Guest Columns

  1. How Do We Achieve The Promise Of Using Digital Health Measurement? DATAcc Leads The Way 9/15/2021

    Digital health measures are redefining our understanding of health and disease by changing what we measure and how we measure it. It is the perfect time for the field to build the digital health measurement toolbox with intention – and build it right. The Digital Health Measurement Collaborative Community is a new pre-competitive collaboration dedicated to this, and you can get involved!

  2. 5 Misconceptions About Data Integrity In Pharmaceutical And Device Development & Operations 9/15/2021

    Data integrity (DI) issues in pharma and medical devices have always been there, but in my experience as a consultant, these issues have increased in frequency more recently, thus moving them to the forefront. In this article, I explain five misconceptions about data integrity in our industry.

  3. FDA Issues Final Rule On Intended Use For Drugs & Devices After A Complicated History 9/10/2021

    On Sept. 1, 2021, the FDA’s final rule on intended use for drugs and devices became effective. The rule has a complicated history and has been the subject of controversy over the last 6 years. The final rule provides clarity to manufacturers, but many stakeholders are still unsatisfied with the evidentiary standard for determining intended use, perhaps forecasting legal challenges to the regulation.

  4. How To Find & Manage Biotech Consultants Effectively 9/6/2021

    The roles being filled by biotech consultants have grown considerably, as companies are becoming more familiar with working with consultants and more people are interested in pursuing a consultant career. But how do we find good consultants, and how do we ensure that our consultants are as committed and engaged as our full-time employees? Here's how to accomplish that.

  5. What’s The Role Of Interim Consultants In The Life Sciences & How Do We Use Them Effectively? 9/3/2021

    When life sciences companies need new talent, they typically have two options: bring in a consultant or hire a full-time employee. Usually, this decision is dictated by the permanence of the role, but sometimes, timelines complicate things. In this situation, an interim consultant can be the solution. But what is the interim consultant's role, really, and how do we use them effectively?

  6. 3 Successful Strategies For Protecting Your New Biopharma’s IP 9/1/2021

    Intellectual property is the lifeblood of new biopharma entities. Patent protection is necessary to secure investment, to build a solid foundation with opportunity for future growth, and to establish viability within a highly competitive landscape. This article addresses key patent-related considerations for startups and small or early-stage players in the life sciences arena.

  7. Best Practices For Raw Material Supplier Change Notifications: New BioPhorum Guidance 8/27/2021

    Managing the large volume of supplier change notifications while safeguarding the continuity and compliance of a complex and tightly regulated supply chain is a resource-intensive task. To address the challenges, the BioPhorum Raw Material Variability Workstream has developed a guidance document designed to streamline the process without straying from essential and strict risk mitigation procedures.

  8. Best Practices To Ensure Quality Of Raw Materials Used To Manufacture Therapeutic Proteins 8/25/2021

    Across biologics, raw material quality is a key driver of product quality and consistency. This article recaps a recent U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) workshop on the subject, including recaps of best practices and experiences shared by the FDA, Merck, Biogen, and more.

  9. The 5-Step Checklist For A More Mature, Robust Quality Management System 8/20/2021

    Whether you are preparing for a pre-approval inspection, have the corporate desire for continuous inspection readiness, or are engaged in a LEAN initiative to clean up and strengthen your quality management system (QMS), further maturing your QMS can be helpful to ensuring a robust, comprehensive, and compliant QMS.

  10. Prefilled Syringes: Best Practices For Using X-Ray Analysis To Assess Container Closure Integrity 8/18/2021

    The process of assessing integrity of the filled syringe is generally more complex than the process of assessing glass vials due to the presence of more sealing areas. This article looks at the broad requirement, together with a recent innovation for integrity testing based on X-rays.