When it comes to investigating OOS results, a clear line should be drawn between the responsibilities of a contract testing laboratory (CTL) and that of the manufacturer/sponsor. Before we come to the testing part, here are some questions (not all inclusive) to be asked by your firm before selecting a CTL for outsourced testing: (1) […]
On August 8, 2023, Axios reported (here) that the Pentagon began contracting with Valisure, a drug testing facility, to test the generic drugs that it is purchasing. On August 9, 2023, Bloomberg reported much the same thing in an article titled “Tainted Medicine Fears Spur Pentagon to Seek Outside Testing” (here; subscription required). Congress has been pushing […]
The schedules for the 2024 Biosimilar User Fees (BsUFA) (here) and Medical Device User Fees (MDUFA) (here) have been posted on the Federal Register prepublication page and are scheduled for final publication on August 28, 2024. BsUFA Fees The Biosimilar User Fee Amendments of 2022 (BsUFA III) authorize the FDA to assess and collect user fees for […]
With the latest news that a tornado severely damaged a Pfizer sterile injectable plant in North Carolina, it is clear that Mother Nature is yet another interloper into the drug shortage problem in the United States. Ed Silverman, of the publication STAT, reports that “Among the damaged buildings was a Pfizer plant in Rocky Mount, […]
Biosimilars are advancing the cause of affordable medications; however, in some instances, patient savings do not appear to be the primary concern of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). The Association of Accessible Medicines (AAM) points to the fact that “[j]ust two weeks ago, the U.S. biosimilars industry entered a new phase when eight biosimilar versions of […]
The ISPE 2023 Biotechnology Conference was held from 26 to 27 June in Dublin, Ireland. Much of the focus of the conference was Cell and Gene Therapy and Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs), terms used in the US and EU for a range of emerging therapies and products in various stages of development. At the […]
How do you stop a drug shortage? Make it profitable for more than one, two, or even ten generic companies to sell the drug. History has shown that when five (5) or more players enter a generic field, the drug price drops substantially. Have more than 5-7 players – the price drops to 80% of […]
The European Biomanufacturing Summit was held on May 31 and June 1, 2023, and was attended by industry leaders from multinational biotech and biologics companies, largely from Europe. The agenda on the first day of the conference included topics related to modernization and digitization of the pharmaceutical industry. The presenters talked about challenges in transforming […]
Introduction On November 17, 2022, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced a Bill entitled the “Biosimilar Red Tape Elimination Act” with the intent to increase competition within the US biosimilar market and reduce consumer costs associated their development. The Bill proposes to eliminate the interchangeability requirement of conducting switching studies associated with biosimilar drug development. In […]
Yesterday, the FDA released additional educational material to aid patients and caregivers in understanding how biosimilars are approved and to explain the differences between and among original biologic products and biosimilars. With more and more biosimilar products hitting the market, these educational tools are designed to make the public more aware of options that they […]
