Regulatory Blog

Demonstrating that a drug works as intended is one of the most important requirements for FDA approval. Before a new drug or biological product can reach patients, sponsors must provide strong scientific evidence showing that the product delivers meaningful clinical benefits. To clarify current expectations, the FDA issued the draft guidance "Demonstrating Substantial Evidence of Effectiveness for Human Drug and Biological Products." The guidance explains how sponsors can est

Obtaining marketing authorisation for medicinal products in Ireland requires careful planning and early engagement with the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA). To support efficient assessment and resource management, the HPRA has established guidance for companies seeking to submit new national marketing authorisation applications and for applicants requesting Ireland to act as the Reference Member State (RMS) in a Decentralised Procedure (DCP). The guidance document

As clinical research continues to evolve, decentralized clinical trials (DCTs) are becoming increasingly important. By incorporating technologies such as telemedicine, remote monitoring, electronic consent, and home healthcare services, decentralized trials can reduce participant burden and improve access to research opportunities. Recognizing this shift, Health Canada launched a consultation on its Draft Guidance for Decentralized Clinical Trials (DCTs). Feedback from indust

Bringing innovative medicines to patients requires more than scientific excellence. Pharmaceutical companies must navigate complex regulatory pathways, demonstrate product quality, ensure appropriate labeling, and comply with country-specific requirements before a medicinal product reaches the market. Swissmedic, Switzerland's national authority for therapeutic products, has established several regulatory mechanisms that facilitate patient access to innovative therapies while

Clinical trials are conducted in accordance with approved protocols and regulatory requirements designed to protect participants and ensure the generation of reliable scientific data. However, changes may become necessary during the course of a study due to emerging safety information, operational considerations, scientific developments, or updates to study procedures. The MHRA guidance Clinical Trials for Medicines: Modifying a Clinical Trial Approval provides a framework fo

The registration of human medicines is a complex process that requires comprehensive scientific evidence demonstrating that a product is safe, effective, and manufactured to acceptable quality standards. To support applicants seeking registration of human medicines in South Africa, SAHPRA has issued the guidance Clinical Guideline. The guideline provides detailed information on the clinical evaluation pathways available for human medicines and outlines the documentation, dat

Obtaining FDA approval for an Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) is a major milestone in generic drug development. However, approval is only the beginning of a product's regulatory lifecycle. Generic drug manufacturers must continue to meet numerous postapproval obligations related to product quality, safety monitoring, labeling, manufacturing changes, reporting requirements, and regulatory compliance. To help the industry better understand these responsibilities, the FD

As genome editing technologies continue to advance, sponsors are increasingly developing innovative gene therapies targeting rare, serious, and life-threatening diseases. These programs often involve complex manufacturing processes, extensive nonclinical studies, sophisticated analytical testing, and lengthy clinical development timelines. To support more efficient development pathways, the FDA released the draft guidance, Leveraging Prior Knowledge in the Development of Huma

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming an integral part of pharmaceutical development and regulatory operations. From drug discovery and clinical trials to manufacturing and pharmacovigilance, AI is transforming how medicines are developed, assessed, and monitored. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) published its 2025 AI Observatory Report to provide an overview of AI-related activities across the European Medicines Regulatory Network (EMRN). The report highlights

In May 2026, the FDA Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE) and Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) issued the draft guidance Oncology Pharmaceuticals: Streamlined Nonclinical Safety Studies for Biologics and Conjugated Products. The guidance introduces risk-based approaches for nonclinical safety assessments of certain oncology biologics and conjugated products, aiming to facilitate development while maintaining patient safety. The guidance highlights that data anal

The global regulatory landscape for oncology medicines is increasingly moving toward collaborative review models that enable faster patient access to innovative treatments. One of the most significant initiatives in this area is Project Orbis, a multinational programme that allows concurrent submission and review of promising cancer medicines across several international regulatory authorities. The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) guidance on Proj

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has issued Revision 4 of the "Explanatory Note to Good Pharmacovigilance Practices (GVP) Module VII – Periodic Safety Update Report" prepared by the Human Medicines Evaluation Division. This revision addresses practical challenges encountered during the PSUR Single Assessment (PSUSA) process, particularly for nationally authorised medicinal products (NAPs), and serves as the basis for the forthcoming update of GVP Module VII. Purpose of the

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues to modernize clinical research and postmarketing safety monitoring through new guidance documents focused on digital health technologies and real-world safety evidence. In May 2026, FDA published two important guidance documents: Submitting Continuous Glucose Monitoring Data in Clinical Trials Postapproval Pregnancy Safety Studies Guidance on Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) Data in Clinical Trials What is Continuous Gl

Human cellular and gene therapy (CGT) products are transforming modern medicine by offering innovative treatments for serious and life-threatening diseases such as cancer, genetic disorders, and chronic illnesses. However, the development and manufacturing of these therapies are often highly complex due to personalized production processes, advanced technologies, limited patient populations, and short product shelf-lives. To support innovation while maintaining product qualit

The traditional clinical trial model has long been associated with delays in data reporting, lengthy timelines, and inefficiencies in decision-making. Recognizing these challenges, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken a transformative step toward modernizing clinical research. This press announcement was released on April 28, 2026, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of clinical trials. The FDA introduced major steps to advance the implementation

The integrity, reliability, and robustness of clinical trial data are fundamental to regulatory decision-making, particularly for marketing authorisation applications (MAAs). With the increasing reliance on computerised systems such as electronic case report forms (eCRFs), electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs), safety databases, interactive response technologies (eIRT), and clinical trial management systems (CTMS), the role of validated digital systems has become centr

The Singapore Health Sciences Authority (HSA) has released Version 6 of its updated guidance document titled “Post-Marketing Vigilance Requirements for Therapeutic Products and Cell, Tissue and Gene Therapy Products (CTGTP)”, effective from 1 April 2026. The updated guidance provides important clarification on pharmacovigilance obligations, adverse event reporting, risk management plans (RMPs), and post-registration safety responsibilities for companies operating in Singapore

The Philippines Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advancing its regulatory framework by adopting internationally aligned practices to improve the quality, transparency, and efficiency of pharmaceutical product regulation. The draft circular Adoption and Implementation of Good Registration Management (GRM), Good Review Practice (GRevP), and Good Submission Practice (GSubP) for Pharmaceutical Products introduces a structured and integrated approach to both regulatory submi

Medicine shortages and discontinuations are a growing global concern, and Australia has established a robust regulatory framework to ensure early detection, transparency, and risk mitigation. The guidance Reporting a shortage or discontinuation of a medicine you supply (updated 13 April 2026) outlines the mandatory obligations for sponsors to report medicine shortages and discontinuations to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). A medicine shortage occurs when supply is

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) continues to advance data standardisation and digital transformation in regulatory processes through the implementation of ISO IDMP standards and Product Management Services (PMS). The guidance Process for the electronic submission of medicinal product information – Chapter 3 (Version 3.5, updated 20 April 2026) provides detailed instructions on how medicinal product data should be submitted, managed, and maintained electronically throughou