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Good manufacturing practices (GMP) are the practices required in order to conform to the guidelines recommended by agencies that control the authorization and licensing of the manufacture and sale of food and beverages, cosmetics, pharmaceutical products, dietary supplements, and medical devices. These guidelines provide minimum requirements that a manufacturer must meet to assure that their products are consistently high in quality, from batch to batch, for their intended use. The rules that govern each industry may differ significantly; however, the main purpose of GMP is always to prevent harm from occurring to the end user. Additional tenets include ensuring the end product is free from contamination, that it is consistent in its manufacture, that its manufacture has been well documented, that personnel are well trained, and the product has been checked for quality more than just at the end phase. GMP is typically ensured through the effective use of a quality management system (QMS).
The regulation of therapeutic goods, that is drugs and therapeutic devices, varies by jurisdiction. In some countries, such as the United States, they are regulated at the national level by a single agency. In other jurisdictions they are regulated at the state level, or at both state and national levels by various bodies, as is the case in Australia.
In the European Economic Area, a supplementary protection certificate (SPC) is a sui generis intellectual property (IP) right that extends the duration of certain rights associated with a patent. It enters into force after expiry of a patent upon which it is based. This type of right is available for various regulated, biologically active agents, namely human or veterinary medicaments and plant protection products. Supplementary protection certificates were introduced to encourage innovation by compensating for the long time needed to obtain regulatory approval of these products.
A serious adverse event (SAE) in human drug trials is defined as any untoward medical occurrence that at any dose
- results in death,
- is life-threatening
- requires inpatient hospitalization or causes prolongation of existing hospitalization
- results in persistent or significant disability/incapacity,
- may have caused a congenital anomaly/birth defect, or
- requires intervention to prevent permanent impairment or damage.
In the experimental (non-clinical) research arena, the phrase good laboratory practice or GLP specifically refers to a quality system of management controls for research laboratories and organizations to ensure the uniformity, consistency, reliability, reproducibility, quality, and integrity of chemical non-clinical safety tests; from physio-chemical properties through acute to chronic toxicity tests.
In drug development, the Investigator's Brochure (IB) is a comprehensive document summarizing the body of information about an investigational product obtained during a drug trial. The IB is a document of critical importance throughout the drug development process and is updated with new information as it becomes available. The purpose of the IB is to compile data relevant to studies of the IP in human subjects gathered during preclinical and other clinical trials.
Council of the European Communities Directive 93/41/EEC of 14 June 1993 repealed Directive 87/22/EEC on the approximation of national measures relating to the marketing of high-technology medicinal products, as this directive had been superseded by Council Regulation (EEC) No 2309/93 of 22 July 1993 laying down Community procedures for the authorization and supervision of medicinal products for human and veterinary use and establishing a European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (5) and by Council Directive 88/182/EEC of 22 March 1988 amending Directive 83/189/EEC laying down a procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical standards and regulations (6).
Directive 2001/83/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 November 2001 on the Community code relating to medicinal products for human use. The Directive dealt with the disparities between certain national provisions, in particular between provisions relating to medicinal products, which directly affected the functioning of the internal market of the European Union.
The Clinical Trials Directive is a European Union directive that aimed at facilitating the internal market in medicinal products within the European Union, while at the same time maintaining an appropriate level of protection for public health. It seeks to simplify and harmonise the administrative provisions governing clinical trials in the European Community, by establishing a clear, transparent procedure.
The European Directive on Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products (THMPD), formally the Directive 2004/24/EC amending, as regards traditional herbal medicinal products, Directive 2001/83/EC on the Community code relating to medicinal products for human use, was established by the European Parliament and Council on 31 March 2004 to provide a simplified regulatory approval process for traditional herbal medicines in the European Union (EU). Previously, there was no formal EU wide authorisation procedure, so each EU member state regulated these types of products at the national level.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to clinical research:
In the European Union, the Qualified Person Responsible For Pharmacovigilance (QPPV) is an individual, usually an employee of a pharmaceutical company, who is personally responsible for the safety of the human pharmaceutical products marketed by that company in the EU. This function was established in 2004 by article 23 of regulation (EC) No 726/2004. The article establishes that the holder of a marketing authorization for a drug for human use must have a QPPV. When a company submits an application for permission to bring a medicinal product onto the market, the company submits a description of its system for monitoring the safety of the product in actual use and proof that the services of a QPPV are in place.
The rapid development in the multidisciplinary field of tissue engineering has resulted in a variety of new and innovative medicinal products, often carrying living cells, intended to repair, regenerate or replace damaged human tissue. Tissue engineered medicinal products (TEMPs) vary in terms of the type and origin of cells and the product’s complexity. As all medicinal products, the safety and efficacy of TEMPs must be consistent throughout the manufacturing process. Quality control and assurance are of paramount importance and products are constantly assessed throughout the manufacturing process to ensure their safety, efficacy, consistency and reproducibility between batches. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is responsible for the development, assessment and supervision of medicines in the EU. The appointed committees are involved in referral procedures concerning safety or the balance of benefit/risk of a medicinal product. In addition, the committees organize inspections with regards to the conditions under which medicinal products are being manufactured. For example, the compliance with good manufacturing practice (GMP), good clinical practice (GCP), good laboratory practice (GLP) and pharmacovigilance (PhV).
Guidances for statistics in regulatory affairs are applicable to the pharmaceutical industry and medical devices industry. These Guidances represent the current thinking of regulatory agencies on a particular subject. It is to be noted that the term “Guidances” is used in the USA, whereas the term “Guidelines” is used in Europe.
Drug distribution is the process by means of which people get access to medication.
References
- Text of the directive: Commission Directive 2005/28/EC of 8 April 2005 laying down principles and detailed guidelines for good clinical practice as regards investigational medicinal products for human use, as well as the requirements for authorisation of the manufacturing or importation of such products
- National implementing measures of the EU-countries
