GMP News

The European Commission published an updated Version 3 of the Questions & Answers relating to the Clinical Trials Regulation. Amongst others, the new version covers the classification of changes to ongoing clinical trials.

EMA´s Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products published the 2021 HMPC Work plan. Amongst others the HMPC plans to establish a Cannabis glossary and to revise the GACP guidelines.

The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment has issued a new statement recommending that the assessment of hemp-based food products be based on the EFSA-derived acute reference dose of 1 microgram Δ9-THC/kg body weight.

The MHRA posted an updated guidance to become familiar with the pharmacovigilance requirements for UK marketing authorization holders.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has once again stopped a delivery of hand sanitizers with too low alcohol content. The Mexican manufacturer received a Warning Letter.

COVID-19 injectable products may need some changes to the primary packaging components (e.g., glass vials and stoppers) due to supply chain issues affecting their availability. Therefore, the FDA has issued a new guidance with recommendations for the appropriate reporting category and the content of postapproval change submissions.

In February 2021, the WHO published the new Guideline "GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICES FOR MEDICAL GASES" on the manufacture, testing, storage and distribution of medical gases for comment. The reason for the WHO to create this new guideline is the increased demand for oxygen for ventilation due to the Corona pandemic.

The Federal Administrative Court of Germany (Bundesverwaltungsgericht - BVerwG) has dealt with the question of what requirements are to be placed on the expertise of the Responsible Person for GDP. In a recently published judgment, the court has clarified that knowledge of pharmacy comparable to that taught in a pharmaceutical (vocational) training is not required. Rather, the knowledge can also be gained through practical experience.

In October 2020, the ECA Academy offered the Live Online Training "The GDP Compliance Manager". During the Q&A sessions, many interesting questions were posed to the speakers' team. The ECA would like to share a selection of these Q&As sorted by topic. Part 2 deals with questions related to the role of the Responsible Person for GDP.

In December, the FDA updated its guidance on bacterial safety strategies for platelets and platelet preparations, particularly in light of the current implementation difficulties faced by facilities under pandemic conditions.

Version 14 of the "How to do" Document - Interpretation of the ICH Q7 Guide and "Review form" for APIs, which has been available since the beginning of the year, mainly includes additions and updates in the chapters 11, 15 and 16. The How to do document is intended to facilitate the implementation of the ICH Q7 Guide and lists recommendations on how to interpret it.