ARTICLES BY TIM SANDLE

• Nitrosamines: New WHO Guidance Provides Expanded Risk Assessment Considerations

  5/6/2024

  Nitrosamines are potential contaminants of drug products. Contamination can occur from synthesizing APIs and excipients, from leaching into the product from primary packaging, and more.

• AI And Pharmaceutical Development: WHO Calls For Ethical Framework, Good Governance

  4/8/2024

  The World Health Organization (WHO) recently released a document titled Benefits and risks of using artificial intelligence for pharmaceutical development and delivery describing the ethical issues and governance considerations for using AI in drug discovery, preclinical development, and clinical trials.

• FDA Issues Draft Guidance For Cell & Gene Therapy Potency Assurance

  1/25/2024

  The FDA recently released a draft guidance, Potency Assurance for Cellular and Gene Therapy Products. This article summarizes the draft guidance. The public comment period ends March 27, 2024.

• Designing Facility Monitoring Systems For Cleanrooms

  12/4/2023

  Let's examine the features and advantages of facility monitoring systems, system architecture considerations, and overall system considerations.

• New ISO 14644-21:2023 Addresses Reducing Sampling Errors With Airborne Particle Counters

  9/11/2023

  The new ISO 14644 Part 21 addresses optimizing particle counter accuracy in cleanrooms, focusing on reducing sampling error and particle loss. Discussion includes the use of airborne particle counters, tubing, and isokinetic probes.

• CGMP Requirements For Automated Facility Monitoring Systems

  8/15/2023

  To assess facility control, most organizations use facility monitoring systems to monitor the manufacturing workspaces continuously. Let's take a deeper look at current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) requirements for the design and operation of such automated systems, including a look at total particle counting.

• FDA Finalizes Guidance On Nonclinical Evaluation Of Pharmaceutical Immunotoxicity

  7/18/2023

  The FDA has now finalized a guidance document on the immunotoxic potential of pharmaceuticals. The FDA builds on current ICH guidance and proposes a two-stage approach. Central to the guidance is using a risk framework.

• Key Considerations In Selecting A Robotic Solution For Endotoxin Testing

  7/6/2023

  The U.S., European, and Japanese Pharmacopoeias require testing for bacterial endotoxin in pharmaceutical products, water, intermediates, and medical devices. This article shares key criteria for those of us who are looking to select an automated/robotic endotoxin detection system.

• FDA Adopts ICH Guidance On Assessing Nonclinical Biodistribution Of Gene Therapy Viral Vectors

  5/23/2023

  An important step in the gene therapy development process is assembling biodistribution data in suitable animals in relation to the intended clinical population. Developing an accurate biodistribution profile is influenced by factors such as the route of administration, dose level(s), dosing regimen, and the animal immune response to the gene therapy product. The FDA adopted this ICH guidance in May 2023, and the EMA plans to adopt it in September 2023.

• Not All Plate Counting Technologies Are The Same

  5/18/2023

  While rapid microbiological methods have advanced, most microbiology lab tests remain reliant upon assessing microbial growth on agar plates. Discrepancies with plate counting, together with the limitations of human vision, have led to regulatory concerns. This article shares the advantages of automated colony counters. Keep in mind that not all automated plate counters are the same, though — you'll want to look for important functionality.