Regulatory Blog

The guidance Incorporating Voluntary Patient Preference Information over the Total Product Life Cycle  was issued on 30 March 2026 , updating and superseding the earlier 2016 guidance, and providing comprehensive recommendations on how patient preferences can inform benefit-risk assessments. The FDA recognizes that patients living with diseases or conditions develop first-hand insights into treatment benefits and risks. Their perspectives can play a critical role in evaluatin

The UK regulatory landscape for medicines is increasingly evolving to integrate environmental protection alongside public health safety, and recently, on 1 April 2026, the UK MHRA updated its guidance on " Environmental Risk Assessments in medicines " . A key component of this approach is the requirement for Environmental Risk Assessments (ERA), ensuring that medicinal products do not pose unintended risks to ecosystems during their lifecycle. Background Environmental Risk

India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) has released a draft notification dated 09 March 2026  proposing amendments to the Drugs Rules, 1945 to establish a structured framework for managing post-approval manufacturing changes. This draft notification introduces clear regulatory requirements for notifying authorities when manufacturers make changes to manufacturing processes, excipients, packaging, shelf life, specifications, testing procedures, or docume

This guidance , published in March 2026 by the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM) , introduces new approaches for accelerating the assessment of Certificates of Suitability (CEP) applications. It focuses on two key pathways: Fast-track assessment Reliance-based assessment Both approaches aim to improve regulatory efficiency, reduce delays, and ensure timely access to medicines. CEP procedures are essential for demonstrating that a substance

This guidance, " Submitting an application for review by the ACBS, "  explains how to submit an application to the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances (ACBS) . The ACBS evaluates products that may be considered borderline between foods and medicines, particularly for use within the NHS. The guidance provides a structured approach to ensure that applications are complete, accurate, and suitable for review. Purpose of the Application Process The purpose of this  guidanc

This guidance, " Archiving and retention of clinical trial records, "  explains the requirements for archiving and retaining clinical trial records. Proper archiving is essential to ensure that trial data remains accessible, accurate, and verifiable  over time. It supports regulatory compliance and ensures that clinical trials can be reviewed, inspected, or audited when required. Purpose of Archiving and Retention The purpose of this guidance  is to ensure that essential cli

This guidance , " Clinical Trials Regulations enforcement provisions , "  explains how regulatory authorities enforce compliance in clinical trials. Its primary focus is to ensure that trials are conducted in a way that protects participant safety, rights, and data integrity. It supports the implementation of the Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations, ensuring that all trials meet required legal and ethical standards. Purpose of Enforcement Provisions The purp

The development of biosimilar and interchangeable biological products is an important part of improving access to biological medicines. To support this process, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued guidance documents that clarify regulatory expectations under the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act (BPCI Act) . Two key FDA guidance documents provide detailed explanations through a question-and-answer format  to help sponsors understand the regulat

Regulatory authorities across the European Union continue to strengthen pharmacovigilance systems and data-driven regulatory decision-making. Two important EMA documents highlight these developments: the EU implementation strategy for the ICH E2D(R1) guideline on post-approval safety data  and the Network Data Steering Group (NDSG) Workplan 2026–2028 on data and artificial intelligence in medicines regulation. Guidance: Network Data Steering Group Workplan 2026–2028: Data and

Clinical trials play a critical role in evaluating the safety and effectiveness of medicines before they are made available to patients. In the United Kingdom, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)  provides guidance to help sponsors and researchers comply with regulatory requirements for clinical trials involving medicinal products. This article provides a consolidated overview of MHRA guidance covering several key areas of clinical trial regulation,

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued guidance documents to help pharmaceutical manufacturers understand regulatory expectations related to market exclusivity for drug products  and responses to inspection findings following CGMP inspections . These guidances support transparency in regulatory processes and help industry ensure compliance with quality and development requirements. Guidance: New Clinical Investigation Exclusivity (3-Year Exclusivity) for Drug

This blog summarizes two important regulatory guidances from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that support pharmacovigilance and real-world evidence generation: M14: General Principles for Planning, Designing, Analyzing, and Reporting Non-Interventional Studies E2D(R1): Post-approval Safety Data – Definitions and Standards for Management and Reporting of Individual Case Safety Reports Together, these guidances provide a framework for how pharmaceutical companies ge

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a final rule titled “ Revising the National Drug Code Format and Drug Label Barcode Requirements .”  This rule introduces a uniform 12-digit National Drug Code (NDC) format  to standardize how drugs marketed in the United States are identified. The National Drug Code is an FDA standard used to uniquely identify drug products marketed in the U.S. Currently, the NDC assigned by FDA is a 10-digit number , and it may appear i

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) provides an online portal that enables organisations and individuals to submit regulatory forms and manage applications electronically. The MHRA Portal is designed to streamline regulatory submissions, improve efficiency, and provide a centralised system for interacting with the agency. This guidance explains how users can register for the MHRA Portal, outlines the registration process, and describes key considera

The Early Access to Medicines Scheme (EAMS)  is a regulatory initiative in the United Kingdom designed to provide patients with life-threatening or seriously debilitating conditions earlier access to promising medicines before full marketing authorisation is granted. The scheme is administered by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and aims to accelerate patient access to innovative treatments where there is a clear unmet medical need. The main obj

South Africa continues to strengthen regulatory efficiency and regional collaboration through structured reliance pathways. The SAHPRA Medical Devices Reliance Guideline and the ZAZIBONA Centralised Procedure – SAHPRA’s Reliance Process  collectively demonstrate SAHPRA’s commitment to regulatory convergence within the SADC region. Guidance: Medical Devices Reliance Guideline – SAHPRA’s Structured Reliance Framework The Medical Devices Reliance Guideline outlines the principle

In February 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a draft guidance for industry outlining considerations for using a Plausible Mechanism Framework  to develop individualized therapies that target specific genetic conditions with a known biological cause. The draft guidance, developed by the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) and the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), describes how developers may generate substantial evidence o

The UK medicines regulatory framework provides structured pathways for obtaining a licence to market a medicinal product. Two key guidance documents outline the National Assessment Procedure (NAP)  and the process to Apply for a licence to market a medicine in the UK . Together, these resources explain how applicants can submit, manage, and progress marketing authorisation applications within the UK regulatory system. Guidance: National Assessment Procedure (NAP) for Medicin

Reclassification of medicines is an important regulatory mechanism that allows changes to the legal supply status of a medicinal product in the United Kingdom. The UK guidance on reclassification explains how applicants can apply to change the classification of a medicine, outlines procedural pathways, and clarifies the regulatory expectations associated with such changes. Using the Reclassification Guidance The guidance is intended for marketing authorisation holders or app

In February 2026, Swissmedic published updated guidance documents covering key regulatory and post-authorisation requirements for human medicinal products. These updates provide clarity on administrative changes, pharmacovigilance obligations, formal submission requirements, packaging standards, document protection, parallel import procedures, co-marketing authorisations, lifecycle management, and variations. Guidance: Change of Name or Domicile of the Authorisation Holder Th