Animal Testing: US And EU Regulatory Support Grows For Alternatives, But Validation A Hurdle

 

In this first of a two-part series of articles, US Pharmacopeia CEO Ronald T. Piervincenzi tells the Pink Sheet how the use of alternatives to animal testing in drug development is gaining traction and discusses the challenges that exist.

HHS Wants Employees (And Public?) To Report Diversity, Equity And Inclusion Discrimination

 
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A survey asks FDA staff to disclose whether DEI policies caused discrimination or resulted in disciplinary action against career employees over the past five years, but uses a web form that the general public also can access.

Bayesian Statistics In EU Clinical Trials: EMA Discusses Balancing Efficiency With Rigor

 

Bayesian statistics could help clinical trial sponsors to include external information in their analyses, but concerns around bias and incorrect conclusions remain, the European Medicines Agency said.

Adaptive Clinical Trials Require ‘Clear And Compelling Justification’

 
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A draft international guideline on using adaptive trial designs says sponsors should provide a clear rationale for using such designs to address the potential ‘tension’ between the confirmatory nature of late-stage trials and the flexibility introduced by mid-trial adaptations.


Denmark Sets New EU Benchmark With 14-Day Clinical Trial Review Timeline

 
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Denmark is shaking up clinical trial timelines with a new process for reviewing applications for early-phase mono-national trials that is twice as fast as the standard timelines in the EU and the UK.

Clinical Trial Diversity Action Plan Guidance Must Return To US FDA Website, Court Says

 
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HHS and its agencies violated the law by swiftly implementing “sweeping and poorly thought-through directives that ordered the bulk removal of healthcare resources,” including FDA draft guidances on diversity action plans and sex differences in clinical trials, a federal court said.

Industry Groups Back EU Life Sciences Strategy As Commission Pledges Clinical Trial Investment

 

Industry associations EFPIA, EUCOPE and EURORDIS have praised the European Commission’s newly launched life sciences strategy, which will see investment funnelled into improving the clinical trial ecosystem and supporting advanced therapy development.

Pharma Companies Suspecting Clinical Trial Fraud Should Move Quickly, Quietly

 
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Sponsors should investigate signals of possible fraud in a manner that does not raise alarms or else evidence might disappear, UK and US regulators said.


Swissmedic Launches Pilot To Expedite Clinical Trial Applications

 

Swiss health care products agency Swissmedic will launch a pilot in July to fast track clinical trial applications, which the agency claims will place Switzerland at the forefront compared to other European countries.

EU Countries Rally Behind Novel Pathway For Combined Drug/IVD Trials

 
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Broad participation by EU member states in a new pilot to test a unified procedure for evaluating applications for combined drug and IVD studies shows they recognize its value, says Monique Al, vice-chair of the Clinical Trials Coordination Group.

UK Pilots Faster Setup Of Early Phase Oncology Trials

 
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Oncology trial sponsors in the UK are being invited to participate in a pilot that aims to tackle duplication and variation in pharmacy reviews, which are an important part of setting up clinical trials in the National Health Service.

CAR-T Therapy Trials Involving Chinese Labs Will Face Heightened US FDA Scrutiny

 

The FDA wants to ensure participants in clinical trials involving genetic engineering done in China understand what the agency sees as privacy and security risks. The agency also wants cell therapy processing done outside of “hostile” countries.


EU Sees Unified Pathway For Drug/IVD Studies As Key To Future Research Investment

 
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As the EU tests the feasibility of a radical “all-in-one” procedure for reviewing applications to conduct combined drug and IVD studies, sponsors are being urged to approach this novel framework with flexibility and openness.

Woodcock: Do Not Do The Wrong Study, Even If Against US FDA Advice

 

The former CDER director said she tells sponsors not to conduct an FDA-recommended study design or randomized trial if it will not work.

AI Will Bolster, Not Squelch, Patient Voice In Clinical Research, US FDA Says

 
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Artificial intelligence tools used for clinical research should be developed with input from patients and focus on their needs and abilities, FDA experts said.

UK Looks To Auto-Match NHS Patients With Clinical Trials To Boost Recruitment

 
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The UK government is making it easier for millions of people to participate in clinical trials and is boosting transparency around how studies are delivered across the National Health Service.


Global Guideline Signals ‘Paradigm Shift’ For Pregnant And Breastfeeding Women, Says EMA

 

The European Medicines Agency expects the International Council for Harmonization’s new guideline will help address the critical lack of data on the use of medicinal products in pregnant and breastfeeding populations.

BIO Notebook: MFN Pricing, Obesity R&D, US FDA’s Rare Disease Hub And Reaction To Review Program

Highlights from Day Three of the BIO International Convention include the realities of MFN pricing, AstraZeneca's R&D plans for obesity, the need for resources for the FDA's rare disease hub and reactions to the Commissioner's National Priority Review Voucher program.

Post-Approval, Real-Time Monitoring Will Help Approval Standards, US FDA’s Makary Says

 
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The FDA will use electronic health records to “get eyes” on drugs immediately after approval, Commissioner Martin Makary told the DIA 2025 Global Annual Meeting. He also wants to reduce development time with better communication and new approval pathways.

EU Tests Unified Pathway For Combined Drug/IVD Studies

 
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The EU is testing a groundbreaking “all-in-one” process for reviewing requests to conduct combined drug and diagnostic trials via a single application for coordinated assessment.