Quality Systems

During the past several months, Pharmaceutical Technology has been covering the US Food and Drug Administration's rulemaking on over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medications for children.

At a public meeting, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) discussed its recommendation that Congress establish a national database to publicly reveal financial relationships between physicians and the pharmaceutical industry.

John Dingell (D-MI), chairman of the US House Committee on Energy and Commerce and Bart Stupak (D-MI), chairman of that committee's Subcomittee on Oversight and Investigations, directed a letter to US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Andrew C. von Eschenbach to request further information regarding FDA's process for inspecting manufacturing facilities of the generic drug manufacturer Actavis following several product recalls by the company.

The lack of appropriate financial resources for the US Food and Drug Administration's growing global agenda has been a pertinent topic of late?and now appropriate staffing has become a large concern.

A bill that would require country-of-origin labeling for active and inactive ingredients for all prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals was introduced in the US Senate last week.

The US Food and Drug Administration?s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) held a public meeting on Oct. 2 to discuss over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medications for pediatric use.

Rep. John D. Dingell (D-MI), chairman of the US House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI), the chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, sent a letter to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), questioning the US Food and Drug Administration?s use of agency resources to hire an outside public-relations firm to create a positive public image of the agency.

The European Fine Chemicals Group (EFCG) and the International Pharmaceutical Excipents Council of Europe (IPEC Europe) announced the formation of  a European Pharmaceutical Excipients Certification Project to develop advocacy and stakeholder management in Europe and to give advice to two European working teams as part of an effort to develop a certification program for manufacturers and distributors of pharmaceutical excipients.

A recent report shows a decline in NASs and a rise in NME applications in 2007.

Planning ahead will ensure successful efforts to improve packaging and packaging operations.

Advancements add yet another challenge for industry's already overextended regulatory body.

Brief pharmaceutical news items for October 2008.

This article summarizes the classification systems for topical liquid and semisolid dosage forms used for dermatological application and notes some differences between FDA and USP classification.

To err may be human, but to really mess things up, you need management.

Manufacturers seek real-world benefits from investment in QbD and risk-management strategies. This article contains bonus online-exclusive material.

Although the European Union's approval rates of biosimilars for market is increasing slower than expected, its approach may provide an example for other foreign markets.

Can previous trends of Democratic and Republican administrations predict industry's future?

A book offers a detailed introduction to the new area of risk evaluation and mitigation strategies.

Cycle design and robustness testing using advanced process analytical technology.

A public meeting is being held today to discuss over-the-counter cough and cold medications for pediatric use.

Also, Alpharma advises shareholders to reject King's offer; ImClone rejects raised BMS offer; Immunogen appoints Daniel M. Junius, more...

The growth and globalization of the pharmaceutical supply chain make risk assessment more important than ever for pharmaceutical manufacturers. The authors describe a program to identify, prioritize, mitigate, and communicate risks in manufacturer–supplier relationships.

Regulatory bodies around the world are now revising legislation, regarding counterfeit medicines, good manufacturing and distribution practices, and risk management.

California's ePedigree requirements call for item-level serialization beginning in 2011. The author explains factors to consider when implementing a serialization strategy and how to achieve a positive return on investment.

Securing the integrity of the excipient supply chain is a crucial task in ensuring the overall pharmaceutical supply chain. The authors outline excipient-control strategies and practices for the manufacture, distribution, and receipt of excipients.