When working with the common technical dossier (CTD), the structure of Module 2 “follows the scope and outline of the Body of Data in Module 3,”1
Funded by the European Commission from 2019, the Smart Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Project (SPuMoNI)1 harnesses the potential of state-of-the-art technologies for the pharmaceutical industry. This article discusses the main SPuMoNI accomplishments.
The global pandemic has demonstrated that now, more than ever, we need to work toward a global solution and prioritize the harmonization of technical requirements. Positive improvements have been observed in the acceptance and implementation of international standards by various regulatory agencies in Latin America. This article offers an overview of the chemistry, manufacturing, and controls...
The success of the biopharmaceutical industry and the expansion of manufacturing facilities, of both existing companies and newcomers, has put a strain on the number of temporary and permanent skilled workers needed to fill many positions in the Triangle.
In the context of data integrity, data flows are essential. The FDA, PIC/S, and WHO have all emphasized the importance and benefits of data flows in their guidance on data integrity. The key to data integrity compliance is a well-functioning data governance system1
We will show how continuous, real-time capturing of data with immediate data analysis by an ML algorithm can improve control over a critical quality attribute. The ML-analyzed data provides the evidence for validation of the change by demonstrating more control over the process along with a decrease in process risks.
Roujian “RJ” Zhang is Chair of ISPE’s new Quality Control (QC)/Analytical Community of Practice (CoP) Steering Committee. He is also Chief Quality Officer at Evive Biotech, responsible for all aspects of quality for the company, ensuring safety and efficacy, making critical quality decisions, and keeping the company up to date with new regulations. RJ became interested in the pharmaceutical...
Terry Jacobs is Chair of the Oral Solid Dosage (OSD) Community of Practice (CoP) Steering Committee. He is a recognized expert in the design of pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and corporate facilities and has completed projects for clients in the US, China, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia. He has lectured extensively on the planning and programming of laboratories and manufacturing and other...
While financial investment in novel therapies provides patients with new treatment options and improved quality of care, the pharmaceutical industry also recognizes its responsibility to transition toward more sustainable development, manufacturing, and stewardship of medicines throughout their life cycle.
To enable changes across the pharmaceutical industry, sustainability should be included alongside quality, efficacy, and safety when assessing medicines. This article reviews two case studies that cover sustainable pack types and extension of shelf life. With the drive to manage unmet medical need through acceleration of drug development programs, postapproval sustainability variations will...
Many emerging tools and technologies support the environmental sustainability of the pharmaceutical industry. In facility design, solutions are derived through science-based analyses of environmental impacts from the materials, processes, services, and architecture. From greener energy sources to a reduction in the type and amount of emissions, we are seeing improvement in this sector’s...
The imperative for global action to tackle climate change is clear and the pharmaceutical industry has a key role to play. Governments have entered into international commitments to reduce climate impact (carbon emissions) and protect nature (water, land, air, and biodiversity) with policy frameworks established to facilitate and drive progress against agreed targets.1
The expected FDA approval for a Treprostinil dry powder inhaler revealed a need for the manufacturer to expand its warehousing and logistics capabilities to support its growing operations. The company’s senior leadership wanted to ensure this expansion came with as minimal an impact on the environment as possible, so a key priority was to provide a net zero energy facility. With a vision for...
Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have led to its widespread industrial adoption, with machine learning (ML) algorithms demonstrating advances in performance in a wide range of tasks. However, this comes with an ever-increasing complexity of the algorithms used, rendering such systems more difficult to explain.1
ISPE’s GAMP® 5: A Risk-Based Approach to Compliant GxP Computerized Systems (Second Edition) (GAMP® 5 Guide, 2nd Edition) maintains the principles and framework of the first edition and updates their application in the modern world, including the increased importance of service providers, evolving approaches to software development, and expanded use of software tools and...
In this article, potential Pharma 4.0™ technological solutions that can enhance continuous process verification (CPV) 4.0 are discussed. The necessary paradigm shift will allow companies to predict deviations more accurately, perform root cause analysis (RCA), ensure data integrity and GxP compliance, and ultimately be more competitive in a highly regulated industry.
Cell and gene therapies (C>) have unique needs in manufacturing suites that differ from those for classic product biopharmaceuticals. Facilities must be created with flexibility in mind, able to run multiple products and production types to remain viable.
Resounding clinical successes and maturation of extensive therapeutic pipelines have catapulted oligonucleotides from a fringe modality to therapeutic relevance in just a few short years. Oligonucleotides are a cornerstone of a burgeoning class of drugs classified as nucleic acid therapeutics. These therapies interact with DNA and RNA targets rather than traditional protein therapeutic...
Digital health is transforming the health care landscape through new technologies and platforms in patient care management, conducting of clinical trials, patient data collection, and the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Emerging digital health technologies (DHTs) may improve the quality of life for patients with chronic and debilitating diseases and provide novel health care solutions for...
A reliable supply of raw materials is critical to maintain a robust supply chain to serve patients globally. With shortages, regulatory complexity is compounded due to differences in submission and data requirements from various regulatory agencies. Therefore, there is an increasing need to implement a harmonized regulatory infrastructure that is both flexible and predictable to provide more...
Postapproval change management of pharmaceuticals is an essential part of life-cycle management but is associated with regulatory challenges. Incorporating concepts and tools from the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) Q12 guideline, combined with structured content and data management (SCDM) and a cloud-based data exchange...
Although data and knowledge are both stand-alone disciplines that need to be systematically managed, they also must have a connection. Understanding the relationship between data and knowledge management processes and how people are leveraging advances like Pharma 4.0™ combined with these processes enables quality data transition to knowledge that can help pharmaceutical companies. The authors...
As the pharmaceutical industry continues to grow and evolve, a significant contributor to innovation and evolution is mergers and acquisitions (M&A). M&A can enable academic researchers and small companies to fund and commercialize innovative products. In addition, M&A can help larger organizations secure new and complementary technology and products. In the pharmaceutical...
As the industry experiences significant changes to the way we do business, knowledge capture and sharing are more important now than ever before. The maturing digitalization of the biopharma industry’s business and processes is creating an increasingly data- and information-rich environment that requires more effective mechanisms for sharing data and information. The Knowledge Management team...
This application note shows how TOC analyzers and common sensors in the industry recover 11 different compounds most often used in water and product analysis.
Since human therapeutics have rapidly evolved from small molecules to include complex biological products such as monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), viral vectors, autologous and allogeneic cell therapies, mRNA therapeutics, drug manufacturers and contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMO) are considering how to design and operate multiproduct facilities to maintain agility and...
Increasingly the Medical Device industry is challenged to increase the OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) of their manufacturing process. The Ethylene Oxide sterilization lines for medical devices are no exceptions.
In some cases, the current process operating in ethylene oxide factories is still manual or partially automated. This means that there are operators on the shopfloor...
Digital Transformation (DT) is impacting every aspect of our personal and professional lives, so it was no surprise that nearly one-third of all presentation proposals for this year’s ISPE Annual Meeting involved DT topics. It is a testament to the breadth of DT that there are three ISPE Communities of Practice (CoPs) operating in this space, each of whom had submitted high-quality...
The ISPE Drug Shortages Initiative Team conducted a webinar on 9 February 2023 to discuss regulatory and industry insights on drug shortage prevention with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region. The webinar was moderated by Vivien Santillan, Regional Director, Asia, Novatek International. Regulatory speakers were Lisa Hedman, Group Lead for the Division of Supply and Access to Medicines of the...
Following the recent surge in popularity of mRNA technology due to Covid-19 vaccines, we are beginning to realise its impact and potential in this field and for oligonucleotides. However, we face a steep learning curve in understanding the diversity and specifics of the manufacturing chain that make this new generation of RNA drug products completely different from traditional biologics (e.g....
Digital initiatives are becoming increasingly abundant and important, but many large organizations, particularly in the life science sector, struggle to implement and roll out these initiatives successfully. A common reason for this is that digital transformation efforts often fail to successfully move from the boardroom to the plant room, resulting in a disjointed user experience with limited...
The ISPE GAMP® Blockchain Special Interest Group is excited to be in its 4th year! For those of you following this space I’m sure you can appreciate the roller coaster of events across crypto, blockchain, and pharma over that time. Yet despite many of the external challenges the core technology behind blockchains has remained secure, available, and immutable – just as they were...
Are you interested in developing a new bioproduct and attracted by the incredible potentials of new modalities like ATMPs, Cell and Gene Therapies, AAVs, oligonucleotides, multi-specificity antibodies, mRNA vaccines, and more? Despite the appeal of these new modalities, there is a significant risk of failure due to the many unknowns associated with these new technologies.
The needs of patients provide the impetus to challenge the notion of “this is the way we’ve always done it.”
“Over the past 20 years, there have been an increasing number of highly potent materials handled within the pharma industry, to the point where most modern products require some degree of containment or other exposure control to maintain safety,” said guide team member Peter Marshall, AstraZeneca (retired).
The event, organized by and for recent graduates and students by the ISPE Emerging Leaders Community of Practice (CoP), offered high-quality presentations and interactive workshops where participants...
As Head of Merck’s Global Manufacturing Operations and one of the most senior operations leaders in Merck, Sanat is responsible for Merck’s worldwide manufacturing operations and product supply, supporting global sales revenue of over $55 billion.
ISPE’s Emerging Leaders (EL) Steering Committee is taking time to get our foundation right so that we can help drive change and empower young pharmaceutical engineering professionals to pursue their dreams. Our vision and mission will serve as the pillar for how we engage with Emerging Leaders and students around the world, stay true to our goals, and adapt to regional requirements.
As a woman in the pharma industry, I have witnessed firsthand the growth of the industry in the Germany/Austria/Switzerland (D/A/CH) region and the opportunities it has brought for women like me.
It is hard to believe that by the time this column is published, my term as Chair will be half over. We’ve accomplished much, and I’m left wondering, “Where has the year gone?”
Speed to market is a major priority for life sciences companies and this is going to be a featured topic during the 2023 ISPE Biotechnology Conference. More than ever before, biotechnology companies are pushing for exponential growth by expediting the scalability of manufacturing processes and the use of different modalities. This can significantly accelerate patient access to life-saving...
Industries around the world are working to reach carbon neutrality. By reducing greenhouse gas emissions or removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, companies can effectively make up for the emissions they produce elsewhere. Think of it like planting a tree in one place for every tree you cut down elsewhere. In theory, if you plant as many trees as you cut down, you will reach “net-zero...
When a Project Manager (PM) joins a new qualification project for a new production plant, the first thing to do is to gather information so that you will know the scope of the project very well: all the systems, equipment and services that are part of it and the scopes of the different qualification phases. In addition, the key members of each area and their level of support must be...
The use of robotics to manufacture Advanced Therapy and Medicinal Products (ATMP) solves many challenges, including significantly limiting exposure to human generated contamination. There are steps to mitigate contamination points but with the strong endorsements recently made within the current revision to Annex 1 encouraging the use of robotics (Section 8.9),1
As the biopharmaceutical industry grapples with faster commercialization of new drugs, along with an increased focused on sustainability, process simulation has never been more relevant. Whether for risk assessment or optimization, process simulation aims to represent a chemical or biochemical process by modeling the governing mechanisms that affect quality, yield, throughput, environmental...
The impact of paperless validation on the biotechnology industry is massive, and the overall effect is growing as adoption increases. Paperless validation is applicable to every type of validation in biotech: cleaning, process, equipment, facilities, utilities, and many others. Twenty percent of a project’s budget is devoted to validation activities, so streamlining profoundly impacts the...
The advantages that come with a fully digitalized plant for manufacturing biopharmaceuticals are well documented and showcased throughout the biopharmaceutical industry and will be a featured topic during the 2023...
We are The Culture Club, a self-formed cross-CoP group of individuals who came together to discuss challenges encountered as we transition quality and validation into the digital world and identify ways to influence cultural changes needed within our industry to better enable innovation. As we are not all from the same CoP, we first needed to establish a way to connect and collaborate with all...
On 17 December 2022, more than 100 people from all over the world gathered online for the 2022 China Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Summit hosted by Shanghai ISPE Pharmaceutical Information Company (SPIC). With multiple geopolitical and pandemic related challenges in recent years, having a robust supply chain has increasingly become a strategic advantage for the pharmaceutical industry. The...
In the iSpeak Blog posting on 14 March 2023, the first part of this blog series introduced the results of a survey that was conducted of users of single-use assemblies. The focus...
Members of the paperless validation subcommittee created this blog post to discuss and recommend “true copy verification practices” for the use of Paperless validation systems to satisfy the current guidance for data integrity, and to discuss how to fully eliminate paper from various validation processes without impacting compliance to these current regulations.
The Biopharmaceutical industry continues to grow and deliver life-changing medicines to patients as evidenced by the number of drug approvals by the FDA year after year. In 2022 alone CDER approved 37 novel drugs, either as new molecular entities (NMEs) under New Drug Applications (NDAs) or as new therapeutic biological products under Biologics License Applications (BLAs). This has all been...
Contamination within pharmaceutical facilities can arise from different sources. However, most contamination cases are associated with humans working in cleanrooms. Current protecting measures against human sources of contamination include garments with high particle filtration efficiency rates, strict personal hygiene, and proper operator training. Despite all these measures, microbes and...
When it comes to selecting pharmaceutical mixing equipment, understanding the fundamentals of mixing design and how to ask the right questions is paramount.
Marion’s Mixing Handbook provides a detailed overview of what you need to consider to ensure your next mixer aligns with your processing needs.
You’ll learn about different equipment configurations and see an...
With interest growing in on-line microbial monitoring, Stilmas, a company specialized in the design, development, and construction of storage and distribution systems for pharmaceutical waters, collaborated with METTLER...
Whether networking at events or collaborating through our Communities of Practice, the value of an ISPE membership is in the connections made between pharmaceutical industry professionals and Regulators to collaborate on solutions to common goals and challenges.
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