Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has given a provisional determination to the COVID-19 vaccine being developed by Novavax. This first step means only that the sponsor can apply for provisional registration with TGA, clearing the path for submission of clinical data that may meet criteria for provisional approval.   The Australian provisional approval pathway allows drugs or vaccines to enter the market with “preliminary clinical data,” without the sub...

In guidance released Monday, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provides the timelines it will stick to when reviewing responses to complete response letters (CRLs) for drugs and biologics when a facility assessment or inspection is required in order for the agency to make a decision on the application.   FDA’s ability to conduct on-site inspections has been dramatically curtailed amid the COVID-19 pandemic due to public health concerns and travel restrictions. ...

Another vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the novel coronavirus, has received provisional determination from Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Pfizer, doing business in Australia as Pfizer Australia Pty Ltd, received the determination on 14 October for its messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) COVID-19 vaccine candidate, BNT162b2.   The decision comes after a 9 October decision by TGA to grant provisional determination to AstraZeneca’s rec...

Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) on Tuesday released guidance explaining its approach to medical device conformity assessment recertification in light of delays in the implementation of the EU Medical Devices Regulation (MDR) and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.   “[TGA] is issuing this guidance to inform sponsors … about the general approach the TGA will take to the lapsing of conformity assessment documents due to delays in audits due ...

The Australian Therapeutic Good Administration (TGA) has taken the first step toward provisional approval of the vaccine against COVID-19 being developed by AstraZeneca in collaboration with the University of Oxford. The decision was made after reviewing the firm’s clinical trial plan and weighing the threats of the pandemic, said TGA in announcing its decision.   On 9 October, TGA gave AstraZeneca’s recombinant chimpanzee adenovirus vector vaccine, ChAd0x1-S, a prov...

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday issued an immediately effective frequently asked questions guidance  explaining its approach to inspections and manufacturing and supply chain changes during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.   Inspections   For the time being, FDA says it is still following the approach to resuming domestic inspections it laid out last month and will continue to postpone non-mission-critical foreign pre-approval an...

Months after halting most inspections amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday said it plans to resume on-site domestic inspections beginning the week of 20 July 2020.   As a safety measure, FDA will pre-announce all inspections, save for retail tobacco inspections, for the foreseeable future.   The announcement comes nearly two months after the agency said it will implement a phased approach to restartin...

Welcome to our Asia Regulatory Roundup, our weekly overview of the top regulatory news in Asia.   Hong Kong Proposes Regulatory Framework for Cell and Gene Therapies   Hong Kong has proposed legislation to create a regulatory framework for advanced therapy products (ATPs), such as interventions based on cells, genes and tissues. The plan is to amend existing laws to create licensing, labeling and record-keeping requirements for ATPs.   Work to update the law ...

Welcome to our Asia Regulatory Roundup, our weekly overview of the top regulatory news in Asia.   New Zealand Extends Timelines for Reporting Medical Device Adverse Events   The New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority (Medsafe) has given companies more time to report adverse events involving their medical devices.   Under the old rules, manufacturers of medical devices had seven calendar days to report incidents of actual or potential death...

Welcome to our Asia Regulatory Roundup, our weekly overview of the top regulatory news in Asia.   TGA Offers Advice on Managing Shortages Triggered by Ranitidine Recalls   Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has advised physicians about how to manage the shortages created by recalls of ranitidine medicines. The notice follows decisions by eight companies to recall batches of ranitidine medicines in response to contamination concerns.   TGA firs...

As part of a project on emerging technologies, six regulators involved in the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities (ICMRA) recently published a case study delving into the challenges of regulating 3D bio-printed products. In this hypothetical case, the regulators evaluated 3D bio-printed knee meniscus tissue and discussed how they would tackle similar products. The case study was conducted by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), Bra...

Welcome to our Asia Regulatory Roundup, our weekly overview of the top regulatory news in Asia.   Australia Suspends Sales of Eight Breast Implants After Safety Review   Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has suspended the sale of eight breast implants after finishing its review of the safety of the product class. The action gives affected manufacturers a chance to meet patient safety requirements, but TGA thinks there are likely grounds to perman...