Skip to main content Skip to search Skip to main navigation

WHO: New Edition of the GMP Compendium for Medical Products

The World Health Organization (WHO) has published the 10th edition of the "Quality Assurance of Pharmaceuticals: a Compendium of Guidelines and Related Materials, Volume 2, Good manufacturing practices (GMP) and inspection".

It consolidates essential recommendations and guidelines related to good manufacturing practices (GMP) and inspections into one publication, supporting countries in establishing robust regulatory systems and upholding international standards to combat substandard and falsified medicines.

Revised/updated WHO guidelines

  • GMPs: water for pharmaceutical use
  • GMPs for radiopharmaceutical products
  • GMPs for investigational products
  • GMPs for sterile pharmaceutical products
  • GMPs: guidelines on validation

The GMP for sterile pharmaceutical products is a harmonized text developed in collaboration with the Pharmaceutical Inspection Convention and Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme (PIC/s), the European Commission and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) (Annex1 to the EU GMP Guide).

Updated GMP related guidelines

  • Quality management system requirements for national inspectorates
  • Good storage and distribution practices for medical products
  • Data integrity
  • Technology transfer in pharmaceutical manufacturing
  • WHO Certification Scheme on the Quality of Pharmaceutical Products Moving in International Commerce

New WHO guidelines

  • Interpretation guideline to facilitate the implementation of the HVAC guidelines.
    This new guideline has non-binding examples, drawings, technical representations and interpretations of the HVAC systems guidelines. It is intended to be a basic and explanatory guide for use by pharmaceutical manufacturers and GMP inspectors.
  • Points to consider when including Health-Based Exposure Limits (HBELS) in cleaning validation
    It supplements the validation guidelines, specifically cleaning validation.
  • Guidance on the production of water for injection by means other than distillation
  • GMPs for medicinal gases
    Arising from an increased demand for medicinal gases, in particular the use of oxygen in the treatment of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the GMP for medicinal gases addresses requirements for the production, control, storage and distribution of medicinal gases. This document does not cover the manufacture of medicinal gases in hospitals or at home for personal use. However, the principles contained in this document may be applied in those instances to ensure that oxygen generated at hospitals or homes is suitable for the intended use and meets the quality standards.
  • GMPs for investigational radiopharmaceutical products
    GMP for investigational radiopharmaceuticals addresses current expectations and trends in GMP specific to investigational radiopharmaceuticals used in clinical trials (that is, phase I, phase II and phase III trials) and to harmonize the text with the principles from other related international guidelines.
  • Guideline on good chromatography practices highlights good practices to be considered in the analysis of samples when chromatographic methods and systems are used. The principles should be applied in the analysis of, for example, raw materials, starting materials, intermediates, in-process materials and finished products.

New GMP related guidelines

  • Points to consider for manufacturersmand inspectors: environmental aspects of manufacturing for the prevention of antimicrobial resistance
    The document outlines key considerations for both manufacturers and inspectors focused on mitigating antimicrobial resistance through better waste management in pharmaceutical facilities. It aims to educate stakeholders, including manufacturers and regulatory authorities, on relevant waste management aspects of GMP.
  • GMPs for research and development facilities of pharmaceutical products
    These GMPs address the production and control of preclinical and not-for-human-use batches manufactured in pharmaceutical formulation and development facilities, where these are directly supporting, for example, shelf-life claims, animal studies or validation activities.

Source:

WHO

 

Meet the GMP Compliance Adviser

The GMP Compliance Adviser is the world's largest knowledge portal for quality management in the pharma business. 

The demo access is non-binding and ends automatically.

Test it now for free

You may also be interested in the following articles:

PIC/S: Revised Recommendations on Qualification and Validation

PIC/S: Revised Recommendations on Qualification and Validation

PIC/S has published a fundamentally revised version of its “Recommendations on Qualification and Validation” (PI 006-4). The new document was issued on 30 July 2026, will enter into force on 1 October 2026, and replaces the 2007 edition. The revised document has been expanded from 26 to 49 pages.
Read more
Smart Strategies for Handling Indirect Product Contact Components

Smart Strategies for Handling Indirect Product Contact Components

Aseptic filling processes: Handling indirect product contact parts in compliance with the revised Annex 1 of the EU GMP Guide.
Read more
How do Components like Filling Needles and Laminarisators Affect First Air Integrity?

How do Components like Filling Needles and Laminarisators Affect First Air Integrity?

Here's the answer:
Read more
Swissmedic: Implementation of New EU GMP Implementing Regulations for Veterinary Medicinal Products

Swissmedic: Implementation of New EU GMP Implementing Regulations for Veterinary Medicinal Products

The new EU Implementing Regulations on GMP requirements for veterinary medicinal products and active substances will not be automatically transposed into the Swiss Medicinal Products Licensing Ordinance (MPLO) on 16 July 2026. Swissmedic has confirmed that, although the structure of the new EU legislation has changed, the underlying GMP requirements remain largely unchanged.
Read more
EU: Annexes 4 and 5 no Longer Included in the EU GMP Guide

EU: Annexes 4 and 5 no Longer Included in the EU GMP Guide

Following the entry into application of Commission Implementing Regulations (EU) 2025/2091 and (EU) 2025/2154 on the principles and guidelines of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for veterinary medicinal products and active substances for veterinary medicinal products on 16 July 2026, the European Commission removed Annexes 4 and 5 from the EU GMP Guide.
Read more
EMA: Revision of Annex 15 Delayed

EMA: Revision of Annex 15 Delayed

In February 2026, the EMA published a concept paper on the revision of Annex 15 "Qualification and Validation" of the EU GMP Guide (we reported previously). The Agency has now released a corrected version containing a significantly revised timetable.
Read more
Previous
Next