Canada Cuts Red Tape With Single Ethics Review For Trials

A new research ethics review system for multi-site clinical trials in Canada is expected to help improve study start-up times, avoid unnecessary duplication and boost the country’s competitiveness on a global stage.

Diversity Action Plans: What To Submit And When

 
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With the deadline for comments on the US FDA’s draft guidance less than a month away, the Pink Sheet offers an infographic outlining what the agency is expecting in diversity action plans and when that might be implemented.

India Tightens Oversight Of CROs With Mandatory Registration

 
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Contract research organizations (CROs) in India must gear up to comply with new registration requirements coming into effect in April 2025 that aim to enhance the quality and integrity of clinical trials, as well as of any bioavailability and bioequivalence studies conducted by them.


UK Expedites Cost Negotiations For Companies Conducting ATMP & Early Phase Trials

 

Companies dealing with commercial costings or contracts with the National Health Service for early phase clinical trials or trials of advanced therapy medicinal products should soon be able to conclude their negotiations more quickly.

Clinical Trial Diversity Action Plans Need Timely FDA Feedback, Groups Say

 
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The agency also should explain the potential consequences for sponsors if enrollment goals are not met, stakeholders say in comments on the DAP draft guidance. Some commenters urged the FDA to apply waiver criteria flexibly, especially for rare diseases.

How To Decarbonize Pharma R&D

 

As the planet heats up and sea levels rise, the need to reduce carbon emissions is becoming ever more urgent. The life sciences industry is just one of many that are looking to cut the carbon it produces.

US FDA’s MIDD Program Could Expand Beyond Quarterly Requests, But Needs Resources

 

An FDA official said the agency is considering allowing MIDD meeting requests to be submitted more often, but must have a plan to deal with the likely increased demand.


UK MHRA First-Half New Drug Approvals Show Overwhelming Use Of EU Reliance Procedures

 
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The UK regulator approved 16 medicines containing a new active substance in the first half of this year, while the European Commission issued marketing authorizations for 20 NAS-containing drugs.

HTA Regulation: EU Publishes Guidance On Validity Of Clinical Studies For Joint Clinical Assessments

 

Joint clinical assessment reports must be descriptive rather than reach definitive conclusions, and must not interfere with national decision making processes, according to new EU guidance.

Ocaliva Confirmatory Trial Failed To Verify Benefit In Primary Biliary Cholangitis, US FDA Says

 
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A real-world evidence study also does not meet the regulatory standard for an adequate and well-controlled clinical investigation, the agency said. The FDA should allow the accelerated approval drug to remain available like other treatments that failed their confirmatory trials, Intercept said.  

Pharma Warming Up To Benefits Of Australia’s Teletrials Initiative

 
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The Australian teletrials program has surpassed expectations at its mid-way point and is being used by drug and device sponsors looking to enhance trial participant recruitment and retention by enabling access to rural, regional and remote areas.


Overcoming The Challenges Of Developing Hearing Loss Therapies

 
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Finding the right way to measure outcomes is just one of the difficulties involved in conducting clinical trials of potential new therapies for loss of hearing, which can have a number of different causes.

HRSA-J&J Dispute Over 340B Rebate Plan Again Underscores Need For Program Reform

 
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Johnson & Johnson plans to shift 340B price concessions on Stelara and Xarelto to rebates for some hospitals beginning in October, allowing for more company oversight of claims.

MSN Generic Entresto Launch In Doubt After US Appeals Court Stops Approval

 
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MSN Laboratories will be unable to move forward with any potential ‘at-risk’ launch for its generic version of Novartis’ Entresto blockbuster in the US for now after the originator won a stay of the firm’s ANDA approval pending appeal from the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Overcoming The Challenges Of Developing Hearing Loss Therapies

 
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Finding the right way to measure outcomes is just one of the difficulties involved in conducting clinical trials of potential new therapies for loss of hearing, which can have a number of different causes.


Use AI In Health Technology Assessments Only When Valuable, England’s NICE Tells Pharma Firms

 

Pharmaceutical companies should only use AI in evidence generation and reporting where there is “demonstrable value from doing so,” according to England’s health technology assessment body, NICE.

Beyond BIOSECURE: Lawmakers Flag US Clinical Trial Partnerships With Chinese Military Hospitals

 
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Letter to US FDA by a bipartisan group of House members cites clinical trials sponsored by Eli Lilly and Pfizer as examples of a widespread industry practice. But any legislation to curtail such practices is not expected to be part of the BIOSECURE Act.

AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi Squeezes Through: Is FDA Reversing Course Or In A Transition Period?

 

Even as US FDA expressed concern about the perioperative trial design, AstraZeneca’s ability to snag NSCLC indication without demonstrating the benefits of both the neoadjuvant and adjuvant phases of therapy highlights slow pace of agency policy shifts.

Brexit & Covid Impact On UK Cancer Trials ‘Dissipating’

 

Brexit has been cited as a cause of the UK’s 2020 decline in clinical trials, but research suggests that other global trends including the pandemic also had a large impact. Meanwhile, the MHRA’s efforts to incentivize sponsors could boost trial figures “substantially,” an expert says.