The words of George Santayana — “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it†— ring especially true for companies regulated under good manufacturing practices (GMPs). Learning from and reacting to lessons from past inspections (both your own and those of other companies) is one of the best ways to prepare for future inspections. Regular review and close study of 483 notices issued during inspections can be an efficient and accessible means of identifying and absorbing…
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Working Together for the Future
Most individuals who choose to pursue a career in healthcare would say they do so because they are driven by a fundamental desire to help people. If you ask people why they decided to work in the field of regenerative medicine, many will tell you it’s because they believe it is the most exciting area of medical research and that it holds the greatest potential to transform medicine as we know it. The transformational potential of stem cells and regenerative…
From The Editor
From the beginning, BPI has developed creative, collaborative relationships with industry groups and associations as well as our own Informa colleagues at IBC. We have continuing relationships with Interphex, BIO, and ESACT. Through an upcoming supplement on cell therapies, we are enjoying contacts with ISCT, ARM, CTG, and the Phacilitate conference organizers. The list goes on. Such collaborations take many forms. Some people develop webcasts for www.bpiseminars.com. Others describe technical experiences and insights through manuscript…
Extractables and Leachables
The 13th WCBP CMC Strategy Forum on extractables and leachables was held in Bethesda, MD, in January 2008. The purpose of this forum, cosponsored by CASSS (an international separations society) and the FDA, was to discuss questions related to extractables and leachables in the context of biopharmaceutical manufacturing and find consensus on some of those topics. Morning sessions began with “Extractables and Leachables: Challenges and Strategies in Biopharmaceutical Development†with program cochairs Stacey Ma of Genentech, Inc., Ingrid…
Questions to Consider When Thinking About Companion Tests
Personalized medicine is a catch phrase of the 21st century — and with good reason. Advances in genetics and biochemistry promise to tease apart factors that explain why some patients benefit dramatically from a therapy whereas others receive no benefit at all. They also help explain side-effect profiles. To accomplish such lofty goals, drug makers are increasingly partnering with diagnostics companies to develop companion biomarkers. But these companies operate in very different business and regulatory environments, so partnerships can be…
Working Together to Keep Drugs Safe
The growing and dangerous counterfeit drug problem is a troubling, global epidemic that can — and does — harm patients who are merely trying to get well. Efforts to address the problem are hamstrung for a variety of reasons: Americans don’t see the immediate threat, this global public health problem needs a coordinated global response, and too many stakeholders are more focused on self-interest than on working together to find a solution. The Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM)…
Combination Products for Biotherapeutics
Combination products (see the “Definition†box) are experiencing steady growth in the pharmaceutical industry. According to one report, about 30% of products currently in development are combination products (1). Expanding interest in such products can be attributed to manufacturers’ need to generate new market value for current products that will soon lose patent, requirements for long-term patient care, pressure to reduce healthcare costs, and consumer interest in localized drug delivery with improved therapeutic effectiveness (2). During the 2008…
US Supreme Court Ruling Provides Clarity for Life-Science Companies Facing Litigation
When a company is involved in litigation, the court in which its case is heard can have a significant impact on the proceedings. For life-science corporations, this is especially true. Because their products are often distributed to consumers across the United States and the world, such companies can benefit from the consistency and efficiency provided by federal courts. Federal courts provide uniform procedures across the United States, have mechanisms for consolidating similar claims across state lines, and are…
Review, Approval, and Marketing of Biosimilars in the United States
Development, testing, review, approval, and marketing of biosimilar drugs in the United States presents unique safety and regulatory challenges (1). By contrast with traditional small-molecule drugs, biologics derive from sources such as genetically engineered cell lines, plasma, and tissue specimens (2,3). Patents on first-generation biologics approved and marketed in the United States have begun to expire, thereby opening the market to less-expensive “generic†versions. The complexity of biologic drugs and the specificity of their source materials, however, make…
Ongoing Challenges of Applying QbD to Biopharmaceutical Products
Quality by design (QbD) was a hot topic at IBC’s BioProcess International Conference and Exhibition, 20–24 September 2010 (Providence, RI). For her keynote address, Helen Winkle (director of the FDA’s Office of Pharmaceutical Science) discussed the agency’s continuing efforts to improve product quality regulation as well as opportunities and challenges of implementing QbD for biotechnology products (1). Since introducing its 21st Century Initiative in 2002, the FDA has made some headway toward enhancing product quality through QbD (2). The QbD…