Regulatory Sciences

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On March 8, 2016, the FDA announced availability of a revised draft guidance for industry regarding pediatric study plans, entitled "Pediatric Study Plans: Content of and Process for Submitting...

#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On September 7, 2005, FDA announced the availability of a draft guidance, entitled "How to Comply with the Pediatric Research Equity Act," providing sponsors with a number of recommendations...

#6: Expedited Programs for Serious Conditions – Drugs and Biologics

In May 2014, the FDA published a guidance document entitled “Expedited Programs for Serious Conditions – Drugs and Biologics.” The intention of the document was to provide drug makers with an...

Quality & Compliance

#7: Quality Systems Approach to Pharmaceutical CGMP Regulations

In August 2002, the FDA announced the Pharmaceutical CGMPs for the 21st Century Initiative, which explained FDA’s intent of integrating quality systems and risk management approaches, and had a goal...

#8: Special Protocol Assessment

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a draft guidance on the Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) in May 2016, updating the original SPA guidance issued in 2002. SPAs are meant to give...

#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...

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...

Tobacco Final Rule: Advice for Manufacturers

On May 10th the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a final rule expanding regulation to a range of products that meet the statutory definition of a “tobacco product,” including...

Supplier Qualification in the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain

The Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act (FDASIA), was signed into law on July 9, 2012. This law significantly expanded the FDA’s authority and strengthened its ability to safeguard...

Quality Agreements and the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain

Over the past several years, outsourcing within the pharmaceutical supply chain has become common. The rise of the “virtual” pharmaceutical company has resulted in a complex supply chain, with the...

FDA Clarifies its Definition of "Convenience Kit"

On January 4, 2016, the FDA published a draft guidance entitled, “Unique Device Identification: Convenience Kits.” The draft guidance comes after the Agency’s 2013 final rule that established a...

The FDA’s Enforcement of Section 503B of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act

The FDA publishes weekly enforcement reports highlighting drugs that have been recalled during the previous week. Over the past several months these reports have been littered with hundreds of...

Formal Meetings with the FDA Regarding Biosimilars: What’s Changed?

Recently, biosimilars have made a definite appearance on the FDA’s radar, an expected result after the first biosimilar product gained FDA approval in March and the FDA’s release of four final...

There’s an App for That: FDA Launches Orange Book Express App

On November 9, 2015, FDA launched the Orange Book Express application, which provides a list of the drug products approved by the FDA. What is the Orange Book? The Drug Price Competition and Patent...

Draft Guidance for Microbial Vectors Used for Gene Therapy Outlines FDA Safety Concerns

Issues for Sponsors with INDs and CMC concerns FDA recently released a draft guidance entitled “Recommendations for Microbial Vectors Used for Gene Therapy” as a supplemental guidance to “Guidance...