GxP Lifeline

 

  • FDA Regulation of HCT/Ps – Impact of New Guidances on Manufacturers and Users

    11 June, 2015 Stacie L. Ropka and Chad A. Landmon Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider LLP

    What does the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) consider to be “minimal manipulation” and how are human cells, tissues and tissue-based products (HCT/Ps) made from adipose tissue regulated by FDA? These questions were addressed in two draft guidances issued by FDA in late December of 2014. The first, Human Cells, Tissues, and Cellular and Tissue-Based Products (HCT/Ps) from Adipose Tissue: Regulatory Considerations (1), focuses on how adipose tissue is defined and thus how adipose-based HCT/Ps are regulated by FDA. The second, Minimal Manipulation of Human Cells, Tissues and Tissue-Based Products (2), focuses on the types of cell and tissue processing that would be considered more than minimal manipulation, resulting in the regulation of the cell or tissue-based product as a drug, biologic or medical device. Although they are not yet final, these guidances shed light on FDA’s current thinking and may signal that FDA will make it more difficult for products to be regulated solely under Section 361. Not only will such a position by FDA impact development of new HCT/Ps, but it could threaten the regulation status of currently marketed HCT/Ps.

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  • Tales from the Front

    9 June, 2015 Morris Sherwood Director, Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance Isolite Systems

    So far in my 26 years of working in medical devices I have had many an adventure when it comes to FDA and Notified Body Inspections. I love inspections. I know it sounds crazy but there is this Zen place you get to during an inspection. You must practice patience. You must not think you know exactly what your inspector is thinking. At the same time, it is this amazing game of psychological chess whereby you watch your opponent’s moves and think five moves ahead, only to have your strategy thrown out the window when the inspection zigs rather than zags.

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  • EU vs US: What are the New Track and Trace Requirements?

    4 June, 2015 Wolfgang Schmitt, Director Operations, CONCEPT HEIDELBERG GmbH

    In 2011, the European Commission published Directive 2011/62/EC, the so-called Falsified Medicines Directive (or FMD).One goal was the fight against counterfeit medicines through serialization and verification. In 2014 the technical characteristics of these key ideas were defined, the unique identifier (UI), delivering the possibility of verification of the authenticity of single folding boxes. The unique identifier contains information on the:

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  • Don’t Call Me Jim Cramer but Here are My Top 5 Pharma Trends

    3 June, 2015 Lane Hirning, Product Management Director, MasterControl Inc.

    Judging by a recent report forecasting future growth, the pharmaceutical industry is thriving despite the recent economic downturn. A market research firm is estimating a 30 percent increase in global medicine spending by 2018, which is great news for the industry (1). The same report cited the anticipated launch of 200 new revenue-boosting drugs within the next five years.

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  • CAPA and Root Cause Analysis for the Food Industry

    2 June, 2015 Dr. Bob Strong, SAI Global Assurance Services

    A thorough and effective CAPA can provide many benefits such as providing long-term solutions, preventing recurrences, fostering continuous improvement, improving customer satisfaction, improving profitability, and having the ability to influence FDA and FSMA inspections.

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  • Change in Pharmaceutical Manufacture

    28 May, 2015 Peter Murray, Consultant

    Within the pharmaceutical industry, the concepts of validation, change, change control, deviation and out of specification (OOS) are often treated as distinct activities which operate with a significant degree of independence.

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  • Biotechnology Article

    28 May, 2015 MasterControl

    The MasterControl quality management system is a flexible system since it can be constructed from a variety of individual quality control/quality assurance solutions.

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  • 5 Tips for Winning Executive Buy-In for a New QMS

    26 May, 2015 Matthew M. Lowe, Executive Vice President, MasterControl Inc.

    If you’re facing executive or organizational resistance to your plan to automate your quality system, you’re not alone. There are many quality and IT professionals who are in the same boat. They have the toughest time convincing senior management not just about the merits of an electronic quality management system (EQMS) but about the real value of quality.

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  • How to Tip Off a GCP Auditor in 25 Words or Less

    21 May, 2015 Laurie Meehan, Social Media Manager, Polaris Compliance Consultants

    When our GCP auditors conduct training and deliver guest lectures, they frequently hear those questions from class attendees. Sometimes the tip-off is something very subtle that requires the keen eye of an experienced auditor to notice. And other times, not so much.

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  • Cosmeceuticals: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

    19 May, 2015 MasterControl

    Since retiring from FDA, I have assisted numerous businesses in developing labels for “Cosmeceuticals.” I have also presented a number of training programs on the manufacturing and marketing of such products. When I was asked to write something using this specific title, I thought I would be able to quickly put an article together. At first, I had a difficult time putting pen to paper because I couldn’t think of anything “ugly” about cosmeceuticals as I define them. To get started I searched the Internet to see what others were saying about these products.

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  • The Bright Future of Quality and Compliance

    14 May, 2015 Craig Gygi, Executive Vice President, Operations, MasterControl Inc.

    Quality and compliance stand at a crossroads. It’s the same crossroads that many other professional fields have navigated. Remember when computers entered the mainstream of business?

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  • A Road Map for Addressing Quality and Manufacturing Challenges in Life Sciences

    12 May, 2015 ames Jardine, Marketing Communications, MasterControl

    Increasingly strict regulatory measures are drawing attention to the inadequacy of the systems and processes life sciences companies use to manage quality and production. A new eBook from LNS Research entitled A Road Map for Addressing Quality and Manufacturing Challenges in Life Sciences outlines some of the major challenges faced by life sciences companies and shows how prominent organizations are successfully handling those difficulties.

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  • A Business Case for Engendering Trust in Your Company

    7 May, 2015 Kevin Ash, Senior VP of Services, MasterControl

    Once the standard is published, companies will have a three-year transition period within which to comply. Managers and other professionals involved in implementing, maintaining and auditing quality management systems are encouraged to be proactive and think about what they can begin doing now to achieve compliance with the revised standard.

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  • The ISO 9001: 2015 Change Train is Gathering Steam

    6 May, 2015 Robyn Barnes, Marketing Communications, MasterControl

    ISO change is coming your way in the form of an ISO 9001 update.  This is a major revision to the standard and pharma companies need to prepare to jump on this train. 

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  • Creating a High Performance and Low Risk Work Culture

    5 May, 2015 David Patrishkoff, President, E3- Extreme Enterprise Efficiency

    Most of us have heard the phrase: "Culture eats strategy for breakfast." It could also be restated as "Your actions speak louder than your words." This means that management can dream up any strategy they want to but their behaviors and actions are what creates the culture of an organization, not their strategy. Culture drives the efficiency of an organization's processes. The culture drives the success or failure of an organization. The culture is the product of leadership decisions or the lack

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  • Top 5 Medical Device Trends That Will Dominate 2015

    29 April, 2015 Lisa Weeks, Marketing Communications, MasterControl

    More connected and consumer-driven than ever before, the medical device industry is in the middle of a truly transformative year. Three-dimensional printing, mobile health apps, and other disruptive technologies are changing the way providers deliver care and prompting regulators to re-examine their roles. Consumers are demanding more transparency and convenience but are also concerned about the security of their medical information. Investors and stakeholders are paying closer attention to reim

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  • Cut through the Clutter: Simplifying Regulatory Compliance

    29 April, 2015 David R. Butcher, Marketing Communications, MasterControl

    For any business, the process of getting a product to market – from concept initiation through release – is often long and arduous. For manufacturers that must navigate the maze of regulatory red tape, hoops and hurdles, the process of bringing an innovative product to market can be even more punishing and the stakes even higher: one wrong step can stall or completely derail the entire product development effort, giving competitors a major advantage in the race to market. race to market.

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  • MasterControl Revs Up Improvement

    28 April, 2015 Craig Gygi, Executive VP Operations, MasterControl

    The de facto standard for excellent business operations is Lean Six Sigma. Only five years ago you could not say that. But today, in every industry and in every geography, companies have figured out that the principles and practices of Lean and Six Sigma are the world-class standard for designing, configuring, improving, and controlling business.

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  • Risk: 2015’s Most Valuable Player?

    23 April, 2015 Marci Crane, Marketing Communications, MasterControl

    For quality professionals, and especially those in quality management, there are often quality themes that seem to emerge from year to year. In 2000, the theme of process-driven quality was certainly salient and other various themes--though not necessarily new to quality management—seem to stand out as each year passes.

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  • Fewer Donor Hearts Used

    21 April, 2015 Sheila Yu, dailyRx News

    As the waiting list for heart transplants has grown longer, fewer hearts have become available for transplantation in the US in recent years.

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