The five process groups of a process-based approach to project management are: Initiate, Plan, Execute, Monitor and Control, and Close, according to PMBOK. This article presents opportunities for using a project management framework when strategizing for CMC regulatory submission projects. The authors discuss PMBOK nomenclature, project performance domains, project constraints, process groups, examples of scenarios that may be encountered during a submission project, and t...

The assessment aid (AAid), an initiative of the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE), was introduced in 2018 as a pilot program to help streamline the agency’s review of oncology drug applications. In this article, Genentech shares its experience with the AAid to date and provides recommendations for preparing the AAid and improving the process to fully realize its benefits. Keywords – assessment aid, FDA OCE pilots, oncology dr...

Friends of Cancer Research is calling on all stakeholders in the cancer community to move away from the idea of “more is better” in drug dosing and begin to incorporate dose-finding studies into the cancer trial process.   Dose optimization is the focus of a new white paper that the group released at its 25 th annual meeting. The paper offers recommendations for performing adequate dose optimization studies in oncology, with a focus on the pre-market setting. “These...

Feature articles during February included a range of topics focused on harmonization and alignment across global and regional regulatory entities, including electronic submissions through the European Medicines Agency (EMA), tools for updating the EU In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (EU IVDR) template, China’s new PAC regulation, Project Orbis and improving patients access to new therapies, as well as a report on medtech companies’ preparation for EU Medical Device Regulatio...

To ensure equitable access to new medicines for all patients, drug manufacturers aim to register new products in as many countries as possible. Project Orbis, an initiative of the FDA Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE), is a pilot program that provides applicants with a framework for concurrent submission and review of oncology products among international partners to allow earlier registration in countries outside of the US. This article summarizes Genentech’s experience...

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday unveiled a new initiative whereby its Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE) will work to approve new cancer drugs alongside Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and Health Canada. The collaboration, dubbed Project Orbis , was launched with FDA’s decision with TGA and Health Canada to grant accelerated approval to Eisai's Lenvima (lenvatinib) in combination with Merck's Keytruda (pembrolizumab) for the tre...

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday launched a new pilot program, dubbed Project Facilitate, aimed at helping physicians complete expanded access requests for cancer patients.   “The FDA has been working diligently to improve the Expanded Access framework, including development of an updated and more streamlined application form, but despite recent improvements, we understand that for many patients or health care professionals, especially those not fami...

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) on Wednesday published a final report on its experience from its adaptive pathways pilot project, noting that a few aspects of the program need to be further improved and refined moving forward.  Though the vast majority of applications for the pilot were rejected, EMA said that moving forward, the agency needs to further integrate the patient voice into the program and refine the definition of methodologically sound strategies for col...

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Monday that it is beginning a new pilot project linked to its intercenter consult request (ICCR) process for combination products of drugs, medical devices and/or biologics. To improve combo product submission review at FDA, the agency is stressing the need for closer intercenter collaboration and communication and is planning to test certain aspects of those collaborations in the pilot, with the goal of achieving imple...

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) says its pilot project for delivering scientific advice to sponsors in parallel with health technology assessment (HTA) bodies has been successful in helping to design efficient clinical development plans and speeding access to new drugs. Due to the success of the pilot, which concluded on Wednesday, EMA says it will continue to offer parallel scientific advice as part of its routine activities. "Our parallel scientific advice fosters...

As part of the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) work on patient-focused drug development, the agency is launching a pilot project where it will collate and summarize clinical outcomes on a number of different diseases in one online resource. The clinical outcome assessment (COA) pilot project, announced Wednesday, is intended to be a starting point for companies considering how certain COAs might be used in clinical trials and early drug development. COAs for th...

In the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) Annual Report 2014 , top regulatory officials describe the agency's role as both a "gatekeeper" and "enabler." This dual role means that the agency must not only work to ensure the safety of patients in the EU, but also to facilitate the development of new and innovative therapies. By the Numbers 2014 was a landmark year for EMA in many ways. The agency recommended record numbers of products to treat rare diseases , launched it...