Drug Development

San Juan, PR (Apr. 25)-Regulatory and quality issues were prominent discussion topics at this year?s ExcipientFest conference and exhibition.

Interphex, New York, NY (Apr. 24)-Although the second revision of 21 CFR Part 11, the Electronic Records and Signatures Rule, has not been finalized, there is some progress being made. This was the topic of a presentation given by John English, manager of computer system validation for BE&K BioPharm at today?s Interphex Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Conference and Exhibition.

Brussels, Belgium (Mar. 22)-The European Commission?s (EC) Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry (Brussels, Belgium) is asking manufacturers, distributors, and users of human-pharmaceutical excipients to participate in an online questionnaire on the effect of various policy options. Responses will be used to prepare a directive on good manufacturing practices (GMPs) for certain excipients.

The authors prepared and tested press-coated tablets with various weight ratios of ethylcellulose to hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC) and various ratios of two different batches of HPC as an outer coating shell and fillers in core tablets. The tablets were examined for changes in time lag and release patterns of salbutamol sulfate.

Hydrogels are biocompatible drug delivery systems by which the physical properties can be controlled by the cross-linking density. Hydrogels were prepared by copolymerization of acrylic acid monomers in the presence of poly(ethylene glycol)(PEG) to form polyethylene diacrylate (PEDGA). Various molecular weights of PEGs were used for the synthesis of PEGDA to study the effect of molecular weight of PEG on the properties of hydrogels. These hydrogels were further characterized for free water, swelling behavior, water diffusion, drug loading, and drug release profile. By analyzing the swelling behavior and release pattern of the hydrogels, the authors show that these systems can be suitably used for controlled delivery of drugs.

Near-infrared (NIR) assay and content uniformity of tablets provide fast, accurate means of monitoring tablet production that are in step with FDA's process analytical technology initiative.The authors discuss the process for testing a newly released NIR tablet analyzer to determine instrument precision and accuracy using chlorpheniramine maleate tablets.The data show promising results that could relieve laboratory workload of high-performance liquid chromatography analysis and bring analysis closer to real time for process monitoring.

China creates a potential outlet for specialty excipients as its pharmaceutical market grows.

This article considers the distinction among the terms qualification, validation, and verification in the context of pharmacopeial usage.A recommendation for a standardized usage of the terms validation and verification is provided,and general requirements for validation and verification activities are given.The article also emphasizes the importance of knowing when validation or verification is necessary relative to the use of a method to satisfy pharmacopeial article requirements (for which a monograph exists in the pharmacopeia) or for nonpharmacopeial use.

Missed or late calibration dates can accumulate, and even if the equipment is labelled appropriately, it can suggest poor management of resources and priorities.

There have been significant advances, especially in understanding the role of carrier properties on the aerosol performance of the API.

When a dosage form or an API is introduced to the gastrointestinal tract, or dissolution media mimicking it, a transformation from a metastable to a more stable form with lower solubility and bioavailability is possible.

Buffalo, NY (Mar. 7)-Scientists at the University at Buffalo?s Institute for Lasers, Phtonics, and Biophotonics and Roswell Park Cancer Institute have developed a drug delivery system comprising 100-nm nanocrystals of pure HPPH, (2-devinyl-2-1'-hexyloxyethyl pyropheophorbide).

Contraceptives that are sprayed onto the skin are under development to offer a more convenient alternative method of birth control.

Vancouver, BC, Canada-Researchers from the University of British Columbia are developing a new method for delivering Amphotericin B, a potent antifungal agent for fatal blood-borne fungal infections that currently must be administered intravenously.

Rockville, MD (Mar. 1)-Sending Warning Letters to 8 manufacturers and 12 distributors, The US Food and Drug Administration ordered a stop to the manufacture and distribution of unapproved drug products containing ergotamine tartrate.

The pharmaceutical supply chain lengthens as generic drug manufacturers build production platforms offshore and CMOs position in India and China to meet demand for lower-cost production.

The low-volume pharmaceutical industry must adapt Lean Manufacturing tools invented for high-volume, single product industries.

The Parenteral Drug Association recently held its first global conference on emerging manufacturing technologies. Among the presentations were those discussing the latest in disposable technologies, aseptic filling and closing, and barrier systems. Clearly, technology vendors have stepped up efforts to streamline processes and better handle complex drug products.

As big pharmaceutical companies restructure and reevaluate the way they do business, contract research and manufacturing organizations could reap greater financial rewards.

Brussels (Feb. 13)-The European Generic Medicines Association raised concerns over what it terms ?the serious lack? of resources available to member states in the European Union (EU) to deal with the regulatory workload and bottleneck in new registrations caused by the new Decentralized Procedure (DCP) for approving drugs in Europe.

Enschede, Netherlands (Feb. 26)-Scientists from the University of Twente?s MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology have designed a novel delivery system by combining synthetic iron-containing polymers with DNA macromolecules.

London (Feb. 22)-AstraZeneca unveiled further details of its plan to reduce staff at certain production facilities and announced a $120-million investment in a new process research and development (PR&D) facility in the United Kingdom.

Rockville, MD (Jan. 5)-The US Food and Drug Administration issued a Warning Letter to Bell-More Laboratories following the agency?s August 2006 inspection of the company?s Hampstead pharmaceutical facility.

Rockville, MD (Feb. 1)-The US Food and Drug Administration issued a revised warning letter to Actavis Totowa, LLC, citing ?significant deviations from the current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations.?

Large stability studies for drug products and devices with multiple strengths, packaging configurations and orientations can cost millions of dollars for the analytical testing alone.