Quality & Compliance
Should Data Integrity Detection be a Part of Routine cGMP Training Programs?
The FDA’s focus on data integrity in recent years has proven that it remains an industry issue. The focus has resulted in significantly increased issuance rates of 483 observations, warning letters,...

Quality & Compliance
Data Integrity 101: Is your data compliant?
Data integrity has recently been in the agency spotlight. In part because of the draft data integrity guidance issued April 2016, but primarily due to an increased number of inspection findings...
Quality & Compliance
Clinical Quality Systems & the Outsourced Model
The landscape of clinical trials is evolving. The changes that are happening are due to the increased number of FDA-regulated trials, as well as a rise in the complexity of clinical protocols. As...
Quality & Compliance
FDA’s Most Frequent 483 Observations for 2016: A Reflection of Industry’s Compliance
At the beginning of each year, the US FDA posts the previous year’s Form 483 observation metrics issued by each product center. Image Source: FDA I find that reviewing these metrics provides a...
Quality & Compliance
The Benefits of Process Characterization in Process Development
The desire for a robust and repeatable manufacturing process is shared by every organization that has a therapy or product in development and the only way to demonstrate that this desired state has...
Clinical Research Solutions
Submitting Initial Pediatric Study Plans and Amended Initial Pediatric Study Plans
On March 8, 2016, the FDA announced availability of a revised draft guidance for industry regarding pediatric study plans, entitled "Pediatric Study Plans: Content of and Process for Submitting...
Quality & Compliance
Understanding the 21st Century Cures Act: Part I
The recent passage of the 21st Century Cures Act (passed December 13, 2016) marks a significant milestone for medical device and drug development. I recently attended a meeting held by the Food and...
#5: How to Comply with the Pediatric Research Equity Act
On September 7, 2005, FDA announced the availability of a draft guidance, entitled "How to Comply with the Pediatric Research Equity Act," providing sponsors with a number of recommendations...
Clinical Research Solutions
The Investigation Best Practices to Avoid FDA 483 Observations
For a number of years, discrepancy and failure investigations within the pharmaceutical industry have been populating the Top 3 of a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Observation list....
Regulatory Sciences
#10: Investigator Responsibilities – Protecting the Rights, Safety, & Welfare of Study Subjects
In October 2009, the FDA issued a guidance document regarding its expectations for investigators during the conduct of clinical investigations. The guidance, entitled Investigator...
Regulatory Sciences
Top Ten FDA Guidance Documents That You Should Know
There are a number of laws, regulations, and guidance documents ruling the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Laws are passed by Congress and must be followed by the FDA. The Agency then...

Quality & Compliance
Is Your Laboratory PC Cloned From the Proper Image?
Managing compliance for computerized lab systems includes the PC controlling your qualified instruments. This is an integral audit point that must be maintained to ensure compliance. Ah, but you’re...
Quality & Compliance
How critical is the Technology Transfer phase of new drug development?
During the development phase of a new drug, great pains are taken to characterize the molecule and to run a myriad of laboratory and animal tests to determine the product attributes, toxicology...
Quality & Compliance
Does Your Training Program Have Traction?
With the spotlight these days on Data Integrity, it may be easy to lose sight of some fundamental Quality Systems. Core Quality Systems include Document Management, Investigation Management, and...
Quality & Compliance
How Much Can You Afford NOT to Know?
The Regulatory Guidance embodied by ICHQ8 through (soon to be written) ICHQ12 tells us in no uncertain terms that we must protect the patient across the product lifecycle by assuring quality based on...
Regulatory Sciences
FDA Addresses Extrapolating Adult Data for Pediatric Use
In 2004, the FDA issued a guidance document, entitled “Premarket Assessment of Pediatric Medical Devices.” The guidance stated that, when consistent with scientific principles, data can be...