Posts Tagged ‘medication guide’

Ethnographic Research and REMS

Monday, July 12th, 2010

-Guest Blog by Andrea J. Simon, PhD.-

In the past year, pressures to integrate observational or ethnographic research (which really are one and the same) in pharmaceutical and biotech industries are increasing as the value of this research is becoming better understood. In particular, Phase IV research involving the management and use of a drug protocol is becoming more and more important; i.e., when a drug is in widespread use, risks need to be better understood. At the same time, there is a growing sense of uncertainty around ethnography’s legitimate role, how to integrate it into quantitative research, and when to use its information and insights to support or alter a previously defined direction. Along with this greater scrutiny, there is rising debate about ‘best practices’ in observational research processes, especially regarding the need to define protocols to ensure that research is conducted with proper rigor and is producing suitable, credible results. (more…)

VIOXX - What Could Have Been in the Age of REMS

Monday, February 15th, 2010

- Guest blog by Wendy Kaplan Nickel -

Perhaps one of the greatest downfalls in drug history was the steep tumble of VIOXX after it was voluntarily pulled from the market in 2004.  VIOXX was approved by the FDA in 1999 and quickly became “the” drug for arthritis.  It gained widespread acceptance among physicians and over 20 million people were prescribed VIOXX at some point in its 5-year tenure.  In fact, in the year prior to VIOXX’s withdrawal from the market, its manufacturer, Merck, experienced sales revenue of $2.5 billion from VIOXX alone.  It is assumed Merck certainly had no intention of harming patients with its product, and in fact, celebrated in the fact that so many patients benefitted from the medication.  However, it is worth exploring what might have happened if VIOXX’s safety issues had been discovered during the post-FDAAA era.

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REMS Assessments

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

As we advise clients about REMS design and implementation, the most frequent concern we encounter is related to REMS assessment.  A look at the math reveals why this is so.  Over 63 REMS have been approved since FDAAA statutes for REMS became effective in March 2008.  Of those, more than 90% are comprised of Medication Guides and/or Communication Plans, plus an assessment.  (more…)

FDA’s Draft Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) Guidance – A Preliminary Review (Part V)

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

On September 30th, FDA issued draft guidance, “Format and Content of Proposed Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS), REMS Assessments and Proposed REMS Modifications”. While much of this draft guidance is a codification of what’s already been happening in practice over the past 2 years, there are some interesting aspects in the guidance for those working in the REMS space to contemplate. This is the fifth in an ongoing series of blog articles about this important document.

Our first four articles covered the background of FDAAA and REMS, an overview of a REMS submission and greater detail about the “Proposed REMS” and “REMS Supporting Document”, and REMS submissions and communications with FDA.

In this fifth and final article, we address our preliminary interpretation of the draft guidance, as well as opportunities for industry to respond and propose further improvements. (more…)

FDA’s Draft Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) Guidance – A Preliminary Review (Part III)

Wednesday, October 7th, 2009

On September 30th, FDA issued its long awaited draft guidance, “Format and Content of Proposed Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS), REMS Assessments and Proposed REMS Modifications”. While much of this draft guidance is a codification of what’s already been happening in practice over the past 2 years, there are a few interesting surprises (depicted in bold below) for those working in the REMS space to contemplate. This is the third in an ongoing series of blog articles about this important document.

Our first two articles covered the background of FDAAA and REMS relative to RiskMAPs and those RiskMAPs deemed to be REMS, an overview of a REMS submission, and greater detail about the more concise “proposed REMS” component of the REMS document submission. This article details the content of the more comprehensive “REMS Supporting Document”, which explains the rationale for, and supporting information about, the proposed REMS. A template for the REMS Supporting Document can be found on the www.fda.gov website. (more…)

FDA’s Draft Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) Guidance – A Preliminary Review (Part II)

Monday, October 5th, 2009

On September 30th, FDA issued its long awaited draft guidance, “Format and Content of Proposed Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS), REMS Assessments and Proposed REMS Modifications”. While much of this draft guidance is a codification of what’s already been happening in practice over the past two years, there are a few interesting surprises (depicted in bold below) for those working in the REMS space to contemplate. This is the second in an ongoing series of blog articles about this important document.

Our first article covered the background of FDAAA and REMS relative to RiskMAPs and those RiskMAPs deemed to be REMS, as well as an overview of a REMS submission. This second article addresses, in greater detail, the more concise “proposed REMS” component of the REMS document submission. The more expanded “REMS supporting document”, explaining the rationale for, and supporting information about, the proposed REMS being addressed in the next article. (more…)

FDA’s Draft Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) Guidance - A Preliminary Review (Part I)

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

FDA issued its long awaited draft guidance, “Format and Content of Proposed Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS), REMS Assessments and Proposed REMS Modifications”, on September 30. While much of the guidance is codification of what’s already been happening in practice over the past two years, there are a few surprises (indicated here in bold) for all of us working in the REMS space to contemplate. This is the first in a series of blog posts about this important document. (more…)

Contingency Planning: Strategies to Negotiate the Barriers to Product Approval

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009

In a constantly changing regulatory environment, having a well planned contingency strategy is vital for successful Food and Drug Administration (FDA) negotiations. Today, this is more important than ever. The FDA is asking companies to prepare Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) to help ensure patient safety, and has issued a documentation template, but has yet to provide further guidance to the industry on how such REMS should be developed. (more…)

Thoughts Shared at FDLI Risk Management Conference

Wednesday, January 28th, 2009

FDA and the industry share thoughts at FDLI risk management conference

Earlier this month, while Washington was bustling with Inaugural preparations, there was an excellent meeting in the capital on pharmaceutical risk management, hosted by the Food and Drug Law Institute (FDLI) at the offices of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP.  The impetus of the meeting was to provide a forum for some of the authors of the recently published text, Pharmaceutical Risk Management: Practical Applications (FDLI, 2008) as well as other experts within the industry and within the FDA.  Industry veteran Wayne Pines, who edited the book along with me and my colleague at ParagonRx, Gary Slatko, chaired the conference.

I would like to share with you some of the more-intriguing thoughts to come out of the conference, as well as a few news tidbits – but first let me say that if you would like to obtain a complete transcript of the conference or to buy a copy of PRM: Practical Applications, please contact the FDLI website at www.fdli.org.
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