This article compares real-world evidence (RWE) and postmarket surveillance (PMS) data collected outside of a randomized, controlled, clinical trial. Real-world data (RWD) include individual patient data points such as complaints and anecdotal findings. The recent explosion in RWD collection has led to new challenges in RWD evaluation globally. Solutions are rapidly evolving to analyze these relatively random data points for scientifically valid purposes. This article disc...

Ophthalmic products are regulated under quality standards published in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), United States Pharmacopeia (USP), and various US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance. Application of these standards has recently been affected by the legal requirement for the FDA to standardize the regulatory approach to ophthalmic products whose components are considered devices. The agency communicated the update through a guidance outlining the phase-i...

Co-promotion agreements between two pharmaceutical companies amplify marketing efforts for a product and boost market penetration. It entails collaboration between the companies during the review and approval of the promotional and nonpromotional product information materials. This article will focus on co-promotion in the regulatory advertising and promotion (ad promo) setting. It includes basic principles and best practices in implementing the promotional review process ...

This two-part article covers the specific requirements for placing foods for special medical purposes (FSMPs) on the market in major jurisdictions – EU, UK, US, China, and other regions of the world – to improve the role of nutrition in support of optimal care for patients. Part 1 covers general principles governing FSMPs, use of FSMPs in community and hospital settings, common regulatory challenges, opportunities for category growth, and considers a multistakeholder initi...

The COVID-19 pandemic caused one of the most prominent displays of supply chain disruption in the modern era. However, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found ways to allow for regulatory flexibility by issuing guidance documents while still managing to protect consumers from adulterated and misbranded food.   Keywords – COVID-19 , FDA, food, guidance, pandemic, supply chain   Introduction The complexity of modern supply chains is never more eviden...

Changing regulations are nothing new for regulatory professionals operating in the medical device sector, but 2022 cemented milestones no one in the profession can ignore. The fifth edition of Fundamentals of Medical Device Regulations provides a current view of regulations governing medical devices and IVD and addresses the impact of the application of EU Medical Device Regulation (EU MDR) and In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (EU IVDR) as well as other important changes to...

Both industry and clinicians asked the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clarification related to the evaluation of cellular starting materials in its draft guidance on chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell product development.   The public comments also sought more details on change management and how the guidance applies to other genetically modified products.   The draft guidance , issued on 15 March 2022, provides recommendations on chemistry, manufac...

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued two guidances for industry: a final guidance on how to conduct food effect studies for oral drugs being considered for investigational new drug (IND) and new drug applications (NDAs), and a draft guidance outlining a current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) framework for preventing penicillin from cross contaminating non-penicillin beta-lactam drugs and compounds. Food effect studies   The final guidance on...

Welcome to another installment of This Week at FDA, your weekly source for updates – big and small – on FDA, drug and medical device regulation, and what we’re reading from around the web. This week, we get a glimpse at FDA’s Spring regulatory agenda and get tips on several upcoming guidances. Plus, we learn about a new 510(k) pilot program for CBER-regulated medical devices.   Next week, FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) will ...

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday released draft guidance explaining its thought process for rescinding breakthrough therapy designation (BTD) during its evaluation of a drug.   While FDA has long asserted its authority to rescind or withdraw BTDs, the new guidance will add clarity for sponsors as to when the agency might revoke the designation. Since designation was created under the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act in 2012,...

Drugmakers and clinician organizations praised the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recent draft guidance containing recommendations on developing a Race and Ethnicity Diversity Plan to improve enrollment of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups in clinical trials. But in public comments, they also called for greater details on the types of data that should be used to assess adequate enrollment of these populations, how these diversity plans should be applied to...

Draft guidance from the US Food and Drug Administration on reporting medical device and diagnostic shortages for public health emergencies is too broad and potentially could be too resource intensive for manufacturers as well as regulators, representatives from medtech industry groups believe.   In January, the FDA published a draft guidance that outlines when and how the agency wants medtech manufacturers to alert the agency of potential product shortages that happen ...