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A workshop led by the European Medicines Agency and the US Food and Drug Administration sought to reach alignment on adapting COVID-19 vaccines to emerging virus variants.

The UK regulator, the MHRA, says that while it will recognize drug approvals granted in the EU and a selection of other countries, it will remain a “sovereign regulator” with the ability to reject applications if they don’t meet its standards.

The International Council for Harmonisation has issued updated Good Clinical Practice principles to accommodate new clinical trial and data types.

New funding from the UK’s antimicrobial resistance innovation fund is to be welcomed, but the UK pharmaceutical industry body, the ABPI, has cautioned that “multiple global solutions” bringing together governments, health care systems and the industry are needed if research efforts are to result in effective new antibiotics.

The Pink Sheet highlights recent comments and insights from pharma officials and executives on key issues we are covering.

An international project that aims to develop a harmonized framework on the minimum aspects that should be measured and reported in clinical trials for the genetic skin disorder, epidermolysis bullosa, has drawn the European Medicines Agency’s attention.

The European Medicines Agency said that while the temporary measures that were introduced to cope with the peak impact of the COVID-19 pandemic were no longer required, “resourcing within the entire European medicines regulatory network remains a challenge.”

FDA officials again made clear concerns about “improbable dosing” data in HRA’s sNDA for 0.075-mg norgestrel tablet branded Opill before advisory panel voted at close of a two-day meeting conducted 60 years after first Rx oral contraceptive approved in US.

Stay up to date on regulatory guidelines from around the world with the Pink Sheet's Guidance Tracker. The complete Global Pharma Guidance Tracker, with sortable and searchable listings going back to 2014, is available online.

As the WHO seeks input on a global accord to strengthen pandemic preparedness, the IGBA has provided suggestions from the off-patent industry ahead of a key step in the drafting process later this month.

The World Health Organization is developing a new best practice guideline on improving the quality and efficiency of clinical trials and is keen to learn what role platform trials can play on this front and their acceptability by the clinical trial community.

FDA final guidance maintains limit on secondary endpoints allowed for trials, which could dissuade some investment in research for NDAs for smoking cessation products. NRT developers could find more room for novel product proposals from changes to some phrasing.