On January 14, 2020, we posted a blog (here) concerning a Drug Safety Communication discussing FDA’s concern that the drug product Belviq or Belviq XR (lorcaserin) could increase the risk of cancer. On September 16, 2020, we posted a blog noting FDA’s final action withdrawing the 2 NDA drug applications for the product mentioned above […]
When FDA approved the Pfizer drug product tofacitinib (Xeljanz, Xeljanz XR), which treats arthritis and ulcerative colitis by decreasing the activity of the immune system, they required that Pfizer conduct post-approval safety trials to evaluate the risk of serious heart-related events, cancer and infections. Tofacitinib is offered in two strengths which were both studied in […]
On January 15, 2021, the FDA issued the guidance titled “Protecting Participants in Bioequivalence Studies for Abbreviated New Drug Applications During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency”. This guidance provides recommendations to study sponsors for the continuation or initiation of their bioequivalence (BE) studies during this COVID-19 public health emergency. As is no surprise, FDA clearly […]
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is taking final official action withdrawing the approval of two new drug applications for BELVIQ (lorcaserin hydrochloride (HCl)) tablets and BELVIQ XR (lorcaserin HCl) extended-release tablets which were originally approved by FDA on June 27, 2012 and July 15, 2016, respectively. This announcement was made on the Federal Register’s […]
In late 2018, FDA entered a contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (the National Academies) to examine the clinical utility (effectiveness), safety and uses of compounded bioidentical hormone therapy (cBHT). A high-level committee was formed and examined in detail the clinical utility of cBHT drug preparations, especially those containing estradiol, estrone, […]
The FDA released an updated version of its Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies: Modifications and Revisions Guidance for Industry as Revision 2. Originally issued in 2015 (here) and updated again in 2019, the June 2020 version contains much the same information but provides updates as to timetables, additional categories of PAS, CBE, and CBE 30 […]
The United States Food and Drug Administration and the Indian Government join forces in “Operation Broadsword”. No, it’s not a trailer for an action thriller, it’s a serious collaboration between two governmental entities to limit the import and sale of illicit drugs to consumers, detailed in FDA’s news release on February 18, 2020 (here). The […]
In earlier blogs, we have written about specific technical items related to identity testing. However, a review of Warning Letters published on the US FDA website for the months of December 2019 and January 2020, revealed three Warning Letters citing instances of failures to perform identity testing of active pharmaceutical ingredients prior to the manufacturing […]
Recently, FDA has posted (here) that Metformin, from several sources, tested by FDA showed that the levels of N-nitroso-dimethylamine (NDMA) in the drug are below the levels of detection (here). Great news! NDMA belongs to the nitrosamine family, and is one of the well-known animal carcinogens and a suspected human carcinogen. The nitrosamines, including NDMA, […]
In a very recent safety communication, due to an increase in serious bowel issues from severe constipation to complete bowel obstruction that have been reported for Clozaril, the FDA is alerting the public and health care providers of this new information. The communication notes that this adverse event can, in some patients, be serious and […]