Combination products (see the “Definition” box) are experiencing steady growth in the pharmaceutical industry. According to one report, about 30% of products currently in development are combination products (1). Expanding interest in such products can be attributed to manufacturers’ need to generate new market value for current products that will soon lose patent, requirements for long-term patient care, pressure to reduce healthcare costs, and consumer interest in localized drug delivery with improved therapeutic effectiveness (2). During the 2008…
Regulatory Affairs
Working Together to Keep Drugs Safe
The growing and dangerous counterfeit drug problem is a troubling, global epidemic that can — and does — harm patients who are merely trying to get well. Efforts to address the problem are hamstrung for a variety of reasons: Americans don’t see the immediate threat, this global public health problem needs a coordinated global response, and too many stakeholders are more focused on self-interest than on working together to find a solution. The Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM)…
Review, Approval, and Marketing of Biosimilars in the United States
Development, testing, review, approval, and marketing of biosimilar drugs in the United States presents unique safety and regulatory challenges (1). By contrast with traditional small-molecule drugs, biologics derive from sources such as genetically engineered cell lines, plasma, and tissue specimens (2,3). Patents on first-generation biologics approved and marketed in the United States have begun to expire, thereby opening the market to less-expensive “generic” versions. The complexity of biologic drugs and the specificity of their source materials, however, make…
Ongoing Challenges of Applying QbD to Biopharmaceutical Products
Quality by design (QbD) was a hot topic at IBC’s BioProcess International Conference and Exhibition, 20–24 September 2010 (Providence, RI). For her keynote address, Helen Winkle (director of the FDA’s Office of Pharmaceutical Science) discussed the agency’s continuing efforts to improve product quality regulation as well as opportunities and challenges of implementing QbD for biotechnology products (1). Since introducing its 21st Century Initiative in 2002, the FDA has made some headway toward enhancing product quality through QbD (2). The QbD…
The Human Factor in Facility Design Innovation
Bioprocess and pharmaceutical production environments must be well designed to meet strict cleanroom and quality assurance (QA) standards and productivity requirements. Managers may also consider innovative ways to enhance the design of these environments to enable the people critical to their companies’ success to be more productive and effective. In today’s work culture, countless hours can be lost to poor teamwork and ineffective communication. CGMP environments present additional, unique challenges to human interaction because of their built-in process and protocol…
Risk Mitigation Through Improved Process Predictability
Unexpected events — whether catastrophic like the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico or a disruptive supply chain shortage — can change the future of a company. To prevent such difficulties or at least minimize their impact, life sciences companies spend millions of dollars on daily analysis of enterprise-wide risks. Whereas supply chain and logistics are traditionally a focus of risk analysis teams, manufacturing and quality teams are now charged with improving process predictability. Through process understanding, that not…
Review, Approval, and Marketing of Biosimilars in the United States
During the past 30 years, advances in medicine and pharmaceutical research generated a new class of drugs called biologics. These drugs are complex proteins, carbohydrates, or other large molecules derived from biological sources (1). By contrast with more traditional pharmaceuticals (small-molecule drugs), biologics are not synthesized chemically from less complex components, but rather are derived from or manufactured using living organisms or extracted tissue (2) Biologics make up a small but significant percentage of the overall pharmaceutical market.…
Building Regulatory Compliance for Personalized Medicine
Regulatory compliance is the means by which biopharmaceutical companies bring new medicines to market. But as we embark on developing and bringing to market more complex, more personalized medicines in the 21st century, we are about to find that our most experienced sources of compliance know-how and intelligence are getting ready to leave for the comforts of retirement. Demographics are working against the biopharmaceutical industry. Survey Results A 2006–2007 survey by the University of Southern California…
Containment of High-Potency Products in a GMP Environment
Many modern medicines are highly potent, with only tiny doses required to achieve a therapeutic effect. But a nanomolar medicine poses extra hazards during manufacturing, whether the product is a biologic or a small molecule. These issues have to be evaluated and addressed in the design of a manufacturing facility for such products. Not only is it vital that the product not become contaminated, but employees and the general public must be protected from the product. Exposure to just a…
Manufacturing Convergence Technologies
Many regenerative medicine products represent a convergence of pharmaceutical, biologic, and medical device technologies. Although such products could have a great impact on medicine, they often pose significant challenges for their developers, requiring companies to incorporate competencies from several technology sectors. By addressing commercial regulatory and manufacturing challenges at an early stage in product development, these companies are more likely to succeed in reaching their commercial goals. Exact regulations governing the manufacture of a convergent technology — or…