
• WHO good practices for research and development facilities of pharmaceutical products

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has issued a 31-page draft guideline describing the information to be included in the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC), labelling and package leaflet for Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) that contain genetically modified cells.

Following a two-years drafting process the CHMP of the EMA has adopted the final guideline on quality documentation for medicinal products when used with a medical device on July 22, 2021.

On 23 July 2021, EMA has finalized its reflection paper on GMP-related responsibilities and marketing authorisation holder companies (MAHs). As various tasks are spread over different chapters and annexes of the EU GMP Guide and various directives, the paper now summarizes them in a single 29-page document. This is to provide clarity on which responsibilities are to be considered and what they signify for MAHs at a practical level.

On 27 July 2021, ICH published the anticipated draft of its Q13 Guideline on Continuous Manufacturing of Drug Substances & Drug Products. In Stage 2 of the ICH process the 44-page document has thus been released for public commentation.

The guideline is intended to provide "scientific and legal considerations for the design, implementation, operation and lifecycle management of continuous manufacturing (CM)".

As part of the annual budget planning acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock has addressed the problem of weaknesses in the medical devices supply chain and its overall dependence on foreign medical devices.

PIC/S published a new guidance COVID-19 Risk Assessment for Routine On-Site Inspections” (PI 055-1) which entered into force on 15 July 2021.

The guidance is addressed to inspectors and covers the actions to be taken during the planning phase of an inspection, in consultation with the site to be inspected.

On 15 July 2021 the PIC/S recommendation document How to Evaluate and Demonstrate the Effectiveness of the Pharmaceutical Quality System with regard to Risk-Based Change Management (PI 054-1) came into force. The document provides practical guidance and covers all relevant steps in change management process – change proposal, change assessment, change planning and implementation, change review and effectiveness checks.

The European Commission announced on 14 July 2021, that the Italian company Kiwa Cermet Italia S.P.A. has been appointed as the 21st Notified Body under the EU Medical Devices Regulation (MDR) 2017/745. It has been assigned the number 0476 in the EC's Nando database.

After five years of drafting, PIC/S has now published the final version of a new guideline on data integrity, the PIC/S Guidance on Good Practices for Data Management and Integrity in Regulated GMP/GDP Environments (PI 041-1). The document has already been applied in practice on a trial basis during this time and has been modified twice.

EMA has updated its Q&A document on drug-device combination products by end of June 2021. It includes the current requirements under the Medical Devices Regulation (MDR), which entered into force on 26 May 2021. Marketing authorisation holders of combination products are provided with detailed information on all current adjustments.

On 2 July 2021 the European Medicines Agency has released a revised version of the 17-pages Q&A to aid marketing authorisation holders to assess their risk for nitrosamine impurities. The revision affects questions 3 and 10:

• For the ‘call for review’ for chemically synthesised and biological medicinal products, when and how should MAHs report steps 1 and 2 to competent authorities? (Q&A 3)

• Which limits apply for nitrosamines in medicinal products? (Q&A 10).

The aborted negotiations between Switzerland and the EU on the institutional framework agreement (we reported) are casting their shadow: new regulations are needed to ensure the safe supply of medical devices within Switzerland. However, not only Swiss manufacturers are affected. Medical device manufacturers who are not domiciled in Switzerland but who place products on the market there must also mandate an authorized representative in Switzerland.

The Netherlands’ DEKRA Certification B.V. was named the fifth notified body under the Regulation (EU) 2017/746 on in vitro diagnostic medical devices (IVDR) in June 2021. Dekra Certification B.V. is also a designated notified body under the MDR.

The European Commission published version 18B of the Q&A on safety features for medicinal products in late May 2021. In the 34-page document, question 1.14 "Are there mandatory specifications for tamper evidence?" was updated.

PIC/S has started the consultation process for the adoption of Annex 16 of the EU GMP Guide. It is a very important step towards international harmonisation of GMP requirements.

As every year, the EMA now publishes its report for 2020, in which it outlines achievements, decisions and objectives of the year.

In early June, the FDA unveiled the Generic Drug Cluster, the first forum for leading regulatory authorities to address the global development of generic drugs.

Once a year, operation PANGEA takes place, a globally organized action by Interpol against the online distribution of illegally imported medicines. Within this week of action, participating countries check (and close) suspicious websites and seize counterfeit medicines. In addition, this action aims to create public awareness of the issue.

The European Medicines Agency, EMA, has updated its regulatory and procedural guidance documents on parallel distribution as of 9 June 2021. 

The two facilities of the Italian company Steril Milano S.r.L. in Monza and Reggiolo have closed their doors since March 2021. The company, which offers a sterilization service for medical devices, is facing serious allegations of manipulation. In the meantime, Steril Milano S.r.L's certificate has been withdrawn by the responsible accreditation body.

The FDA has finalized two guidance documents to help ensure that prescription drugs are identified and traced properly while moving through the supply chain. The documents address how to comply with the DSCSA (Drug Supply Chain Security Act) requirements.

Finally the date has come: as of 26 May 2021 the EU rules on medical devices (EU MDR) entered into force. Following a one year postponement due to COVID-19, this regulation is considered a big step forward to improve the safety and quality of medical devices. There are, however, still plenty of uncertainties for their manufacturers, but there is also a saying that every journey begins with single steps.

The new European medical device regulation came into force on 26 May 2021. Parallel, a complete revision of the Medical Devices Regulation MepV was carried out in Switzerland, under the responsibility of the Swiss BAG (Federal Office of Public Health). In context of the alignment of the MepV and the KlinV-Mep with the new EU regulations MDR and IVDR on medical devices, it was also necessary to update the existing MRA (Mutual Recognition Agreement) between Switzerland and the EU. This agreement ensures barrier-free market access and joint implementation. The MRA is, in turn, part of an "overall package" of an institutional framework agreement (Insta), which has not yet been conclusively agreed on. On the contrary: Switzerland has meanwhile broken off negotiations with the EU and described them as "having failed".

On 18 May 2021, Swissmedic and the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) signed a first Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the area of veterinary medicinal products.

On 17 May 2021 the USFDA has released a revised version of its Q&A guidance on remote inspections. The 14-page document was originally published in August 2020 (we reported). As the pandemic still restricts most onsite inspections the FDA further clarifies general questions that came up since then.

The British MHRA has set up a standalone MHRA-GMDP database as a new service (alpha release). This step obviously separates the UK from the EudraGMDP where the competent EU authorities publish manufacturing and wholesale approvals, GMP certificates and non-compliance reports.

ICH published the revised version (Step 4) of the ICH Q3C(R8) Guideline on Impurities: Guideline for Residual Solvents on 22 April 2021.

As announced by PIC/S on 23 April, 2021, the PIC/S GMP Guide has been revised. The changes will take effect on 1 May 2021. 

On 14 April 2021 the US FDA has published a new guidance “Remote Interactive Evaluations of Drug Manufacturing and Bioresearch Monitoring Facilities During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency”. This in fact was long overdue.  It outlines 

• how remote interactive evaluations will be requested by the FDA and 

• how they will be conducted for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On 16 April 2021, Swissmedic announced that it is seeking harmonization with EU regulations regarding the handling of nitrosamine impurities.

On 12 April 2021, Dr Janet Woodcock, acting head of the US FDA, announced Dr Patrizia Cavazzoni's new role as director of CDER.

The European Union has published the Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/457 in its Official Journal on 17 March 2021. It amends the Delegated Regulation (VO) 2016/161 on safety features necessary for the packaging of medicinal products for human use. The amendment is to exempt the obligation for wholesalers to deactivate the unique identifier of medicinal products exported to the United Kingdom, being considered a third country now.

EMA published Revision 3 of the Q&A on the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland on 5 March 2021. The 11-page document contains 28 pairs of questions and answers. It is updated regularly and will be of interest to all GMP professionals who have business relationships with companies in Northern Ireland.

The CMDh (EMA's Coordination Group for Mutual Recognition and Decentralized Procedures) has approached one of the EMA's Safety Working Parties (SWPs) with the following two questions regarding chlorobutanol:

1. Can the Safety Working Party confirm that the levels of chlorobutanol commonly used in medicinal products are safe from a toxicological point of view?
2. Is it possible to determine acceptable intake levels of chlorobutanol?

The EMA published the 15-page SWP response document to these questions on March 17, 2021.

The MHRA announces its return  to on-site risk based GxP inspections starting from 29 March 2021. However, it is planned to use a combined approach of both, remote and on-site inspections.

The Medical Device Coordination Group (MDCG) published an eight-page Q&A document titled Questions and Answers on Custom-Made Devices & considerations on Adaptable medical devices and Patient-matched medical devices (MDCG 2021-3) on 15 March 2021.

The European Commission published a Notice this January dealing with the legal framework for medicinal products marketed in Northern Ireland. On 9 March 2021, the UK MHRA, for its part, followed up and also addressed the issue. 

On 4 March 2021, Swissmedic announced the numbers on medicinal products illegally imported into Switzerland. In 2020, 6733 illegal imports were recorded. Compared to the previous year, the number has decreased only slightly.  Among the countries of origin, Singapore has replaced India, which has long been in the lead. It was followed by Western European countries such as the UK and Germany in particular.

Singapore is increasingly being used as a hub by suppliers of illegal medicinal products.

WHO published a 31-page draft guideline, "GMP for investigational radiopharmaceutical products", in March 2021. It offers recommendations for minimum standards in the manufacture of new radiopharmaceuticals for Phase I-III clinical trials that do not have a marketing authorization (MAA).

As reported earlier, the European Pharmacopoeia Commission implemented five new sartan monographs in a rapid procedure at the end of February. They are scheduled to become effective already on 1 April 2021. For holders of a Certification of Suitability (CEP), this may, but does not necessarily, mean adjusting their control strategies for nitrosamine impurities. EDQM has now published supplemental information on this topic:

On 23 February 2021, the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM) announced that five monographs on sartans have been revised. They will be effective immediately as of 1 April 2021. 

On 22 February 2021, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) published a 14-page implementation plan dealing with the prevention of nitrosamine impurities. It is based on the results of the CHMP's scientific review of the subject.   

On 15 February 2021, the European Commission published a 13-page document on the management of legacy devices. It clarifies questions on how these will be identified in EUDAMED or how the different Unique Device Identifiers (UDI) will be generated or assigned.  

On 24 February 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a revision to its September 3, 2020, Guidance for Industry, Control of Nitrosamine Impurities in Human Drugs. The revision extends the recommended timeframe for manufacturers to assess the risk of nitrosamines in active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and drug products from 6 to 7 months.

On 17 February 2021, Swissmedic announced that it will now permanently support the "Orbis" project. Orbis enables manufacturers to submit their marketing authorization applications submitted to the US FDA simultaneously to other international regulatory authorities, provided they participate in the project.

The WHO published a 29-page draft guideline on Good Manufacturing Practices for Medical Gases in February 2021. The reason given for this step is a sharp increase in the demand for medical gases, particularly oxygen used to provide respiratory care to covid patients.

As announced by the European Commission on 18 February 2021, the Italian Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) has been designated as the 19. Notified Body under the EU Medical Devices Regulation (MDR) 2017/745.

EMA published the document "GMP requirements applicable to the early manufacturing steps for comminuted plants and herbal extracts used as active substances" in February 2021.

Following the detection of 1-nitroso-4-methyl-piperazine (MeNP) impurities in some batches of rifampicin in February 2021, the EMA is requesting manufacturers to test the drug for the presence of MeNP. 

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has launched an initiative to collaborate with non-EU authorities and WHO to drive the evaluation processes for COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics.

As announced on 26 January 2021, the Jordan Food & Drug Administration (JFDA) has submitted a complete application for membership to the PIC/S.

In January 2021, the Japanese Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) published the English translation of the document on remote inspections, Procedure for Remote Inspection as a Part of Compliance Inspection on Drugs and Regenerative Medical Products.

This year's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) list of guidance documents scheduled for publication includes 18 categories with a total of 105 documents.

PIC/S has updated the following four Aide-Mémoires, which became effective on 1 January, 2021:

Dr. Janet Woodcock has been appointed as acting commissioner of the FDA. The previous commissioner, Dr. Stephen M. Hahn, stepped down from his role at the start of President Biden's term of office.

Questions about the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, which will apply from January 1, 2021, were clarified by the European Commission in a 39-page Q&A on the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement on December 24, 2020. In total, it consists of 133 pairs of questions and answers.

In the second week of January, the European Commission (EC) published a list of members appointed to the MDR and IVDR expert panels. On 10 September 2019, the 12 expert panels were designated by the Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/1396.

The competent authorities of the Russian Federation submitted a complete membership application to PIC/S in Geneva on 13 January 2021. The rapporteur(s) will be appointed in written procedure or at the next meeting of the PIC/S Committee.

On 5 January 2021, the UK MHRA published a joint statement by the UK and Canada, which applies on an interim basis and is intended to avoid trade disruptions as a result of the Brexit. 

The transition period until Brexit came into effect ended on 31 December 2020. The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has published another batch of documents for the processes that are now starting. They cover all aspects of the regulation of medicinal products and medical devices in the UK.

On 11 January 2021, the European Commission (EC) announced what needs to be considered when Notified Bodies conduct remote audits of medical device and in vitro diagnostic manufacturers due to the COVID-19 situation.

Shortly before the end of the year, WHO published a 38-page draft with twelve chapters and two appedices on technology transfer in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

In December 2020, the Medical Device Coordination Group (MDCG) of the European Commission published a six-page Q&A document on Notified Body audits of medical device manufacturers during the COVID 19 pandemic. 

As announced by the UN Commission on 2 December 2020, cannabis was removed from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs following WHO's recommendation.

What should a crisis-proof drug supply in Europe resemble? In this regard, the European Commission presented a 25-page pharmaceutical strategy on November 25, 2020. It was awaited with great interest. One thing is for certain: the implementation of the strategy will not leave the EU pharmaceutical legislation unaffected.

As the PIC/S announced on 30 November 2020, the Brazilian National Health Authority 'Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária' (ANVISA) has become the 54th member of PIC/S. 

The European Commission (EC) designated the German company TÜV Rheinland as a Notified Body under the In Vitro Diagnostics (IVDR) Regulation on 1 December 2020.

Swissmedic clarified on 20 November 2020 that GMP certificates issued after routine inspections in 2017 or 2018 are valid until 2021 or until the conduct of the next routine inspection.  

In November 2020, the WHO published a first draft on GMP for research and development facilities.

The WHO published a draft on GMP for investigational products in November 2020. The 28-page working document comprises 18 chapters and can be commented on until 6 January 2021. The guideline currently in force and consisting of 12 pages was published in 1996.  

In a statement dated 13 November 2020, EMA announces that its CHMP (Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use) has aligned recommendations for limiting nitrosamine impurities in sartan medicines with recent recommendations it issued for other classes of medicines.

Emer Cooke from Ireland began her mandate as Executive Director of the EMA on November 16, 2020. On June 25, 2020 she was the first woman nominated for this position (we reported).

On 9 November 2020, Swissmedic announced to further extend the deadline for the completion of a risk evaluation for medicinal products for human use with a risk of nitrosamine formation or (cross)contamination to 31 March 2021. For biological medicinal products, the final date for the completion of an evaluation is 1 July 2020. Switzerland is thus following the EU, which announced an extension of the deadline in early October.
 

Given the changed situation regarding COVID-19 and the differing measures introduced by the various cantons in Switzerland, Swissmedic has decided to adapt the way inspections in the healthcare field are carried out. As of 3 November 2020, inspections will only be performed after prior clarification of possible COVID-19-related capacity problems.

On 27 October 2020, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) published an implementation plan to reduce nitrosamine impurities in medicinal products.

All marketing authorisation holders for metformin-containing medicines will be asked by the EMA or the national competent authorities to test their medicines for the presence of nitrosamines before releasing them to the market. This is to be a preventive measure, as stated in the notification on the EMA website.

The European Commission announces that the EUDAMED Actor Registration Module  will go live on 1 December 2020. Meanwhile a website has been set up to explain all the necessary steps to register  for access to EUDAMED and the following modules.

The ACSS Consortium, a joint initiative of the regulatory authorities of Australia (TGA), Canada (HC), Singapore (HSA) and Switzerland (Swissmedic) announces a new membership: the British MHRA. Following as short observatory role, the MHRA will officially start to work with the consortium partners on January 1, 2021.Along with this, the group has changed its name to accommodate the new partner, and will be known as the "Access Consortium". The new name reflects the group’s key aim of providing patients with timely ‘access’ to high quality, safe and effective therapeutic products across the five countries.

The EMA (European Medicines Agency) announces that the deadline for the completion of a risk assessment for all chemically defined human medicinal products that bear the risk of nitrosamine formation or (cross)contamination will be extended until 31 March 2021. For biological medicinal products, the final date for completion of a risk assessment will be 1 July 2020.

The draft for the ICH Q3D(R2) Guideline for Elemental Impurities has reached Step 2 on September 25, 2020 and thus the consultation phase. The draft guideline includes, amongst others, corrected PDE values for gold, silver and nickel and a new appendix for impurities that are applied cutaneously or transcutaneously.  

The Brazilian health regulatory agency, ANVISA, warns of counterfeit medicinal products for which import was banned immediately.
This was announced by Swissmedic, who was informed directly by ANVISA on 23 September 2020. 

On 18 September 2020, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) confirmed its recommendation to suspend all ranitidine-containing medicinal products in the EU due to the presence of low levels of the impurity N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA).This follows a re-examination of CHMP’s April 2020 opinion, which was requested by one of the companies marketing ranitidine medicines. The EMA has published a detailed statement on this recommendation.

The new European standard EN 17141:2020 has been issued on 12 August 2020 and will replace the DIN EN ISO 14698 (Parts 1 and 2) of the year 2003, which no longer reflects the state of the art.

The Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products, Swissmedic, will, according to an announcement made on 1 September 2020, carry out regular GMP and GDP inspections on site again with immediate effect. Protective measures such as distance and hygiene rules must continue to be followed and infections must be traced.

How can manufacturers of pharmaceuticals and APIs detect and prevent nitrosamine impurities in pharmaceutical products and what are possible causes of the contaminations? These questions have been occupying regulatory authorities and of course the pharmaceutical industry for the last two years. Answers are now provided by the 24-page guidance on Control of Nitrosamine Impurities in Human Drugs, which was published by the US FDA on 1 September 2020.

On 1 September 2020, the British MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) published numerous guidelines explaining how medicinal products, active ingredients, medical devices or clinical trials are to be regulated after the brexit transition period ends on 1 January 2021.

On August 12, 2020, the European Commission published version 18 of the Q&A on safety characteristics for medicinal products. The document, which has now grown to 34 pages, was thus the second update this year (we reported).
New are the questions 4.6, 5.12, 5.13 and 6.9, which are briefly summarized below: 

On August 19, 2020, the US FDA issued a 12-page guideline for the pharmaceutical industry in the form of a Q&A, which deals specifically with questions regarding  

• Manufacturing  
• Requirements for the supply chain  
• Inspections  
• Pending applications for approval and  
• Changes in manufacturing facilities for already approved medicinal products  

during COVID-19. 

On its Inspectorate Blog, the UK MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) has critically reviewed the implementation of the requirements on HBELs and the prevention of cross contamination in shared facilities. What are the expectations to be met and what deficiencies have been identified in recent inspections?

According to the MHRA Inspectorate Blog, answers can be found in these two PIC/S documents:

• PI 052-1 Aide Mémoire and the corresponding
• PI 053-1 HBEL Q&A.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has published three new draft guidelines, which are currently available for comments. In September 2020, all comments will be consolidated and reviewed. The documents will then be prepared for discussion and presented at the 55th virtual meeting of the ECSPP (WHO Expert Committee on Specifications for Pharmaceutical Preparations). It is scheduled to take place from 12 to 16 October 2020.

After the US FDA already announced the gradual resumption of on-site surveillance inspections in May (we reported), the MHRA is now also following this course. The short Guidance for industry on MHRA's expectations for return to UK on-site inspections published on 11 August 2020 sets out the procedure.   

As of July 2020 the EMA (European Medicines Agency) has amended the European "Joint Audit Programme, JAP". These adaptations enable regulatory authorities from third countries with an existing EU-MRA (Mutual Recognition Agreement) to participate as co-auditors in JAP audits of EEA GMP inspectorates.

Shortly after the publication of the EMA's final assessment report on nitrosamine impurities in medicinal products (we reported), a 15-page Q&A for marketing authorisation holders and applicants was published on 6 August 2020.

It replaces the document 'Information on nitrosamines for marketing authorisation holders' EMA/428592/2019 published in September 2019, which was withdrawn.   

On 20 July 2020, EMA published the final 10-page Guideline on the quality of water for pharmaceutical use.
The date of entry into force will be 1 February 2021.

The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has published a final assessment report on nitrosamine impurities.

On 1 July 2020, the Swiss Federal Council adopted the revised Ordinance on Medical Devices (MedDO) and the new Ordinance on Clinical Trials for Medical Devices (ClinO-MD).   

On 25 June 2020, the Management Board of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) selected the Irish pharmacist Emer Cooke as the new EMA Executive Director from a list of candidates prepared by the European Commission.

The French company GMED, based in Paris was designated 15th Notified Body under the new Medical Devices Regulation (MDR) on July 8, 2020.

EMA and the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) have signed an agreement to exchange confidential information on medicines for the treatment, diagnosis or prevention of COVID-19.

The European Commission, the EMA and the European Network of Medicines Regulatory Authorities have published the third version of the Q&A on regulatory expectations for medicinal products for human use during the COVID-19 pandemic on July 1, 2020. The document has meanwhile grown from originally 7 to now 23 pages and intends to serve pharmaceutical companies as a guide on current adjustments to the regulatory framework due to COVID-19.

On 23 June 2020, the European medicines regulatory network published the outcome of a lessons learned exercise on the presence of nitrosamines in sartan medicines. This includes recommendations to help reduce the risk of impurities in medicines, and to ensure that regulators are better prepared to manage cases of unexpected impurities. The report is called "Lessons learnt from presence of N-nitrosamine impurities in sartan medicines".

As announced by TÜV Süd Product Service GmbH on 17 June 2020, the German Central Authority of the Länder for Health Protection with regard to Medicinal Products and Medical Devices (ZLG) designated the company as the fourth Notified Body according to the In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (IVDR).

In May 2020, the WHO published the following three drafts for commentary: 

On 1 June 2020, the PIC/S adopted the following two documents: 

• PI 052-1 Aide Memoire Inspection of Health Based Exposure Limit (HBEL) Assessments and Use in Quality Risk Management 
• PI 053-1 Questions and Answers on Implementation of Risk-based Prevention of Cross-Contamination in Production and ‘Guideline on Setting Health-Based Exposure Limits for Use in Risk Identification in the Manufacture of Different Medicinal Products in Shared Facilities’ 

On 3rd June 2020, the European Commission published a concept for the safe and affordable supply of medicinal products in Europe. 
The initiative Pharmaceutical Strategy - Timely patient access to affordable medicines is designed to facilitate innovation in the pharmaceutical industry. 

The WHO Expert Committee on Specifications for Pharmaceutical Preparations meets annually and their reports (Technical Report Series) include all adopted guidelines in form of Annexes.

With the publication of the 54th Technical Report Series No. 1025 of the WHO, several new and revised Guidelines were adopted and recommended for use.

A second revised version of the Q&A document was published on May 26, 2020. A new block of questions (sub-point 6) with six questions and answers deals with the additional temporary flexibility in the GMP/GDP area.

The Swedish company Intertek announced on 15 May 2020 that Intertek Medical Notified Body AB (IMNB) has been designated as the 14th Notified Body against the EU Medical Device Regulation 2017/745 (MDR). 

The US FDA is planning a gradual re-start of on-site surveillance inspections in cooperation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

On 15 May 2020, the European Commission has announced to extend the time frame for the consultation on Annex 21 Importation of Medicinal Products until 20 August 2020. This step is justified by the challenges arising in connection with COVID-19.

As the EMA announced on 30 April 2020, all ranitidine medicines in the EU are to be taken off the market. 

On 30 April 2020, the European Commission has announced to extend the time frame for the second consultation on Annex 1 Manufacture of Sterile Products until 20 July 2020. This step is justified by the challenges arising in connection with COVID-19.

The Co-ordination Group for Mutual Recognition and Decentralised Procedures - Human (CMDh) of the EMA has published a Q&A for the practical handling of processes for mutual recognition of authorisations during the COVID 19 crisis. 

In order to address the current exceptional circumstances, the UK regulatory authority MHRA has opted for a temporary flexibility on good manufacturing practice (GMP). The authority considers these steps necessary to meet the current  supply needs of medicines in the UK. In this context, the GDP requirements for wholesalers have already been relaxed and the discretionary scope for QPs has also been extended.

On 17 April 2020, the European Parliament voted by 693 to one votes and with two abstentions to delay the entry into force of the EU Medical Device Regulation (MDR) by one year - to 26 May 2021. 

How is Switzerland adapting to the EU regarding the implementation of MDR, IVDR and ICH Q12?
 

The European Commission, the EMA and the European Medicines Regulatory Network have developed a 7-page Q&A to guide pharmaceutical companies in making flexible adjustments to the regulatory framework during the COVID 19 pandemic. The EMA has established a task force for this purpose, to take quick and coordinated regulatory action.

On 8 April 2020, the Medical Device Coordination Group (MDCG) published a five-page guideline on the conduct of audits by Notified Bodies to be applied during the COVID 19 pandemic. 

The ICH Q3C(R8) draft Guideline on Impurities: Guideline for Residual Solvents, has reached Step 2b and now enters the consulation period.

The draft document contains solemly the Permitted Daily Exposure (PDE) levels for

• 2-Methyltetrahydrofuran (proposed is a PDE of 50 mg/day and a placement in Class 3 solvents)
• Cyclopentyl Methyl Ether (proposed is a PDE of 15 mg/day and a placement in Class 2 solvents)
• Tertiary Butyl Alcohol (proposed is a PDE of 35 mg/day and a placement in Class 2 solvents).

The deadline of 26 May 2020 should have been the date: The European Commission's Medical Device Regulation (MDR) was supposed to come into force. Due to the Corona crisis, the European Commission is now submitting a proposal to postpone the implementation deadline.

The European Commission published the 4-page draft version of the new Annex 21: Importation of medicinal products, on 20 March 2020. Apart from the main Chapters and Annexes of the EU GMP Guide, it has become necessary to establish specific guidelines for the activity of importing medicinal products.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced that the deadline for the submission of risk assessments for all human medicines presenting a risk for the presence of nitrosamine impurities or (cross)contaminations will be extended to 1 October 2020. The announcement was made just one day ahead of the original deadline scheduled for 26 March 2020. This will give all companies affected more time to review their manufacturing processes and carry out the required risk assessments.

The reason given for this step is the challenges and impact of the restrictions in place to combat the COVID 19 pandemic.

On March 9, 2020, the European Commission published version 17 of the Q&A on safety features for medicinal products. The document is updated on a regular basis (we reported).

The Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has suspended all foreign GMP inspections and QMS (Quality Management System) audits until further notice.

The US FDA had already announced on 10 March 2020 that most foreign inspections would be postponed until April with immediate effect. Now domestic routine surveillance inspections will also be scaled back.

The US FDA announced that it is postponing most foreign inspections through April with immediate effect due to the Coronavirus disease. Inspections outside the US that are considered critical will be reviewed by the FDA on a case-by-case basis.

As the Indian Directorate General of Foreign Trade announced on 3 March 2020, the export of 26 active ingredients and medicinal products will be severely restricted until further notice due to the global spread of the coronavirus.

The ICH Q12 guideline on technical and regulatory considerations for pharmaceutical product lifecycle management was adopted by the CHMP (European Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use) in January 2020. On March 4,  the EMA (European Medicines Agency) published a two page note on the implementation of ICH Q12. It addresses the fact that there are conceptual differences between ICH Q12 and the EU legal framework. Therefore, a 1:1 application in the EU is not possible without further ado.

ICH has published a training presentation on ICH Q12 Guideline on Technical and Regulatory Considerations for Pharmaceutical Product Lifecycle compiled by the Q12 Expert Working Group.

The US FDA, in cooperation with the Indian authorities, has seized 500 shipments of illegal and potentially dangerous unapproved prescription drugs and medical devices. The products were in transit to American consumers by international mail.

A first targeted consultation to the Annex 1 of the EU GMP Guide allowed about 140 companies and organizations to comment. The drafting group processed more than 6200 lines of comments. These have now been taken into account in the preparation of a second draft.

The Dublin-based National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) was designated by the European Commission as the eleventh Notified Body under MDR and thus added to the NANDO database.

The International Council for Harmonisation (ICH) has made the Minutes of the ICH Assembly Meeting in Singapore, in November 2019, publicly available. In contrast to the already published press release (we reported), the meeting minutes include new details on the following interesting projects for the GMP area:

The Norwegian DNV GL Presafe AS (Notified Body 2460) is now a Notified Body for EU Medical Devices Regulation (MDR) 2017/745.

In a press release the EMA informs pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers about the withdrawal of Great Britain from the EU on 31 January 2020. What are the current developments?

As you may have already noticed - on our website or elsewhere - we have a new company logo and also a new name.

This year's list of guidelines to be published by the CDER (Center for Drug Evaluation and Research) comprises 14 categories with a total of 89 documents. 

On 14 January 2020, the EMA published a draft Reflection Paper on the GMP-related obligations of marketing authorisation holders (MAHs). In general, these responsibilities relate to outsourcing and technical agreements. However, they are spread over the different chapters and annexes of the EU GMP Guideline and are also quite numerous. The aim of the reflection paper now is to clarify in a single document what the different responsibilities are and what they mean for MAHs at a practical level. It also addresses the legal provisions in European Directives and other Directives that relate to GMP and also affect marketing authorisation holders.

In December 2019, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published the revised standard ISO 14971:2019 on application of risk management to medical devices. This standard has now been added to the list of Recognized Consensus Standards by the US FDA.

In December 2019, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) revised a four-page Q&A document on the EU-US Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) on marketing authorisation applications and variations.

End of December 2019, the EMA has updated the Q&A document for marketing authorisation holders who are currently reviewing their medicines for the possible presence of nitrosamines and testing products at risk.

On 12 December 2019, the US Senate elected Dr. Stephen Hahn as the 24th Commissioner of the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) by 72 to 18 votes.

During the last months, there have been repeated cases of nitrosamine contamination in sartans (we reported). As a consequence, the sartan monographs of the European Pharmacopoeia were revised: Transiently, new strict limits apply for the contamination of sartans with nitrosamines. The monographs will come into force on January 1, 2020.

On 4 December 2019, the European Commission published eight documents containing technical specifications for unique device identifiers (UDIs). 

On 25 November 2019, the European Commission published the second corrigendum to the EU Medical Devices Regulation (MDR). The corrections mainly concern Class I medical devices. 

The ICH (International Council for Harmonisation) met in Singapore from 16-20 November 2019. More than 450 participants attended the meeting and fourteen Working Groups met to progress their work.

A particularly noteworthy milestone is:

• ICH Q12 Technical and Regulatory Considerations for Pharmaceutical Product Lifecycle Management was finalised in Singapore and has reached Step 4 of the ICH process.

On 18 November 2019, the European Commission published the "Aide-Mémoire for GDP inspection of wholesalers compliance with commission delegated regulation (EU) 2016/161 for safety features". As a checklist, the six-page document is intended to assist wholesalers in complying with the relevant GDP regulations on safety features.

In late October 2019, the WHO published a 28-page draft guideline on data integrity. It clarifies basic aspects to ensure reliable data and information in the manufacture and control of medicinal products. A 7-page annex provides additional examples for the practical implementation of the requirements.
 

The Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products (Swissmedic) is working on adapting the requirements for combination products to the new EU Medical Devices Regulation (MDR). A notification was published on the Swissmedic website on 5 November 2019.

On 4 November 2019, the ICH has published the survey results on the level of implementation and adherence to ICH Guidelines within its Regulatory Member and Observer countries. The results have been compiled in a 26 page report. Especially interesting is the resulting tabular overview of the data including a search function:

On its website, the European Commission has officially announced that the launch of the European Database on Medical Devices, EUDAMED, has been postponed:

On 22 October 2019, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) released an revised and updated Q&A on the implementation of the EU Medical Devices Regulation (MDR) and EU In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (IVDR).

According to the ICH, the PDE value for ethylene glycol was reinstated to its previous PDE value of 6,2 mg/day and a concentration limit of 620 ppm. This value was changed in October 2018 with the ICH Q3C(R7) version  to a PDE of 3.1 mg/day and a concentration limit of 310 ppm. The process was then preceded by an error correction procedure (we reported).

On 10 October 2019, the European Commission announced the first Notified Body designated under the EU Vitro Diagnostics Regulation (IVDR).

The updates on this document are overturning: On 25 September 2019, the European Commission published Version 16 of the document on safety features for medicinal products for human use. 

On 19 September, the notified body TÜV SÜD announced the certification of the first Class III medical device in accordance with the new EU Medical Devices Regulation (MDR).

On 3 September 2019, the UK notfied body BSI announced the Novartis Concept1 inhaler as first medical device certified under the new EU Medical Devices Regulation (MDR).

The United States FDA works on the harmonisation of the Quality System Regulation, 21 CFR 820 with ISO 13485, the international standard for quality management of medical devices (we reported), saying that

In summer 2018, production-related contamination of the antihypertensive valsartan with the nitrosamines NDMA and NDEA caused a stir in the pharmaceutical world (we reported). A risk assessment conducted by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) followed this. The results can be found in the detailed EMA report from February 2019.

A Q&A published by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on 28 August 2019 clarifies when exemptions from batch re-testing of imported advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) are permitted.

On August 20, 2019, the US FDA published a warning letter to Ningbo Huize Commodity Co., a Chinese manufacturer of OTC drugs. The case concerns serious violations of good manufacturing practice and, in this context, the serious manipulation of data. In addition to this the FDA has gone public with detailed information.

As announced by the European Commission on 20 August 2019, the IMQ Istituto located in Milan, Italy, has been notified as the fourth Notified Body under the new European MDR to come in 2020. This is still too little, according to the opinion within the medical device industry.

In addition to BSI UK and TÜV Süd, the German DEKRA Certification GmbH is now recognised as a third Notified Body for the EU Regulation 2017/745 (MDR).

According to RAPS, a US-statement to the Committee for Technical Barriers to Trade of the World Trade Organization (WTO) from 24 July 2019, raises concerns regarding the implementation of the new European Medical Devices Regulation (MDR) and the Regulation on In Vitro Diagnostics (IVDR). The MDR is already due to enter into force on 26 May 2020, the IVDR in 2022.

From today’s perspective, the UK will be a third country as of 1 November 2019. As a result, all  batch  testing  facilities will have to be fully transferred to the EU27/EEA by  1  January  2020.  The European Commission has now published a reminder announcement regarding the requirement of batch release sites to be established in the EU. This applies also to MAHs which were granted an exemption to continue relying on quality control testing performed in the UK earlier this year (we reported).

The TGA (Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration) has expressed concern about a looming shortage of Notified Bodies under the new Medical Device and In Vitro Diagnostics Regulations (MDR/IVDR) in Europe. Not without reason, though.

As the EMA announced on 12 July 2019, Slovakia is the last EU member state to be recognized by the USA under the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA).

In England, imported medicines have appeared which have apparently been removed or "stolen" from the legal supply chain in order to be reintroduced later into regular sales. With this, both correct transport and appropriate storage conditions are no longer guaranteed.

On 1 July 2019, the Medical Device Coordination Group (MDCG) published two guidance documents on the Medical Device Regulation (MDR) and the In-Vitro Diagnostics Regulation (IVDR).

On 26 June 2019, the US FDA granted Germany the ability to carry out GMP inspections at a level equivalent to that of the USA. With this, the MRA between the US and the EU has almost reached its goal: By 15 July 2019, the recognition of all 28 EU Member States should be completed.

The European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Committee for Advanced Therapies (CAT), together with the GMDP Inspectors Working Group and the Blood Products Working Party, released a Q&A document on how companies should handle OOS batches of authorized cell or tissue-based advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs). For manufacturers, importers and Marketing Authorisation Holders of ATMPs this 2-page document will be of good value.

Across the EU, an increasing number of discussions are highlighting concern about the challenges facing each stakeholder in the sector (manufacturers, notified bodies, authorised representatives, distributors, competent authorities, European Commission) in implementing the new MDR/IVDR Regulations on time and effectively.

The ICH (International Council for Harmonisation) met from 1 to 6 June 2019 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. 

Once again, two counterfeit batches of the drug Xarelto® 20 mg from the original manufacturer Bayer AG in Polish-Slovak packaging were discovered at a parallel distributor in Great Britain. Xarelto®, with the active ingredient Rivaroxaban, is used to prevent strokes and systemic embolisms as well as to treat pulmonary embolisms and venous thromboses.

On 10 June 2019, the FDA has confirmed the capability, capacity and procedures in place of Luxembourg and the Netherlands to carry out GMP inspections at a level equivalent to the US. This concludes the FDA's assessment of a total of 26 EU member states, whose inspection results will be trusted in the future. This process is to be completed for all EU states by 15 July 2019.

On 6 June 2019, the European Commission published a Q&A document to clarify new obligations under the medical device and in vitro diagnostic regulations (MDR/IVDR) regarding notified bodies (NBs).

The 8-page document has been endorsed by the Medical Device Coordination Group (MDCG). The MDCG is composed of representatives of all Member States and it is chaired by a representative of the European Commission.

It answers four sets of questions on a range of MDR/IVDR requirements relating to NBs. The clarifications cover organizational and general requirements, as well as resources requirements and process requirements.

The WHO Expert Committee on Specifications for Pharmaceutical Preparations meets annually and their reports (Technical Report Series) include all adopted guidelines in the form of Annexes.

With the publication of the 53nd Technical Report Series No. 1019 of the WHO, several new and revised Guidelines were adopted and recommended for use.

TÜV SÜD Product Service was designated by the German Central Authority of the Länder for Health Protection with regard to Medicinal Products and Medical Devices (ZLG) as the second Notified Body for the EU Medical Devices Regulation (MDR).

In April 2019, the PIC/S Committee and the PIC/S Executive Bureau met in Geneva, Switzerland. The meeting was attended by 45 out of 52 PIC/S Participating Authorities as well as by a number of Applicants, Pre-Applicants, Associated Partners and Guests. Here are the topics addressed in the area of GMP:

On 14 May 2019, the European Commission confirmed that the quality of APIs produced in the Republic of Korea is in line with EU standards. APIs manufactured in third countries like the Republic of Korea, and intended for the EU market, have to be produced in an EU equivalent regulatory system. This includes the rules for GMP.

In March 2019, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) published the 25-page final version of the guideline "Sterilisation of the Medicinal Products, Active Substance, Excipient and Primary Container". The document will enter into force on 1 October 2019.

The European Commission published Version 14 of the Q&A document on Safety Features for Medicinal Products for Human Use at the beginning of this month. The document complements the Counterfeiting Directive 2011/62/EU and the Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/161.

On 29 April 2019, the FDA has confirmed the capability, capacity and procedures in place of Bulgaria and Cyprus to carry out GMP inspections at a level equivalent to the US. This concludes the FDA's assessment of a total of 24 EU member states, whose inspection results will be trusted in the future. This process is to be completed for all EU states by 15 July 2019.

In terms of the InstA (Institutional Agreement) between Switzerland and the EU, there is legal uncertainty. This directly impacts the entire medical technology industry in Switzerland, as it does not ensure an update of the MRA (Mutual Recognition Agreement) Switzerland/EU. Will the third country requirements of the MDR perhaps soon apply to Switzerland? And what has to be done to be prepared?

It has been and continues to be speculated when the final version of Annex 1 on the sterile manufacture of medicinal products will finally be published. At the beginning of this month, the issue was also discussed at the ISPE Annual Conference in Dublin. Dr. Sabine Paris from the editorial office of the GMP-Verlag was on site and brought these news with her:

EMA has published a 3-page questions-and-answers document (Q&A) on the work that the EU authorities are doing to prevent medicine shortages due to the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU.

On 22 March 2019, ICH published the final revision of the Guideline for Elemental Impurities Q3D (R1). The reason for the revision is an adjustment of the PDE value for cadmium by inhalation.

One week after the surprising resignation of FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, Norman E. Sharpless, Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), was appointed Deputy Commissioner of the FDA, according to media reports.

Brexit - and no end in sight. In preparation for a "No-Deal-Scenario", the British Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) published six new guidelines on a "No-Deal-Brexit" - five on the import and export of medicines and active ingredients and one on paediatric studies.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published the yearly list of new and revised draft guidances, CDER is planning to release in 2019. A total of 93 planned guidance documents have been set out which are categorised in 15 different themes.

As already reported, Marketing Authorisation Holders (MAHs) who are unable to transfer their batch testing site from the UK to the EU27 by 29 March 2019 may be permitted, for a limited period of time, to rely on quality control testing performed in the UK under certain conditions.This exempting provision has now been officially included in the EMA practical guidance as the 31st question:

Can I request a delay for transfer of batch control testing to the EU/EEA?

Furthermore, the EMA provides a 3-page template to be used for submitting such requests to the EMA.

On 27 February 2019, the EMA published a question and answer document for the practical implementation of Regulation (EU) 2017/745 for medical devices (MDR) and Regulation (EU) 2017/746 for in vitro diagnostic medical devices (IVDR).

With not even one month left until Brexit, the European Commission has sent a letter to the Director of the EMA (European Medicines Agency) and the EU27 Heads of Medicines Agencies to inform about an exemption to certain batch testing requirements for pharmaceutical manufacturers that perform their batch testing in the UK.

As reported by the European Medicines Agency EMA, the Swiss Agency Swissmedic, has started in 2019 to enter information on GMP compliance as well as on manufacturing authorisations related to Swiss manufacturers into the European Union’s EudraGMDP database. This applies for all new or renewed manufacturing authorisations and the related GMP-certificates issued using new templates (similar to those of EMA). This will allow replacing the current practice of issuing paper documents, i.e. GMP and should lead to easier information-sharing and efficiency gains for all stakeholders.

The British MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency) has launched a new website  containing all guidances and documents released for a no-Brexit-deal.

On 7 February 2019, the FDA has confirmed the capability, capacity and procedures in place of Poland and Slovenia to carry out GMP inspections at a level equivalent to the US. This concludes the FDA's assessment of a total of 22 EU member states, whose inspection results will be trusted in the future. This process is to be completed for all EU states by 15 July 2019. According to the EMA the plans for the agreement to come into operation in all EU Member States by 15 July 2019 are well on track. As Germany is still not officially recognised, the US FDA will continue to carry out its inspections there.

The European Medicines Agency and the European Commission have updated the following three documents related to Brexit that are intended to complement each other:

• Q&As related to Brexit within the framework of the centralised procedure

• Practical guidance for procedures related to Brexit within the framework of the centralised procedure

• Notice to stakeholders on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom.

The Executive Working Group, EWG has published an interim report on the current status of its work. The focus is on the development of short- and medium-term practicable solutions in regulatory matters. In the area of pharmaceuticals and medical devices, the following approaches are being pursued or further pursued:

The relocation of the European Medicines Agency EMA to the Spark building in Amsterdam is proceeding according to plan. The move from London to Amsterdam should be completed by 1 March 2019. From 4 March, the EMA will then officially operate under a new address and the EMA staff will move into the new domicile in the week from 11 to 15 March.

At the beginning of the year, PIC/S published its annual work plan for 2019. In addition to organisational matters, a new group of experts on veterinary medicines will be set up and the training of inspectors will be further expanded. In the area of harmonisation, PIC/S is actively involved in the revision of the EU GMP guidelines.

In January 2019, the European Commission published a new version 13 of the Questions and Answers document on Safety Features for Medicinal Products for Human Use. Nine new questions were added and one question was revised.

The International Council for Harmonisation (ICH) met in Charlotte, USA, from 10 to 15 November 2018. The steadily increasing number of members (16) and observers (28) is an indication of the continuous development of the ICH into a global initiative. During the General Assembly, the Iranian authority NRA was welcomed as a new regulatory member.

The International Council for Harmonisation (ICH) has published the final concept paper for ICH Q14 (Analytical Procedure Development) on its website. In the course of the preparation of this new guideline, ICH Q2 (Validation of Analytical Procedures) will also be revised. It will be adapted to the state of the art to include modern analytical methods in the future. Both guidelines are intended to supplement the existing documents ICH Q8 - ICH Q12.

The Management Committee of the ICH has endorsed the final concept paper and business plan on the new quality guideline ICH Q13 on continuous manufacturing for drug substances and drug products. Both documents are published on the ICH website.

On 13 December 2018, the US FDA has announced the availability of the final guidance for industry “Data Integrity and Compliance with Drug CGMP: Questions and Answers.” The guidance updates a draft version released in 2016. It has been revised to include additional information on the agency’s current thinking on best practices and covers the design, operation and monitoring of systems and controls to maintain data integrity.

As stated in a European Council press release on 26 November, the Council of the EU adopted the "Veterinary Medicinal Products Package" with two new Regulations in the following areas:

• veterinary medicinal products
• the manufacture, placing on the market and use of medicated feed

and changes to the existing rules laying down procedures for the authorisation and supervision of medicinal products for human and veterinary use and establishing a European Medicines Agency.

On 30 November 2018, the PIC/S has published Draft No 3 of the “Guidance on Good Practices for Data Management and Integrity in Regulated GMP/GDP Environments” (PI 041-1) for a focused stakeholder consultation.

The 28-page document setting out frequently asked Q&As regarding the implementation of the rules on the safety features for medicinal products for human use has been revised. As of November 2018, it is available in Version 12.

The changes compared to the superseded version regard questions 1.20 and 2.21:

On 16/28 November 2018, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed the capability of the following five additional EU Member States to carry out GMP inspections at a level equivalent to the United States:

The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada also includes the CETA GMP Protocol. In continuation of the MRA of 2003 between the EC and Health Canada this protocol also confirmed the  continued  mutual  recognition  of  GMP  inspections  and  batch  certification  between  EU  and  Canada  for  medicinal  products  for  human  use  and  veterinary medicines.

On 19 November 2018, the EMA informed on their website that Valsartan from the Indian manufacturer Mylan Labortories is currently not allowed to be used for the production of medicinal products containing Valsartan for the EU. The CEP (Certificate of Suitability) of Mylan has been suspended by EDQM (European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and Healthcare) because N-nitrodiethylamine (NDEA) has been found in some batches of valsartan.

On 15 November 2018, the EMA has published a draft of the “Guideline on the Quality of Water for Pharmaceutical Use” for public consultation until 15 May 2019.

This 10-page document, once final, will replace the current “Note for guidance on quality of water for pharmaceutical use” from 2002 and the “CPMP Position Statement on the Quality of Water used in the production of vaccines for parenteral use".

The parallel preparing of the UK’s exit from the EU, the physical move to Amsterdam and operating “business as usual” as long as possible is the declared aim of the EMA. As of October 2018, EMA has launched Phase 3 of the “Brexit Prepardness Plan”, which results in additional temporary suspensions and scaling back of activities.

As of November 1, 2018 the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) of Australia and Health Canada expanded their mutual recognition agreement (MRA) to cover active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).

The PIC/S Committee met on 24-25 September 2018, in Chicago. The meeting was attended by 38 Participating Authorities as well as by a number of Applicants, Pre-Applicants and Associated Partner Organisations. The event was hosted by the US FDA which symbolised the effort to strengthen inspectional approaches and assessments worldwide and to further share and discuss respective regulatory decisions and information. The keyword “harmonisation” and the impact of PIC/S on this matter had been especially highlighted by the FDA.

This year’s Operation PANGEA – an international effort to disrupt the online sale of fake and unlicensed health products around the world – took place from October 9 to 16, 2018. Starting with just eight countries in 2008, the operation has grown to 116 countries that participated this year.

As announced on the ICH website on October 25, the ICH Q3C(R7) Guideline along with Q3C Support Documents 1, 2, and 3 have now been published. The new R7-version of ICH Q3C is the result of an error correction of the Permitted Daily Exposure (PDE) for ethylenglycol as per the correct value calculated in Pharmeuropa, Vol. 9, No. 1, Supplement, April 1997 S36.

According to pharmabiz.com, the Indian regulatory authority CDSCO has published a draft version of the revised Schedule M. However, the document is currently only available in Indian language.

On October 4, the British MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) has launched a public consultation seeking views on how the agency’s legislation and regulatory processes would have to be modified in the event of the UK not securing a deal with the EU after the UK’s exit, with no implementation period. This consultation covers no-deal proposals on medicines, clinical trials and medical devices.

On September 17, the US FDA announced a new online application, cGMP declarations. FDA's CDER will send ‘cGMP declarations’ to regulatory authorities in other countries where US firms want to market drug products.

On 3 October 2018, the US FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) has published three lists of guidance documents that may be published in 2019:

We have already reported about the intention of the US FDA/CDRH to changing its quality system requirements for medical device manufacturers and utilise the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) updated quality management standard, 13485:2016. Obviously the intention has already been put into action.

On 14 September 2018 the FDA has confirmed the capability, capacity and procedures in place of Portugal to carry out GMP inspections at a level equivalent to the US. There are now a total of 15 European Member States whose inspection results the FDA relies on to replace their own inspections.

Health Canada has identified a second impurity, N‑nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) in valsartan manufactured by Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceuticals in China. All drugs containing valsartan manufactured from that source have already been recalled in Canada after the first impurity, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), was identified earlier this summer. Both, NDEA and NDMA are classified as probable human carcinogens, which means that long-term exposure could cause cancer.

On 5 September 2018, the US FDA has published a 7-page Manual of Policies and Procedures, MAPP, on how manufacturing facilities are prioritized and scheduled for surveillance inspections. This step should add greater transparency around the “Site Selection Model (SSM)”, used by CDER staff.

The EMA has published a tracking tool on its website, showing how things stand for the relocation to Amsterdam. It covers all aspects on EMA's temporary premises, its permanent premises, staff relocation, financial and legal aspects, removal and logistics and external communication.

The US Food and Drug Administration, FDA, has added six Asian drug manufacturers to its import alert list this month, that refused a planned inspection of the FDA.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Heads of Medicines Agencies (HMA) have set up a task force with representatives from the European Commission, interested national competent authorities and other regulatory working groups. Their aim is to develop and coordinate actions for better prevention, identification, management of and communication on issues that can affect the availability of medicines.

Even though it is unlikely to happen, the UK government has got its plan B if, in any case, a no deal scenario for leaving the EU might materialise. Guidance thereto was published by the Department for Exiting the European Union on August 23, 2018.

Following the suspension of the CEP – a certificate verifying that the quality of its valsartan meets European requirements – for Zhejiang Huahai in July 2018, a second Chinese company Zhejiang Tianyu has now lost its authorisation to manufacture the valsartan active substance for EU medicines.

The Compounding Expert Committee intends a revision of the General Chapter USP <797> Pharmaceutical Compounding – Sterile Compounding. The draft version has been published for public commentation until November 30, 2018.

EMA reported, that it will lauch the next phase of its business continuity plan on 1 October 2018 at the latest. This will allow the Agency to safeguard core activities related to the evaluation and supervision of medicines, while it has to intensify its preparations for the physical move to Amsterdam in March 2019 and cope with significant staff loss.

The MedTech Europe industry group calls on the European institutions to offer solutions to meet the deadlines for the new MDR and IVDR. Both regulations will apply from May 2020 and May 2022 respectively.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has prepared a new questions and answers document to clarify earlier biosimilar guidelines. It will provide answers to questions asked by regulators over the last eight years.

On 17 July 2018, the Members of the British Parliament voted 305-301 to continue a close collaboration with the EMA after Brexit. This amendment to the Brexit Trade Bill on ‘UK participation in the European medicines regulatory network’ means that British Government is now 'in charge' to negotiate an active and full participation in the EMA following the United Kingdom’s exit from the EU.

The European Union and Japan have extended their Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) on 18 July 2018. The MRA now also includes sterile products, APIs and biologicals including vaccines.

The European Medicines Agency EMA expresses “serious concerns” over the preparedness of some marketing authorisation holders for centrally authorised products with an important step in their regulatory processes in the United Kingdom (UK) regarding the necessary actions to smoothly transition once the UK will exit the EU in March 2019. This conclusion was drawn after evaluating the results of an industry survey which was initiated by the Agency in January 2018 (we reported).

Highly Purified Water (HPW) wird aus dem europäischen Arzneibuch gestrichen, so berichtet die Europäische Arzneibuch-Kommission nach ihrer 160. Sitzung, die vom 20.-21. März 2018 in Straßburg stattfand. Die Monographie 1927 wird aufgrund der Redundanz von HPW und Wasser für Injektionszwecke (WFI) im April 2019 entfallen. Die revidierte Monographie für WFI (Wasser für Injektionszwecke, 0169) ist seit April 2017 in Kraft (wir berichteten).

The US FDA initiated two new programs on a voluntary basis to gather industry feedback regarding the use of quality metrics. Namely these are a

• Quality Metrics Feedback Program and a
• Quality Metrics Site Visit Program

The ICH (International Council for Harmonisation) met in Kobe, Japan, from June 2 – 7, 2018. The corresponding press release provides insight on the topics discussed.

On 26 and 27 June 2018, the PDA Europe Annual Meeting took place in Berlin. Thomas Peither, Excecutive Editor and President of Maas & Peiter AG, participated in the conference and brought back interesting insights.

The European Commission has now published the final version of Annex 2 "Manufacture of Biological active substances and Medicinal Products for Human Use". It is in operation since 26 June 2018.

Almost two years after publishing a draft document of Annex 17: Real Time Release Testing the European Commission has now published the final version newly entitled Annex 17: Real Time Release Testing and Parametric Release. The eight-page document will come into operation on 26 December 2018 and will finally replace the preceding version of the year 2002.

The following new PIC/S Guidance documents have now been published on the PIC/S website:

• PIC/S Aide-Memoire on “Cross-Contamination in Shared Facilities” (PI 043-1).
• PIC/S Guidelines on the formalised risk assessment for ascertaining the appropriate good manufacturing practice for excipients of medicinal products for human use (PI 045-1);
• PIC/S Guideline on setting health based exposure limits for use in risk identification in the manufacture of different medicinal products in shared facilities (PI 046-1);
• PIC/S Guidelines on the principles of Good Distribution Practice for active substances for medicinal products for human use (PI 047-1)

On 19 June 2018 the European Medicines Agency (EMA) published

• Revision 2 of its practical guidances for procedures related to Brexit for medicinal products for marketing authorisation holders (MAH) and
• Revision 3 of the related Q&A document.

Both documents shall assist pharmaceutical manufacurers in preparing for Brexit.

The US FDA is currently alerting patients, health care professionals and those involved in the drug supply chain of more than 16,000 packages of the injectable fertility medications Gonal-f RFF Redi-ject and Gonal-f Multi-Dosethat have been stolen in Italy.

With the publication of the 52nd Technical Report Series No. 1010 of the WHO, eleven Guidelines were adopted and recommended for use:

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirmed the capability of Lithuania and Ireland to carry out GMP inspections at a level equivalent to the US.

The ICH Q3D(R1) Revision of the ICH Q3D Guideline for Elemental Impurities reached Step 2b of the ICH Process in May 2018 and now enters the consultation period. The revision is focused on an error correction in the calculation of the Cadmium inhalation Permitted Daily Exposure (PDE) level.

On 23 May 2018, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) released a guideline laying out the principles for managing investigational medicinal products for use in a clinical trial and in accordance with Good Clinical Practices (GCPs) and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMPs) for public consultation.

In May the US FDA has issued five Warning Letters that address cGMP-violations on a large scale. The drug facilities involved are:

• Jilin Shulan Synthetic Pharmaceutical und Nox Bellcow Cosmetics Co, China
• Jalco Cosmetics, Australia
• Europharma Concepts, Ireland
• Reine Lifescience, India.

The UK government must secure a post-Brexit deal for the pharmaceutical industry that ensures the closest possible regulatory alignment with the EU and the minimum border friction possible or risk harming patients and seeing the pharma sector losing its status as a world leader, say the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee of the UK parliament.

The Danish Medicines Agency recently met with representatives from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), and the Japanese Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) in Copenhagen.

From 16 to 18 April 2018 the PIC/S Committee and PIC/S Executive Bureau meetings took place in Geneva, Switzerland.

On 30 April 2018, the EMA published the final, revised version of the Q&A document with its focus on setting health-based exposure limits for risk identification and the risk-based prevention of cross-contamination. The Q&A covers 13 questions and answers relating to the “Guideline on setting health based exposure limits for use in risk identification in the manufacture of different medicinal products in shared facilities”, which has been in force since June 2015.

In January 2017, the EMA released a draft for public consultation (we reported). But this paper constituted a roll backwards!

On Tuesday, 27/4/2018, MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) published is five-year Corporate Plan for 2018 - 2023.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Netherlands have finalised the text of a Seat Agreement which describes how the Agency, its bodies and its employees will be treated by the Dutch once they start operating in the Netherlands.

In July 2016, the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) established the Innovative Manufacturing Technology Working Group (IMT-WG) as part of the “Projects Across Multi-Offices” in PMDA. The IMT-WG launched activities to examine desirable regulations that streamline the introduction of new manufacturing technologies, and selected continuous manufacturing as their primary target.

Almost one year ago, the ICH published its Guideline for Residual Solvents in the version ICH Q3C (R6) introducing new PDE-Levels for Triethylamine and Methylisobutylketone.

The FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) finalised the ICH Q7 Q&A Guidance on GMPs for APIs on Thursday April 19, 2018.

With an increasing globalisation of medicine manufacturing and supply chains, regulatory authorities across the world consider themselves responsible to cooperate in the overall interest of public health. Pharmaceutical companies that are outsourcing their production of APIs to contract manufacturers located in other countries have led to an increased need for inspections, to ensure adequate oversight of these facilities

The WHO has released three interesting documents on its website for public comments:

• A 4-page inquiry regarding production of “Water for Injection” (March 2018)
• A 20-page draft on GMP for HVAC systems for non-sterile pharmaceutical dosage forms: Part 2; Interpretation of Part 1 – GMP for HVAC systems (February 2018)
• An 11-page draft on Validation Appendix 6, Guidelines on Qualification 

On 3 April 2018, the EMA has published a 4-page public consultation document concerning the European Union template for GMP non-compliant statement. The GMP/GDP Inspectors Working Group is currently discussing possible actions required if inspections conclude with serious GMP non-compliance when at the same time this conclusion would block the availability of life-saving medicines. “What happens when?” is the question that EMA is now putting up for public discussion.

At the International Conference on Medical Device Standards and Regulations in Arlington VA, hosted by the AAMI (Association for Advancement of Medical Instrumentation), experts discussed the upcoming regulatory changes occurring with the new European regulations on medical devices (MDs) and in vitro diagnostics (IVDs). They urged the companies to prepare for these changes because it is likely that the medical device industry needs to invest a lot of time and resources to prepare for and comply with the upcoming requirements when it comes to trading goods with the European industry or manufacturing in the EU.

The German BfArM (Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte) published a statement about counterfeit CellCept® 500 mg film-coated tablets on March 14, 2018. The medicinal product which is manufactured by Roche Reg. Ltd., is used to avoid rejection reactions after transplantations.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) discussed the following points at its 15 March meeting in London:

Two years after the release of a draft data integrity document, the British MHRA published the final version of its GxP data integrity guide on March 9, 2018. Data integrity (DI) is important throughout the pharmaceutical lifecycle.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released two warning letters sent to over-the-counter (OTC) drugmakers in China and Hong Kong and a third one to a drug manufacturer in the USA. In addition, two Form 483s for India-based Sun Pharmaceutical Industries and Aurobindo Pharma were released.

While Theresa May promoted the benefits of the UK becoming an associate member of the EMA, the EU took quite an opposite position. In a draft guideline published on 7 March 2018 the EU sets out how the EU council sees its future with the UK. A comment by the British newspaper “The Guardian” states that while the British government does Brexit by speeches the EU prefers releasing documents.

On 1 March 2018, the FDA listed four additional recognised authorities under Article 7 of the Sectoral Annex for Pharmaceutical Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs). This confirms the capability of the following four European Member States to carry out GMP inspections at a level equivalent to the US:

The MHRA has updated its interesting guidance on how to handle OOS results. The issue faced when dealing with “Out of Specification” results is always a challenge. Many customer requests we receive address this issue.

The European Medicines Agency EMA has published the adopted 2018 Work Plan for the GMP/GDP Inspectors Working Group. The 8-page document lists, inter alia, new guidance documents and also guidance documents to be revised within the EU GMP Guide. According to the EMA, the plan has been agreed in view of preparing for the relocation of the agency to Amsterdam and is, therefore, subject to further review and reprioritisation.

Following the Commission Report on Member State penalties for falsification (we reported) the European Commission has released a Questions and Answers document alongside this topic (Version 9) on 13 February 2018. The document addresses an overall of 90 frequently asked questions regarding the implementation of the rules on the safety features for medicinal products for human use. These rules are enshrined in Articles 47a, 54(o) and 54a of Directive 2001/83/EC, and in the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 2016/161. They will become mandatory in February 2019.

The British MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) and the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 1 February 2018

The European Commission (EC) has published a report that takes a closer look at the implementation of the Falsified Medicines Directive 2011/62/EU in the European member states which

• introduces mandatory safety features on prescription medicines from February 2019 on
• strengthens good distribution practices and requirements for wholesale distributors
• reinforces rules on importation, controls and inspections of active substances and their manufacturers, and
• established an EU-wide logo to allow the identification of legal online retailers of medicines (as of 1 July 2015).

The European Medicines Agency released two updated documents for ATMPs (Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products) on 1 February 2018:

• Procedural Advice on the Evaluation of ATMPs
• Draft Guideline on Safety and Efficacy follow-up and Risk Management of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products.

The MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, UK) has published an update on the negotiations between the EU and the UK which have now entered the second phase.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has launched a survey to gather information from companies on their Brexit preparedness plans and identify any particular concerns with regard to medicines supply that may impact public or animal health.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published the yearly list of new and revised draft guidances, CDER is planning to release in 2018. A total of 98 planned guidance documents have been set out which are categorised in 18 different themes.

This week the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has already released five warning letters, all dealing with significant violations of current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) regulations for finished pharmaceuticals and APIs. Following is a short summary of the various findings:

Swissmedic has announced that as of now, the foreign comparator product with a biosimilar for the main studies can also originate from the USA, while that for supplementary studies can now also originate from Canada.

The Economic Times of India has published an article saying that the Indian government has issued showcause notices to eight Chinese pharmaceutical companies. Those companies were inspected by a special Indian inspection team and were found to supply poor quality APIs to drug manufacturers in India.

On 20 December 2017 the European Commission has published the long awaited draft of Annex 1 “Manufacture of Sterile Medicinal Products”. The public consultation period is open from 20 December until 20 March 2018.

Three years after the publication of a concept paper Q12 “Technical and Regulatory Considerations for Pharmaceutical Product Lifecycle Management”, the ICH has now published the Step 2 draft document including an Annex with illustrative examples. The document was endorsed on 16 November 2017.

The EMA (European Medicines Agency) and the European Commission have published an updated version of the Q&A document which is intended to help the pharmaceutical industry to organise the UK’s withdrawal from the EU for their company.

On 24 November 2017, the European Medicines Agency has published a practical guidance document on post-Brexit Changes. The Practical Guidance for procedures related to Brexit for medicinal products for human and veterinary use within the framework of the centralised procedure comes in the form of nine questions and answers and outlines the practical and simplified requirements that companies should follow when they apply for changes to their marketing authorisation.

According to the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health FOPH, Switzerland is revising its medical devices legislation, closely modelled on the various new EU requirements aiming at an improvement on the safety and quality of medical devices.

On 24 November 2017, the European Commission has published the final version of the Guidelines on GMP specific to Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products. The term “Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products” (ATMPs)  is used to designate gene therapies, somatic cell therapies and tissue engineered products.

The city to host the new headquarter of the European Medicines Agency EMA is chosen. Amsterdam emerged as the winner ahead of Milan and Copenhagen, the two other cities that reached the second and final round.