GMP News - Quality Assurance

Following the entry into application of the CTR at the beginning of last year, the final version of the "Guideline on the responsibilities of the sponsor with regard to handling and shipping of IMPs" has been published. IMPs may not be used in a clinical trial in a member state of the European Union until the completion of the two-step procedure referred to in this guideline.

In November 2022, the U.S. FDA issued a Warning Letter to the U.S. American company Kari Gran Inc. after having inspected its site in July 2022. The Warning Letter mentions the list of cGMP observations for finished products.

The Danish Medicines Agency has revised its guidelines on the requirements and expectations of the QP. In places, these deviate from the requirements of Directive 2001/83/EC, especially with regard to education and experience.

There has been a recent accumulation of Warning Letters from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to manufactures of hand sanitizer products. At the end of November, a further letter was published. In this case, FDA laboratory analyses showed that the ethanol content of several batches was too low. In addition, the FDA has also found numerous GMP violations. There was already a lack of the necessary basic SOPs.

Some authorities within the PIC/S want to mutually recognise GMP inspection reports in order to avoid duplication of work. There is now a corresponding statement on this.

The latest version (version 16) of the "How to do" document - Interpretation of ICH Q7 Guide and "Review form" for active pharmaceutical ingredients was finalised in July 2022 and published on the new APIC (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Committee) website at the end of October. The document further on aims to facilitate the implementation of the ICH Q7 Guideline and provides recommendations on how to interpret it.

The EU Commission has published a document on a "Structured Dialogue on the security of medicines supply". This document presents the most important results of the analysis of the security of supply and possible measures.