ECA publishes Contamination Control Strategy Guideline
In order to support its members, but also to support the industry in general in implementing the requirement of the upcoming revised Annex 1 for a Contamination Control Strategy, the ECA has published a CCS Guideline. This document provides guidance and a template for the development of a contamination control strategy.
Requirements for Plastics in Pharmaceutical Equipment Engineering
Stainless steel is predominantly used in pharmaceutical equipment engineering. The 316L variant is basically regarded as standard; material incompatibilities of the steel with the product are more or less neglected. This is different with plastics. In addition to leach-out, aging and surface finish, other quality characteristics are often specified. But are there generally applicable requirements for plastics in pharmaceutical equipment engineering?
FDA publishes Draft Guidance on Visual Inspection of Parenterals
It has been known for some time that the US FDA is working on its own guide on the visual inspection of parenterals. Now the draft has been published as a 15-page document.
Increasing Number of FDA Warning Letters in the Area of Hand Disinfection
As a result of the increased demand for disinfectants, especially for hand hygiene, the number of inferior products with deficiencies in composition and/or approval is increasing rapidly. This is accompanied by an increase in Warning Letters from the FDA to disinfectant manufacturers.
Particles lead to Warning Letter for Japanese Sterile Manufacturer
The frequent occurrence of particles in sterile injection solutions and the inadequate investigation of the cause led to a Warning Letter to a sterile manufacturer in Japan. In addition, data integrity breaks and falsifications had occurred in the environmental monitoring.
In a recent Form 483 issued as part of an FDA inspection conducted at an Indian sterile manufacturer, the FDA criticized the manual visual inspection, among other things.
New FDA Draft Guidance - Microbiological Quality Control of Non-Sterile Medicinal Products
Based on the experience of the past years, the FDA has published a new draft guidance that deals with the microbiological control of non-sterile medicinal products and clarifies it by means of case studies.
FDA Warning Letter due to contaminated Hand Disinfectants
As a result of problems with contamination of hand disinfectants - like with Burkholderia cepacia, a manufacturer in the USA receives a Warning Letter from the FDA.
FDA: Warnings about Side Effects and Contamination with Hand Disinfectants
The FDA is warning against certain hand sanitizers because of side effects and contamination, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest notifications concern alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
Dealing with Particulate Findings in 100% Visual Inspection
Parenterals must be 100% visually inspected. This is a clear requirement of the pharmacopoeias, just as it is clear that containers with particles must be sorted out. But do the particles found always have to be identified?
The End for the Rabbit Test - only Alternative Methods in 5 Years
Following its 170th meeting the Commission of the European Pharmacopoeia announced that after a defined transition period the pyrogen rabbit test will be completely replaced.
New USP Chapter on Visual Inspection of Parenterals?
In the current Pharmaceutical Forum PF 47(3), a Stimuli article describes the weaknesses in the current specifications for testing parenterals for particles and how these could be addressed in a new USP chapter.
COVID-19 Vaccines, Tests and Therapeutics - Recommendations for Handling Emerging Virus Variants
The new variants of SARS-CoV-2 are now occupying the minds of scientists around the world. The FDA is responding with a series of updated guidelines and recommendations for developers and manufacturers of vaccine tests and therapeutics.
FDA stops Hand Sanitizers with too low Alcohol Content at the US Border
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pays close attention to what is inside hand sanitizer products imported into the United States. Recently, a product labeled as containing 75% ethanol, but in fact contained only 58%, was detained and refused admission at the border. As a consequence, the Chinese manufacturer received a Warning Letter.