If you think the just-issued prior approval supplement (PAS) Draft Guidance was complex, wait until you read this one! Entitled “ANDA Submissions – Amendments and Easily Correctable Deficiencies under GDUFA”, the document:
One of the hottest topics over the last few years has been that of drug shortages and what to do about them. The FDA video explains that the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act (FDASIA) made important changes to the way industry must report drug shortages.
The FDA is proposing to update its list of drug products (previously found in its regulations at 21 CFR 216.24) that have been removed from the market for safety or efficacy and cannot be legally compounded. It has also revised one product relative to its dosage form that allows compounding under the pharmacy compounding exemption. Since FDA has approved an ophthalmic form of bromfenac, it has removed the restriction to now permit the compounding in certain situations for this drug product but only for ophthalmic use, whereas this drug was previously excluded for any use by the Rule.
The Health and Human Services published its semiannual regulatory agenda and guess what popped up on review? The proposed date of finalization of the Rule on label changes that can be made by an ANDA holder relative to newly acquired safety information is listed as December 2014.
FDA issued a Draft Guidance, entitled Drug Supply Chain Security Act Implementation: Identification of Suspect Product and Notification which describes the proper means of notification of FDA by trading partners of the potential suspect products. The requirements under the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) will kick in on January 1, 2015 and also requires firms to identify other immediate trading partners of their suspicion. The Guidance defines trading partners as manufacturers, repackagers, wholesalers or dispensers and requires the notice to be given to FDA within 24 hours of identifying a suspect product.
FDA typically requires safety and efficacy to be demonstrated in humans, but there are times when exposure of humans to toxic therapeutic substances may be impractical and ethically impossible (e.g., antidote for nerve gas treatment, nuclear threat, biological, chemical or substance that would otherwise causea life-threating condition or poisoning [e.g., snake venom, virus, industrial chemicals]). The FDA has released a newly revised update to its previously issued 2009 Guidance on this topic.
In a coordinated enforcement action involving the FDA, US Customs and Border Patrol, along with international agencies like Interpol and enforcement and regulatory bodies from 111 countries, action was taken against web sites that “sell unapproved prescription drugs to US consumers.” This is part of an ongoing effort of a program termed Operation Pangea.
An on-site hiring fair is being held in Bethesda as posted on the FDA web page today. So if you are tired of your current job and would like to work at the FDA for a lot less money – then this job fair is for you.
On May 13, 2014, the FDA took the third in an unusual series of evaluations to extend the expiration date of certain lots of the drug DuoDote Autoinjectors (atropine and pralidoxine chloride), a drug indicated for the initial treatment of poisoning by organophosphorous nerve agents and insecticides. The manufacturer of the drug product notified FDA of problems relative to under-dosing or failure to activate associated with a small number of its autoinjectors. The FDA responded with a letter (here) indicating that the Agency would exercise enforcement discretion and would, based on information provided by the firm, extend the expiration date for one year beyond the current established expiration date. FDA also noted that the firm would not need to revise the expiration date on the actual packaging.
The issue of when to apply FDA Draft Guidance has always been a bit confusing and sometimes an amusing subject. FDA Guidance (whether in draft or final form) is supposed to represent the FDA’s current thinking on a specific matter. If the Draft Guidance is newly issued and is still within a reasonable comment period, then it may be best to contact FDA to see if the Guidance is likely to change. Sometimes you can look at the comments submitted to the appropriate Docket to see if there appears to be controversial issues raised by the industry or other government components. The real problem comes when a Draft Guidance is issued and the comment period has passed and months or years go by where the Guidance just sits there in limbo before being finalized.
