Tag Archives: regulatory guidance

EMEA issue draft guidance on plasma-derived medicinal products

EMEA has issued guidance on plasma derived medicinal products. This guidance lays down the requirements of the collection of starting material, the manufacturing and the quality control of plasma derived medicinal products. Specific attention will be given to the viral safety of these products.

This is the fourth edition of the guidelines to be published, and include an update on the legal framework as well is an update on specific guidance.

Human plasma contains many proteins, extraction and purification of which are of great medicinal importance. Improvements in protein purification and molecular separation technology has made available a wide variety of products, with medicinal applications covering a large field, the therapeutic value of these products is unquestioned. However, the potential for viral transmission is well recognised, and because of the large number of donations which are pooled, a single contaminated batch of plasma drug product, with the contamination possibly originating from a single source donation, and transmit viral disease to a large number of recipients.

The prevention of such contamination is the main focus of these guidelines. They cover the whole process from the collection and testing of the starting material through quality-control manufacturing and preparation processes, a great deal of emphasis is put upon donor selection, traceability and post collection measures including look-back procedures. Process validation during manufacturing is also covered in the guidance, as well as quality control. These products have specific requirements for stability which are also covered.

This guidance is essential reading than anybody developing plasma derived therapeutic products.

If you would like more detail in this area please get in touch with Damien Bové damien.bove@idaconsultants.com

Damien Bové works as a drug development consultant (pharmaceutical or biotechnology) and regulatory consultant, we work with our clients to define a drug  development target, define a drug development strategy, define a regulatory strategy or define a commercial strategy. Our clients are generally raising funds or looking to license out their technology and we help them achieve it. If you want to know more don’t hesitate to get in touch.

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Inclusion of Women of Child Bearing Potential- new ICH guidance

There has been a major revision of the ICH guidance regarding the use of women of child bearing potential in clinical trials.

“In all ICH regions, inclusion of women of childbearing potential in clinical trials may be acceptable without non-clinical reproductive/development toxicology studies in certain circumstances”

The current ICH M3 states:

In the EU, assessment of embryo-fetal development should be completed prior to Phase I trials in women of childbearing potential.

In the US women of childbearing potential may be included in early, carefully monitored studies without reproduction toxicity studies provided appropriate precautions are taken to minimise risk.

The revise M3 states:

in all ICH regions women of child bearing potential can be included in clinical trials without non-clinical development toxicity studies (e.g., embryo-fetal studies) in certain circumstances.

In all ICH regions, women of child bearing potential can be included in repeated-dose Phase 1 and 2 trials prior to the conduct of the female fertility study since an evaluation of the female reproductive organs is performed in the repeated dose toxicity studies.

Two forms of contraception are required, one barrier and one hormonal.

Please note that in the EU this is NOT default position, it only applied in certain cases and includes restriction on numbers and duration.

This is important for a regulatory strategy and clinical development strategy front as it can have a huge impact on trial designs, and more importantly recruitment rates in early development. it also reduces the early stage burden in the development of female specific therapies.

If you would like more detail in this area please get in touch with Damien Bové damien.bove@idaconsultants.com

Damien Bové works as a drug development consultant (pharmaceutical or biotechnology) and regulatory consultant, we work with our clients to define a drug development target, define a drug development strategy, define a regulatory strategy or define a commercial strategy. Our clients are generally raising funds or looking to license out their technology and we help them achieve it. If you want to know more don’t hesitate to get in touch