GMP NEWS 2011

The number of Warning Letters the FDA issued to drug companies and API manufacturers last year has heavily increased. Some European companies are to be found among the addressees. A systematic analysis shows that most of the frequent deviations have been the same since four years. Read more here.

A new EMA/HMPC document presents 26 different Questions and Answers on Quality of herbal medicinal products/traditional herbal medicinal products. Focus is on Testing Stability: 12 Questions and Answers are dedicated to that subject. You will find more information here.

Yesterday the amendments on the Directive EC 2001/83/EC to combat counterfeit medicines (The Pharma Package) have been discussed in the European Parliament. Today, the EU Parliament adopted the amendments with an overwheling majority of votes.

The proposed amendments, which will have to be transferred into national law within two years include

introduction of safety features (serial numbers and/or tamper-evident seals) more stringent rules for importation of APIs better controls of the supply chain (traders and wholesalers) Rules for the internet sale of medicines Harmonisation of GMP inspections

For further information please see the complete news.

The EMA announced the adoption of ICH Q9 and ICH Q10 as Part 3 of the EU GMP Guide. ICH Q9 was already published as Annex 20 but ICH Q 10 was not published as an Annex yet. Click here to read more.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has published two new draft documents for a template for the QP's declaration concerning GMP compliance of the API used as starting material and verification of its supply chain called "The QP declaration template". Read more.

Since November 2008 there is a draft for the revision of the old FDA Process Validation Guideline. On 25 January 2011 the FDA has published the final version of this new Process Validation Guidance. Read a detailed analysis here. 

After the first documents on the planned changes of the ISO standard 14644 have already circulated in November, the official Draft version to comment is now available. Read more.

Since November 2008 there has been a draft for the revision of the old FDA Process Validation Guideline. On 25 January 2011 the FDA published the final version of this new Process Validation Guidance. Read more here.

Laboratory control problems are prominent in a bolus of FDA drug GMP warning letters recently issued to companies in Asia and Europe. Please read more about this development in a very detailed article provided by the IPQ - one of the most important Journals in the GMP and regulatory environment. Click here