Guest Columns

  1. These Are The Top Priorities & Challenges For New CDER Director Patrizia Cavazzoni, M.D. 7/30/2021

    Recently appointed to the permanent CDER director role, Dr. Cavazzoni’s appointment was not unexpected, as she was recruited to join the FDA in 2018 from a senior industry role and served as acting CDER director at the start of the agency’s pandemic response. Her experience suggests she will continue to evolve – rather than revolutionize – FDA’s drug review policies.

  2. Why Should We Rescue The Legislative Intent Of The BPCIA? 7/28/2021

    What happens when regulatory ambiguity displaces sound scientific guidance, deterring the legislative intent of Congress? This is precisely the situation regarding the FDA changing the regulatory rules of the road regarding a biosimilar’s strength versus its potency.

  3. What To Expect From A Remote Inspection -- & How To Navigate It 7/23/2021

    Regulators have moved toward remote inspections since the pandemic began, and this is likely to continue. This article presents an overview of the remote inspection process and provides advice on how to prepare for and deal with the inspection on the day, as well as how to respond to any concerns raised following the audit.

  4. Selecting The Best Human Factors Method For Your Medical Or Drug Delivery Device Evaluation 7/21/2021

    A robust human factors process is critical to product optimization and market competitiveness for medical devices and drug delivery devices, but not all companies have the resources, funding, or time to conduct such user studies. Genentech's head of human factors engineering examines the three major categories of evaluation that you should consider, the pros and cons of each, and how to select study participants.

  5. The 8-Step Checklist To Write Effective Investigation Reports 7/16/2021

    It’s always best to prevent the need to investigate a non-compliance, but if you experience a non-compliance, it’s necessary to quickly and effectively perform an investigation. The investigation report needs to be clearly understandable to anyone reviewing the report, and hopefully you'll also learn enough to make sure the non-compliance doesn't recur.

  6. Patent Transparency For Biologics & Biosimilars: The Revamped Purple Book 7/12/2021

    The FDA recently updated the “Purple Book” — a database containing information about all licensed biological products — to include, for the first time, patent information relating to biologics as well as FDA regulatory exclusivity information.

  7. How To Enhance “Operational Learning” In Biopharma 7/9/2021

    According to conventional wisdom in biopharma, operational learning is derived from existing practices, including inspections, audits, deviation investigations, and gemba walks. What is often missing is the necessary understanding of the “how.” This article provides advice, as well as lessons learned from Takeda and Biogen.

  8. Navigating DSCSA Implementation: Key Requirements & 4 New FDA Guidances 7/5/2021

    In the U.S., you're grappling with how to set up a fully interoperable electronic system for securing and tracing products across industry sectors per the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) by Nov. 2023. Here's how to navigate the key requirements, as well as the FDA's four new guidances on the subject released in June.

  9. 5 Foundations Of Lean Leadership For Pharmaceutical & Medical Device Professionals 7/2/2021

    Every life sciences company, now more than ever before, is on a journey to provide greater returns to stakeholders by manufacturing products at better quality and lower cost, which is the aim of lean manufacturing. However, many people forget about the cultural and leadership aspects of lean, which at its foundation are responsible for the success or failure of a lean transformation. 

  10. Emerging Technologies In The Delivery Of Proteins & Peptides 6/28/2021

    The limited ability to selectively deliver new drug molecules in the forms of peptides and proteins remains a significant challenge. Therefore, new materials and manufacturing techniques are emerging to meet the challenges associated with the formulation and delivery of biopharmaceuticals and pharmaceuticals.