Featured Pharma Online Editorial

  1. Increase In FDA Inspections + Whistleblower Complaints = Heightened Compliance Scrutiny 3/27/2023

    We are seeing a significant increase in manufacturing facility inspections by the FDA and other health authorities globally. We are also seeing an uptick in whistleblower complaints. Why? And how can you navigate it? This article examines the issue.

  2. Trends In FDA FY2022 Inspection-Based Warning Letters 2/21/2023

    We analyzed the warning letters that the FDA issued to pharmaceutical and biotech companies in FY2022. Several key trends emerged, including a heightened scrutiny on two product types.

  3. The 8 Key Takeaways For FDA Inspections In The Food And Drug Omnibus Reform Act 2/7/2023

    With President Biden’s signature, the Food and Drug Omnibus Reform Act of 2022 (FDORA), part of the larger Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, became law on Dec. 29, 2022. FDORA expands and modifies the inspection authority of the FDA in several key areas, including alternative tools to inspection, mutual recognition agreements, bioresearch monitoring, and more.

  4. What's Behind The ASTM E3263 Standard Revision? 1/17/2023

    ASTM has published the revision of ASTM E3263 Standard Practice For Qualification Of Visual Inspection Of Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Equipment And Medical Devices For Residues. This article, written by the ASTM revision team, explains the reasons behind the revision and delves into the key updates.

  5. Frequent Deficiencies In GMP Inspections, Part 1 11/14/2022

    It is sometimes astonishing how often pharmas and biotechs "commit" similar or even the same GMP mistakes — in (almost) always the same places. Here are two of the most common pitfalls to avoid: inadequate handling of deviations and inadequate handling of changes.

  6. Factory/Site Acceptance Testing & Commissioning Responsibilities 2/22/2022

    Execution of factory acceptance testing (FAT) and site acceptance testing (SAT) is a business-critical activity when it comes to commissioning of a new system or equipment. FAT is conducted at the equipment manufacturer’s site and SAT is conducted at the final site of installation. This article shares best practices.

  7. FDA Proposes Inspection Of Injectable Products For Visible Particulates 2/1/2022

    FDA and CDER have released a draft guidance addressing the development and implementation of a holistic, risk-based approach to visible particulate control incorporating product development, manufacturing controls, visual inspection, particulate identification, investigation, and corrective actions. The public comment period ends Feb. 15, 2022.

  8. Vaccine Manufacturing: Harnessing Lab Deviations 9/8/2021

    For National Immunization Awareness Month, we're highlighting timely vaccine manufacturing-centric content such as this from Tunnell Consulting's Bob Johnson. The presence of deviations may seem inevitable, yet COVID has brought to light the question of how vaccine manufacturing sites can manufacture more vaccines, more efficiently. This article explains how.

  9. 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.

  10. 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?