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ProPharma’s team of dedicated experts is at the forefront of both existing and emerging industry trends. ProPharma’s team inspires tomorrow by leveraging rich data insights across our service lines and functional areas to develop innovative solutions that answer the most complex needs of both existing and prospective clients.

How Mature Is Your Data Integrity?  New FDA and EU Regulatory Focus Areas

Data integrity has been in regulators' spotlight for decades, and the expectations for ensuring data integrity are evolving and increasing. This is partly because of the various Data Integrity guidance documents that have been issued, but primarily due to the increasing number of inspection...

Visual Inspection for Cleanliness, What Are We Missing?

As a way to verify that your cleaning or cleaning-in-place (CIP) process was successful, what tool, assay or method should you use first? Well, shouldn’t the answer be as plain as the eyes on your...

ISO13485: Do You Know What Types of Data Should Be Evaluated at Management Review Meetings?

ISO 13485 is a regulatory standard whose focus is meeting customer requirements, including regulatory requirements, and maintaining the effectiveness of the Quality Management System (QMS). Section 5...

Why is CAPA so Important Anyway?

Corrective and preventive action (CAPA) can be viewed differently by employees within pharmaceuticals and medical device companies. Some see CAPAs as simply an onerous task given to them to complete...

Critical Process Parameters and Critical Quality Attributes: Why Does the Selection Process Take so Long?

Quick, can you name the top 10 Critical Process Parameters (CPPs) and Critical Quality Attributes (CQAs) of your bio-pharmaceutical manufacturing process? Well if you hesitated don't feel bad. Most...

ISO13485: The Importance of Management Review

ISO 13485 is a regulatory standard whose focus is meeting customer requirements, including regulatory requirements, and maintaining the effectiveness of the Quality Management System (QMS). Section 5...

A Biotech Cleaning Validation Worst-Case Soil Selection

When conducting cleaning validation studies at large biologics or biotechnology facilities or perhaps even conducting a small cleaning validation study on a non-dedicated piece of equipment in the...

Calibration and Verification: Are you using these terms correctly?

No matter where I go I am always amazed at how many times the words calibration and verification are misused. I often hear statements like, “The instrument doesn’t need to be calibrated, the accuracy...

Waivers for Carcinogenicity Studies? Not So Fast!

The recently published request for comments regarding the Proposed Change to Rodent Carcinogenicity Testing of Pharmaceuticals signals intent by regulatory agencies to alter what Sponsors consider in...

Clinical Research Solutions

FDA Releases New Guidance on Meetings with Sponsors of Biosimilars

On March 29, 2013, the FDA made available a draft guidance for Sponsors of biosimilar products outlining the procedures and processes for meetings with the FDA. Although much of guidance for the...

Clinical Research Solutions

Three Key Steps to Conducting a Strong Investigation

Unexpected events often happen in the everyday world. However, in the regulated world great efforts are made to minimize the severity and frequency of unexpected events. Yet, despite best efforts,...

Discover New Issues Concerning Critical Process Cleaning

“Cleaning, how hard can that be,” is the sentiment of those not in the bio/pharmaceutical industry. Even for those within the industry, the general consensus regarding Cleaning and Cleaning...

Regulatory Sciences

Generic Drug User Fee Act (GDUFA) Overview

FDA user fees have been a fact of life for regulated industries for nearly two decades. As you continue to comply by paying the fees, you should understand what the revenue does for you. In this...

FDA Comments on Proposed Prescription Drug Labeling

Standardized prescription drug labeling was implemented by FDA in 1979. In the following years as labeling became more complex, FDA re-evaluated its usefulness and published a final rule in 2006...

Are Your SOPs "Reference-Crazy"?

While Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) are widely and rightly used to control processes, there is sometimes a tendency within organizations to go “reference crazy”. In a well-meaning attempt to...

5 Steps for Developing and Managing Supplier Quality Programs

With the increased pressures of cost control for manufacturers of FDA-regulated products and the rapid expansion of globalization of the supply chain, the expectations of manufacturers and sponsors...

What to Expect During the NDA Review Process

Compiling and submitting a New Drug Application (NDA) submission is a complicated and intensive activity. Once you have submitted your application to FDA, you may be curious about what can you expect...

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FDA's Expedited Programs Explained

In order to incentivize the development of therapies (drugs biologics) to fill unmet medical needs for treatment of serious conditions, the FDA has developed various programs to expedite drug...

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What are Patient Support Programs?

Patient Support Programs (PSPs)  in the pharmaceutical sector offer a range of services to help patients start and adhere to their therapies, including Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs), patient...

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Safety Data Exchange Agreements (SDEAs) and Pharmacovigilance Agreements (PVAs) – An Overview

A Safety Data Exchange Agreement (SDEA) or Pharmacovigilance Agreement (PVA) is a legal written contract which ensures that all safety data, PV tasks and responsibilities are detailed between two or...

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The Impact of a US Government Shutdown on the Food and Drug Administration

This article was originally published in September 2023, and has been updated to reflect an upcoming potential government shutdown. As U.S. lawmakers return from the President’s Day holiday, they are...

child-receiving-medical-care-rare-disease

The End of the FDA's Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher Program

What’s Next for Rare Disease Innovation? For children suffering from rare and often life-threatening diseases, access to new and effective treatments can mean the difference between life and death....