Tag: GMP

Supply Chain Management: Avoiding Interruptions

Posted on by Brandon Miller

Supply chain management is delicate — it only takes one “broken link” in the chain to significantly impact every aspect of a business’s operations. In a time when a pandemic is raging across the globe and wreaking havoc on manufacturing, maintaining an efficient, avoiding supply chain interruptions is more challenging than ever.

 

Pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturing, and a host of other industries are seeking ways to avoid costly interruptions by tightening their supply chains. In this post, we’ll offer some solutions your organization can consider implementing to prevent disruptions.

 

Need help Optimizing your Supply Chain?  Talk to our Experts →

 

Manufacturing Location

 

During the last century, businesses started looking to move their manufacturing operations to geographical areas where they could take advantage of lower labor costs. Companies in the U.S., for instance, began shifting production to Mexico, and eventually, India and Asia.

 

Logistics Management

 

While these plant relocations provided substantial cost savings for many years, several factors have conspired to reduce or eliminate the potential benefits. For example, COVID-19 has resulted in multiple plant closures and disrupted logistics management around the world. Growing political unrest in several nations is another contributing factor. It pays to periodically re-evaluate your global supply chain to determine whether it’s still cost-effective or increasing your risk of interruption.

 

Supply Chain Analytics

 

Supply chain interruptions

Are your manufacturing processes compatible with modern supply chain analytics and automation resources? As technology continues to improve, automation can provide a more practical and affordable alternative for a pharma company in many cases.

 

One of the most significant advantages of supply chain automation is the opportunity to integrate your systems with larger suppliers. By partnering with conglomerates that have access to numerous resources and advanced technologies, you’ll reduce the likelihood of a supply chain disruption within your operations.

 

Sourcing Opportunities

 

Relying on a single supplier or limited supplier base can leave you vulnerable if a problem occurs. Proactively seeking global supply chains that can replicate the services of your core suppliers can help you to make a fast, seamless shift if the need arises. It’s a reliable way to safeguard your company against disruptions resulting from unexpected shutdowns and similar issues.

 

Supply Chain Visibility

 

Too many big pharma companies lack end-to-end supply chain visibility. By gaining a better understanding of every aspect of your chain, you can anticipate where a breakdown is likely to occur and take the appropriate corrective measures. The process will also help you develop a contingency plan in case a disruption occurs.

 

Continuous Improvement

 

Even top pharmaceutical companies find it’s not always possible to avoid an interruption, even when leveraging manufacturing automation. When a disruption does occur, conduct a thorough supply chain audit to determine the cause. Use the information you obtain to prevent the situation from happening again. Make sure you document your response procedures based on pharmaceutical industry standards and make them a part of your future contingency plan.

 

About RCA’s Pharmaceutical Consulting Services 

 

Regulatory Compliance Associates (RCA) has helped thousands of pharmaceutical companies meet regulatory, compliance, quality assurance, and remediation challenges. With more than 20 years of experience with FDA, Health Canada, EU and global regulatory agencies worldwide, Regulatory Compliance Associates® offers leading pharmaceutical consultants. We’re one of the few pharma consulting companies that can help you navigate the challenges associated with industry regulations.

 

Our pharmaceutical consulting firm includes over 500 seasoned FDA, Health Canada & EU compliance consultants and regulatory affairs experts who understand industry complexities. It’s a pharma consultancy founded by regulatory compliance executives from the pharmaceutical industry. Every pharmaceutical industry consultant on the Regulatory Compliance Associates team knows the unique inner workings of the regulatory process. 

 

Client Solutions

 

Whether you’re in the product planning, development or pharmaceutical lifecycle management stage or need a remediation strategy for a compliance crisis, Regulatory Compliance Associates will guide you through every pharmaceutical consulting step of the regulatory process. Our pharmaceutical consulting Experts will create a customized approach depending on your product and company’s individual needs. Our regulatory compliance clients include:

 

  • Companies new to FDA, Health Canada or EU regulations and regulatory compliance
  • Start-up organizations with novel submissions to 510(k) submissions from multi-national corporations
  • Investment firms seeking private equity due diligence for pre-acquisition and post-deal research
  • Law firms seeking pharmaceutical consulting firm expertise in the remediation of warning letters, consent decrees, 483’s or import bans

 

Regulatory Affairs

 

Regulatory affairs is Regulatory Compliance Associates backbone. We exceed other pharma consulting companies with industry experts experienced in complexities of the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries. Our pharma consulting expertise spans all facets and levels of Regulatory Affairs. Additionally, we specialize in Regulatory Support for New Products to Life Cycle Management, Outsourced Regulatory Affairs, Submissions, Training, and more.

 

As your partner, we can negotiate the potential assessment minefield of regulatory compliance services with insight, hindsight, and the clear advantage of our breadth and depth of knowledge and regulatory compliance consulting. We offer the following pharma consulting regulatory affairs services for pharmaceutical companies.

 

  • New Product Support
  • Product Lifecycle
  • Other Regulatory Services
  • Combination Products

 

Compliance Assurance

 

The regulations process surrounding pharmaceutical companies can be tricky for even the most experienced industry veteran to understand. Just one misstep could mean significant and lasting consequences for your business. At Regulatory Compliance Associates, we offer the pharma consulting experience and pharma consultants necessary to guide you through the quality compliance process.

 

  • Assessments
  • Audits
  • Regulatory Agency Response
  • Preparation and Training
  • Inspection Readiness
  • Data Integrity

 

Quality Assurance

 

Regulatory Compliance Associates Quality consulting includes assessments, strategy, implementations, staff augmentations, and identification of quality metrics to ensure continuous improvement. Our pharma consultants understand the strategic thinking needed to align your business needs and goals. Regulatory Compliance Associates quality assurance services include quality experts with experience spanning major corporations and start-ups. Our pharmaceutical consulting firm knows firsthand how to achieve, maintain, and improve quality. Finally, our regulatory compliance services team excels in transferring continuous improvement knowledge to your organization.

 

  • 21 CFR Part 11
  • Data Integrity
  • Manufacturing Support
  • Facility Support
  • Quality Metrics

 

Remediation Services 

 

Regulatory Compliance Associates has a proven remediation services approach to managing FDA Warning Letters, Consent Decrees, Remediation and other serious regulatory situations. Our pharma consultants know how to partner with executive, legal, and communication teams. Each RCA pharma consulting Expert will develop a response that will be accepted by the regulatory agency and be realistic to execute.

 

Regulatory Compliance Associates pharma regulatory consultants will develop a comprehensive proof book of documented evidence demonstrating the corrective action taken to remediate non-compliant issues. In addition, each Regulatory Compliance Associates pharma consulting Expert understands compliance enforcement. We’ll prepare a comprehensive pharma consulting strategy to assist in your remediation efforts, drive continuous improvement, and maintain regulatory compliance with the regulations.

 

  • Regulatory Action
  • Regulatory Compliance
  • Regulatory Enforcement
  • Warning Letter
  • 483 Observation
  • Oversight Services
  • Risk Management Plan

 

About Regulatory Compliance Associates

 

supply chain managementRegulatory Compliance Associates® (RCA) provides pharmaceutical consulting to the following industries for resolution of life science challenges:

 

 

We understand the complexities of running a life science business and possess areas of expertise that include every facet of R&D, operations, regulatory affairs, quality, and manufacturing. We are used to working on the front lines and thriving in the scrutiny of FDA, Health Canada, MHRA and globally-regulated companies.

 

As your partners, Regulatory Compliance Associates can negotiate the potential minefield of regulatory compliance and regulatory due diligence with insight, hindsight, and the clear advantage of our unique expertise and experience.

 

  • Founded in 2000
  • Headquartered in Wisconsin (USA)
  • Expertise backed by over 500 industry subject matter experts
  • Acquired by Sotera Health in 2021

 

About Sotera Health

 

The name Sotera Health was inspired by Soteria, the Greek goddess of safety, and reflects the Company’s unwavering commitment to its mission, Safeguarding Global Health®.

 

Sotera Health Company, along with its three best-in-class businesses – Sterigenics®, Nordion® and Nelson Labs®, is a leading global provider of mission-critical end-to-end sterilization solutions and lab testing and advisory services for the healthcare industry. With a combined tenure across our businesses of nearly 200 years and our industry-recognized scientific and technological expertise, we help to ensure the safety of over 190 million patients and healthcare practitioners around the world every year.

 

We are a trusted partner to 5,800+ customers in over 50 countries, including 40 of the top 50 medical device companies and 9 of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies.

 

Commitment to Quality

 

Our Certificate of Registration demonstrates that our Quality Management System meets the requirements of ISO 9001:2015, an internationally recognized standard of quality.

 

To begin the Regulatory Compliance Associates scoping process today, please enter your information in the blue form below and click the submit button at the bottom of the webpage. 

Virtual Audits and How to Plan

Posted on by Brandon Miller

The world has changed in many ways since the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Regulators are taking advantage of technology to institute greater social distancing, limiting contact between people to curb the spread of the coronavirus. For you, this could mean a transition to virtual audits.

 

The auditing process, which helps you identify and fix compliance deficiencies, must continue to maintain the vital supply chain of needed drugs and other items. 

 

Approach a Virtual Audit as the New Normal

 

virtual audits

 

For some clients and suppliers, virtual audits may be a long-term solution. It may not be clear for some time how long COVID-19 precautions will need to stay in place. For parties that have well-established relationships and supply chains, virtual audits may make more sense over the long term.

 

The opportunity to reduce one-on-one interactions lessens the risk of spreading the coronavirus. If the two sides already have a level of comfort together, their ability to work through challenging times will be better than if you are embarking on a new relationship, where things might not go as smoothly.

 

Need help preparing for a virtual audit?  Talk to our Experts →

 

Some In-Person Visits Will Still Be Required

 

Not everything can be accomplished virtually. You’ll still face some instances where an in-person visit is necessary, such as for pre-approvals and new products. Plan accordingly. Taking every possible precaution, such as requiring masks and gloves and keeping the auditor 6 feet away from employees, can protect both parties during such mandatory in-person interactions.

 

If you do not think an in-person visit is necessary or you’re dealing with extenuating circumstances, such as an outbreak of the virus, communicate your concerns. The well-being of your employees and the auditor should be the focus of any post-pandemic auditing strategy, and you can protect your employees by voicing any concerns you have.

 

Make Adjustments for the Long Term

 

Treatments are still being developed for the coronavirus, and it will take some time before the spread of the virus is under control. Until then, virtual audits will become a long-term solution to protect everyone involved and reduce the spread of infection.

 

You can learn from your initial experiences and make changes to help during the next virtual audit. Try these strategies for assistance with long-term planning:

 

  • Take notes during the virtual audit, observing anything that surprises you.
  • Keep track of any personal protective equipment needed if a brief in-person audit is used.
  • Speak with employees after the virtual audit to get their input on what went well and what could be improved.

 

Looking over your notes and results from past audits can also help you anticipate any potential issues or concerns before your first virtual audit. Remember that this is new territory for everyone and that you’ll likely encounter some bumps in the road as the processes get smoothed out. If you have any questions about virtual audits and how to prepare for them, get in touch with Regulatory Compliance Associates® today.

 

About RCA’s Pharmaceutical Consulting Services 

 

Regulatory Compliance Associates (RCA) has helped thousands of pharmaceutical companies meet regulatory, compliance, quality assurance, and remediation challenges. With more than 20 years of experience with FDA, Health Canada, EU and global regulatory agencies worldwide, Regulatory Compliance Associates® offers leading pharmaceutical consultants. We’re one of the few pharma consulting companies that can help you navigate the challenges associated with industry regulations.

 

Our pharmaceutical consulting firm includes over 500 seasoned FDA, Health Canada & EU compliance consultants and regulatory affairs experts who understand industry complexities. It’s a pharma consultancy founded by regulatory compliance executives from the pharmaceutical industry. Every pharmaceutical industry consultant on the Regulatory Compliance Associates team knows the unique inner workings of the regulatory process. 

 

Client Solutions

 

Whether you’re in the product planning, development or pharmaceutical lifecycle management stage or need a remediation strategy for a compliance crisis, Regulatory Compliance Associates will guide you through every pharmaceutical consulting step of the regulatory process. Our pharmaceutical consulting Experts will create a customized approach depending on your product and company’s individual needs. Our regulatory compliance clients include:

 

  • Companies new to FDA, Health Canada or EU regulations and regulatory compliance
  • Start-up organizations with novel submissions to 510(k) submissions from multi-national corporations
  • Investment firms seeking private equity due diligence for pre-acquisition and post-deal research
  • Law firms seeking pharmaceutical consulting firm expertise in the remediation of warning letters, consent decrees, 483’s or import bans

 

Regulatory Affairs

 

Regulatory affairs is Regulatory Compliance Associates backbone. We exceed other pharma consulting companies with industry experts experienced in complexities of the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries. Our pharma consulting expertise spans all facets and levels of Regulatory Affairs. Additionally, we specialize in Regulatory Support for New Products to Life Cycle Management, Outsourced Regulatory Affairs, Submissions, Training, and more.

 

As your partner, we can negotiate the potential assessment minefield of regulatory compliance services with insight, hindsight, and the clear advantage of our breadth and depth of knowledge and regulatory compliance consulting. We offer the following pharma consulting regulatory affairs services for pharmaceutical companies.

 

  • New Product Support
  • Product Lifecycle
  • Other Regulatory Services
  • Combination Products

 

Compliance Assurance

 

The regulations process surrounding pharmaceutical companies can be tricky for even the most experienced industry veteran to understand. Just one misstep could mean significant and lasting consequences for your business. At Regulatory Compliance Associates, we offer the pharma consulting experience and pharma consultants necessary to guide you through the quality compliance process.

 

  • Assessments
  • Audits
  • Regulatory Agency Response
  • Preparation and Training
  • Inspection Readiness
  • Data Integrity

 

Quality Assurance

 

Regulatory Compliance Associates Quality consulting includes assessments, strategy, implementations, staff augmentations, and identification of quality metrics to ensure continuous improvement. Our pharma consultants understand the strategic thinking needed to align your business needs and goals. Regulatory Compliance Associates quality assurance services include quality experts with experience spanning major corporations and start-ups. Our pharmaceutical consulting firm knows firsthand how to achieve, maintain, and improve quality. Finally, our regulatory compliance services team excels in transferring continuous improvement knowledge to your organization.

 

  • 21 CFR Part 11
  • Data Integrity
  • Manufacturing Support
  • Facility Support
  • Quality Metrics

 

Remediation Services 

 

Regulatory Compliance Associates has a proven remediation services approach to managing FDA Warning Letters, Consent Decrees, Remediation and other serious regulatory situations. Our pharma consultants know how to partner with executive, legal, and communication teams. Each RCA pharma consulting Expert will develop a response that will be accepted by the regulatory agency and be realistic to execute.

 

Regulatory Compliance Associates pharma regulatory consultants will develop a comprehensive proof book of documented evidence demonstrating the corrective action taken to remediate non-compliant issues. In addition, each Regulatory Compliance Associates pharma consulting Expert understands compliance enforcement. We’ll prepare a comprehensive pharma consulting strategy to assist in your remediation efforts, drive continuous improvement, and maintain regulatory compliance with the regulations.

 

  • Regulatory Action
  • Regulatory Compliance
  • Regulatory Enforcement
  • Warning Letter
  • 483 Observation
  • Oversight Services
  • Risk Management Plan

 

About Regulatory Compliance Associates

 

virtual auditRegulatory Compliance Associates® (RCA) provides pharmaceutical consulting to the following industries for resolution of life science challenges:

 

 

We understand the complexities of running a life science business and possess areas of expertise that include every facet of R&D, operations, regulatory affairs, quality, and manufacturing. We are used to working on the front lines and thriving in the scrutiny of FDA, Health Canada, MHRA and globally-regulated companies.

 

As your partners, Regulatory Compliance Associates can negotiate the potential minefield of regulatory compliance and regulatory due diligence with insight, hindsight, and the clear advantage of our unique expertise and experience.

 

  • Founded in 2000
  • Headquartered in Wisconsin (USA)
  • Expertise backed by over 500 industry subject matter experts
  • Acquired by Sotera Health in 2021

 

About Sotera Health

 

The name Sotera Health was inspired by Soteria, the Greek goddess of safety, and reflects the Company’s unwavering commitment to its mission, Safeguarding Global Health®.

 

Sotera Health Company, along with its three best-in-class businesses – Sterigenics®, Nordion® and Nelson Labs®, is a leading global provider of mission-critical end-to-end sterilization solutions and lab testing and advisory services for the healthcare industry. With a combined tenure across our businesses of nearly 200 years and our industry-recognized scientific and technological expertise, we help to ensure the safety of over 190 million patients and healthcare practitioners around the world every year.

 

We are a trusted partner to 5,800+ customers in over 50 countries, including 40 of the top 50 medical device companies and 9 of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies.

 

Commitment to Quality

 

Our Certificate of Registration demonstrates that our Quality Management System meets the requirements of ISO 9001:2015, an internationally recognized standard of quality.

 

To begin the Regulatory Compliance Associates scoping process today, please enter your information in the blue form below and click the submit button at the bottom of the webpage. 

Artificial Intelligence and the FDA

Posted on by Brandon Miller

As Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to grow, the health care industry is beginning to explore the benefits it can bring. With the potential to advance medical product development, improve patient care, and augment the capabilities of health care practitioners. The US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH), and Office of Combination Products (OCP) are jointly collaborating to safeguard public health while fostering responsible and ethical innovation medical devices and pharmaceuticals. 

 

AI management requires a risk-based regulatory framework built on robust principles, standards, and best practices. With the use of state-of-the-art regulatory science tools the risk-based framework can be applied across AI applications and be tailored to the relevant medical product. Do to the complex and dynamic processes involved in the development, deployment, use, and maintenance of AI technologies. They benefit from careful end-to-end management of AI applications throughout the product life cycle. The process starts from ideation and design and progresses through data acquisition; preparation; model development and evaluation; deployment; monitoring; and maintenance. This approach can help address ongoing model performance, risk management, and regulatory compliance of AI systems in real-world applications.

 

The US FDA CBER, CDER, CDRH, and OCP divisions have identified four areas of focus regarding the development and use of AI across the product life cycle to help meet the FDA GMP guidelines that are already established.

 

The Focus Areas

  1. Foster Collaboration to Safeguard Public Health – Cultivate a patient-centered regulatory approach that emphasizes collaboration and health equity.
    • Collect input from interested parties to consider critical aspects such as transparency, governance, bias, cybersecurity, and quality assurance.
    • Promote the development of educational initiatives to support regulatory bodies, health care professionals, patients, and researchers to ensure safe and responsible use of AI in medical product development.
    • Work closely with global collaborators to promote international cooperation on standards, guidelines, and best practices to encourage global consistency.
  2. Advance the Development of Regulatory Approaches That Support Innovation – FDA intends to develop policies that provide regulatory predictability and clarity for the use of AI.
    • Monitor and evaluate trends and emerging issues to detect potential knowledge gaps and opportunities in the current FDA guidelines.
    • Supporting efforts for evaluating AI algorithms for robustness and resilience against current FDA regulations.
    • Build upon existing initiatives for the evaluation and regulation of AI use in medical product development, including in manufacturing.
    • Issuing guidance regarding the use of AI in medical product development and in medical products.
  3. Promote the Development of Standards, Guidelines, Best Practices, and Tools for the Medical Product Life Cycle. – Upholding safety and effectiveness standards across AI-enabled medical products. As well as building on Good Machine Learning Practice Guiding Principles.
    • Refine and develop considerations for evaluating the safe, responsible, and ethical use of AI in the medical product life cycle.
    • Identify and promote best practices for long-term safety and real-world performance monitoring.
    • Best practices for documenting and ensuring that data used to train and test AI models are fit for use.
    • Develop a framework and strategy for quality assurance of AI-enabled tools or system.
  4. Support Research Related to the Evaluation and Monitoring of AI Performance. – To gain valuable insights into AI’s impact on medical product safety and effectiveness.
    • Identify projects that highlight different points where bias can be introduced in the AI development life cycle and how it can be addressed.
    • Support projects that consider health inequities associated with the use of AI to promote equity and ensure data representativeness, leveraging ongoing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
    • Support the ongoing monitoring of AI tools in medical product development within demonstration projects to ensure adherence to standards and maintain performance and reliability.
  1.  

 

CBER, CDER, CDRH and OCP plan to tailor their regulatory approaches for the use of AI in medical products to protect patients and health care workers and ensure the cybersecurity of medical products in a manner that promotes innovation.

 

RCA’s Medical Device Consulting Services

 

The regulatory compliance process surrounding the medical device industry involves a strict adherence to pre/post market information throughout a device’s life cycle. Even a single compliance issue you have can turn into a significant effect on your business. Regulatory Compliance Associates can help guide you through any stage of the medical device consulting process, with capabilities during product development through the regulatory clearance/approval of your product.

 

Our team of over 500 medical device consulting Experts — including former FDA officials and regulatory compliance leaders in the field of medical device regulation — will work with your company to create a quality assurance and regulatory compliance approach tailored to your products and regulatory needs. Regulatory Compliance Associates works with international Fortune 100 companies, venture capital start ups, and companies of all sizes and shapes. our compliance enforcement solutions for law firms include remediation for warning letters, FDA 483’s, import bans or consent decrees. Very few regulatory compliance services have the same regulatory compliance expertise in a variety of medical fields.

 

Cybersecurity

 

For medical device manufacturers, technology can be a double-edged sword. The innovative technologies that elevate the quality of life for patients can also be used to potentially undermine the organization using the device. The consequences can affect the device itself if Regulatory Compliance Associates medtech consultants do not implement good IoT cybersecurity and FDA cybersecurity protocols.

 

At Regulatory Compliance Associates, we offer a wide variety of services for medical devices security to help ensure that your product is protected from cyber-attacks. With a well-planned design, along with full visibility of product development and the supply chain, Regulatory Compliance Associates medical device consultant Experts can help strengthen your device’s cybersecurity. We partner with medical device companies in each phase of the design cycle, including protecting inputs from threat exposure and hardening outputs for regulatory compliance & FDA submission approval of your medical technology.

 

  • SaMD Consulting
  • Threat Modeling
  • Proof of Concept
  • Quality Assurance Services
  • TIR 57 & TIR 97
  • ISO 62304
  • ISO 27001

 

Regulatory Affairs

 

Regulatory affairs is Regulatory Compliance Associates® backbone, and we handle more submissions in a month than many manufacturers do in a lifetime. Our regulatory compliance consulting Experts have experience working with the FDA, global regulatory bodies and / or agencies, and notified bodies worldwide. Therefore, you can count on us for in-depth and up-to-date insights which increase speed-to-market.

 

As a trusted regulatory affairs consultant, our FDA veterans and industry experts represent Regulatory Compliance Associates® as one of the top medical device consulting firms. We’re here to help you navigate the difficulties associated with new product submissions. Regulatory Compliance Associates® medical device consulting company has expertise in both the approval process and post-approval support. 

 

  • New Product Approval
  • Post-Approval Support
  • Outsourced Staffing
  • EU MDR
  • Combination Products

 

Compliance Assurance

 

Increasingly, life science companies are feeling the pressure of greater scrutiny by regulators, and responding by developing sustainable compliance strategies. Whether it’s preparing for an audit, developing a response to an FDA finding, or remediation to an adverse event, Regulatory Compliance Associates® can help.

 

Our network of over 500 medical device consultant & FDA, MHRA & EMA veterans are industry professionals offers a unique blend of expertise. This allows Regulatory Compliance Associates® to handle both simple and complex regulatory compliance challenges within medical device consulting companies.

 

  • Gap Assessments
  • Internal Audits
  • Employee Training
  • Notified Body Response
  • Data Integrity

 

Quality Assurance

 

Regulatory Compliance Associates® Quality Assurance consulting includes quality system assessments, strategy, implementations, and identification of quality metrics to ensure continuous improvement, aligning with your business needs and goals. Each Regulatory Compliance Associates® medical device consultant is a quality expert with experience spanning major corporations and start-ups. We know firsthand how to achieve, maintain, and improve quality, and we excel in transferring this knowledge to your organization.

 

In the medical devices field, quality assurance (QA) is more than merely ensuring the quality of a finished product. You need the tools to monitor and regulate every process from the design of a new product to continued quality compliance as the device is sent to market. At Regulatory Compliance Associates®, we offer you the quality assurance services you need to monitor these processes and ensure quality compliance every step of the way.

 

With more than 20 years experience working with medical device consulting companies, Regulatory Compliance Associates® trusted medical device quality assurance consultant team is fully equipped to handle your unique QA needs.

 

  • ISO13485 
  • 21 CFR 210
  • 21 CFR 211
  • Outsourced Staffing
  • MDSAP
  • Facility Validation
  • Equipment Validation
  • Quality Metrics

 

Remediation Services

 

Regulatory Compliance Associates® is widely recognized within medical device consulting companies & the life science industry for our remediation services & support. Regulatory Compliance Associates® ability to help companies successfully resolve complex regulatory challenges have a proven track record of success. Our medical device consulting services include significant experience with the development of responses to 483 Observations, Warning Letters, Untitled Letters and Consent Decrees.

 

  • Regulatory Action
  • Regulatory Compliance
  • Regulatory Enforcement
  • Warning Letter
  • 483 Observation
  • Oversight Services

 

Our value goes beyond the initial response by helping companies successfully execute their action plans, develop an improved compliance culture tailored to the needs of their business, and ultimately move beyond the regulatory action to emerge as a stronger business. We negotiate difficult demands of remediation with insight and the clear advantage of our medical device consultant expertise and experience that makes partnering with Regulatory Compliance Associates®  a competitive differentiator in the remediation space.

 

  • Quality System
  • Technical File
  • Design History File
  • Data Integrity
  • cGMP

 

Strategic Consulting

 

Whether it’s a strategy, a technical plan, or project, Regulatory Compliance Associates® medical device consultancy can help ensure a successful project. Regulatory Compliance Associates® medical device strategy consulting can deliver your project on time, on budget, and you’re never embroiled in a costly mistake.

 

Our medical device consultant Experts are industry Experts are here to provide the unique insight you need before an M&A deal, through a staffing crisis and in every area of your product’s development and life cycle. As the trusted medical device manufacturing consultants of thousands of companies around the world, we have the knowledge and expertise needed to deliver exceptional results to your business — no matter your size or unique needs.

 

  • Manufacturing Optimization
  • Product Lifecycle Management
  • Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
  • Due Diligence
  • Device Vigilance
  • Risk Management Plan
  • Product Complaints
  • Medical Information

 

About Regulatory Compliance Associates

 

medical device consultingRegulatory Compliance Associates® (RCA) provides medical device consulting to the following industries for resolution of life science challenges:

 

 

We understand the complexities of running a life science business and possess areas of expertise that include every facet of R&D, operations, regulatory affairs, quality, and manufacturing. We are used to working on the front lines and thriving in the scrutiny of FDA, Health Canada, MHRA and globally-regulated companies.

 

As your partners, Regulatory Compliance Associates can negotiate the potential minefield of regulatory compliance and regulatory due diligence with insight, hindsight, and the clear advantage of our unique expertise and experience.

 

  • Founded in 2000
  • Headquartered in Wisconsin (USA)
  • Expertise backed by over 500 industry subject matter experts
  • Acquired by Sotera Health in 2021

 

About Sotera Health

 

The name Sotera Health was inspired by Soteria, the Greek goddess of safety, and reflects the Company’s unwavering commitment to its mission, Safeguarding Global Health®.

 

Sotera Health Company, along with its three best-in-class businesses – Sterigenics®, Nordion® and Nelson Labs®, is a leading global provider of mission-critical end-to-end sterilization solutions and lab testing and advisory services for the healthcare industry. With a combined tenure across our businesses of nearly 200 years and our industry-recognized scientific and technological expertise, we help to ensure the safety of over 190 million patients and healthcare practitioners around the world every year.

 

We are a trusted partner to more than 5,800 customers in over 50 countries, including 40 of the top 50 medical device companies and 8 of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies.

 

Commitment to Quality

 

Our Certificate of Registration demonstrates that our Quality Management System meets the requirements of ISO 9001:2015, an internationally recognized standard of quality.

 

To begin the Regulatory Compliance Associates® scoping process today, please enter your information in the blue form below and click the submit button at the bottom of the webpage. 

 

Emergency Use Authorization: Benefits and Risks

Posted on by Brandon Miller

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) spent more time than usual approving Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) authority for medical organizations. Fast-approving more than 100 medical device and testing kits in such a short amount of time is hardly standard practice for the FDA. Yet these FDA approvals during COVID-19 were essential to protecting public health and safety.

 

EUAs come with their own set of benefits and risks, as well as a detailed process to determine whether the devices in question are fit for use in emergency situations. As a result, it’s important to understand what this process is and how regulatory standards apply during unprecedented times.

 

Find out if a EUA is right for you.  Contact RCA Now →

 

FDA EUA

 

Emergency Use Authorization is a FDA program that allows health professionals to temporarily use an unapproved medication, medical device or medical procedure to save people’s lives. This law exists under section 564 of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and is designed to protect medical patients with life-threatening illnesses who lack access to alternative treatment.

 

euaEUA authority is more common recently due to the widespread threat of COVID-19, which has infected millions of people worldwide. The FDA granted EUA approvals for a variety of items, including vaccines and new testing methods.

 

Regulatory & EUA Approval

 

Before a company can receive regulatory approval for a FDA EUA, certain criteria must be met. First, there needs to be a state of emergency, such as a threat to public health like COVID-19. The secretary of homeland security often makes this decision if there is a military threat, while the secretary of health and human services can declare a public health emergency.

 

Once the proper officials have declared a state of emergency, the FDA can decide whether or not to approve a drug, device or procedure based on:

 

  • The effectiveness of the unapproved product
  • The availability of alternatives
  • Risk to benefit analyses

 

For example, if a device is still being tested as a test kit for COVID-19 and it’s the only option to maintain supply, it can receive temporary approval from the FDA. This condition can apply if no other successful options are available. Most importantly, if product shortages are preventing care to patients in need.

 

EUA Benefits and Risks

 

The main benefit of an EUA is that it has the potential to save lives during public health emergencies by easing some of the restrictions under 510(k) submissions. It’s a temporary measure, giving health professionals the ability to administer unconventional treatment and go through the steps to have it long-term approved later.

 

Before approving a treatment for the EUA program, the FDA needs to conduct an analysis of the benefits and risks of Emergency Use Authorization. This process is challenging because of the discrepancies between cases. For example, one device might be in a different stage of approval than another. Subsequently, manufacturers may be sending in real time clinical data that varies based on similar devices.

 

Medical Supply Manufacturers

 

Weighing the positive effects of the device against the possible risks to patients can be difficult too. Healthcare manufacturers may be working with minimal or inconclusive data while seeking fast approval for their products. This situation puts heavy pressure on officials to make smart, informed decisions that will save as many people as possible.

 

The FDA is working to update and address new policies so manufacturers can continue to roll out life-saving assets. Some of the FDA guidance available are those that were left over after Ebola and the SARS epidemic years ago. For instance, the FDA offers guidance for absenteeism to account for people on sick leave. Guidelines also cover ways to handle social distancing while still adhering to regulations and maintaining productivity.

 

About RCA’s Pharmaceutical Consulting Services

 

Regulatory Compliance Associates (RCA) has helped thousands of pharmaceutical companies meet regulatory, compliance, quality assurance, and remediation challenges. With more than 20 years of experience with FDA, Health Canada, EU and global regulatory agencies worldwide, Regulatory Compliance Associates® offers leading pharmaceutical consultants. We’re one of the few pharma consulting companies that can help you navigate the challenges associated with industry regulations.

 

Our pharmaceutical consulting firm includes over 500 seasoned FDA, Health Canada & EU compliance consultants and regulatory affairs experts who understand industry complexities. It’s a pharma consultancy founded by regulatory compliance executives from the pharmaceutical industry. Every pharmaceutical industry consultant on the Regulatory Compliance Associates team knows the unique inner workings of the regulatory process. 

 

Client Solutions

 

Whether you’re in the product planning, development or pharmaceutical lifecycle management stage or need a remediation strategy for a compliance crisis, Regulatory Compliance Associates will guide you through every pharmaceutical consulting step of the regulatory process. Our pharmaceutical consulting Experts will create a customized approach depending on your product and company’s individual needs. Our regulatory compliance clients include:

 

  • Companies new to FDA, Health Canada or EU regulations and regulatory compliance
  • Start-up organizations with novel submissions to 510(k) submissions from multi-national corporations
  • Investment firms seeking private equity due diligence for pre-acquisition and post-deal research
  • Law firms seeking pharmaceutical consulting firm expertise in the remediation of warning letters, consent decrees, 483’s or import bans

 

Regulatory Affairs

 

Regulatory affairs is Regulatory Compliance Associates backbone. We exceed other pharma consulting companies with industry experts experienced in complexities of the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries. Our pharma consulting expertise spans all facets and levels of Regulatory Affairs. Additionally, we specialize in Regulatory Support for New Products to Life Cycle Management, Outsourced Regulatory Affairs, Submissions, Training, and more.

 

As your partner, we can negotiate the potential assessment minefield of regulatory compliance services with insight, hindsight, and the clear advantage of our breadth and depth of knowledge and regulatory compliance consulting. We offer the following pharma consulting regulatory affairs services for pharmaceutical companies.

 

  • New Product Support
  • Product Lifecycle
  • Other Regulatory Services
  • Combination Products

 

Compliance Assurance

 

The regulations process surrounding pharmaceutical companies can be tricky for even the most experienced industry veteran to understand. Just one misstep could mean significant and lasting consequences for your business. At Regulatory Compliance Associates, we offer the pharma consulting experience and pharma consultants necessary to guide you through the quality compliance process.

 

  • Assessments
  • Audits
  • Regulatory Agency Response
  • Preparation and Training
  • Inspection Readiness
  • Data Integrity

 

Quality Assurance

 

Regulatory Compliance Associates Quality consulting includes assessments, strategy, implementations, staff augmentations, and identification of quality metrics to ensure continuous improvement. Our pharma consultants understand the strategic thinking needed to align your business needs and goals. Regulatory Compliance Associates quality assurance services include quality experts with experience spanning major corporations and start-ups. Our pharmaceutical consulting firm knows firsthand how to achieve, maintain, and improve quality. Finally, our regulatory compliance services team excels in transferring continuous improvement knowledge to your organization.

 

  • 21 CFR Part 11
  • Data Integrity
  • Manufacturing Support
  • Facility Support
  • Quality Metrics

 

Remediation Services 

 

Regulatory Compliance Associates has a proven remediation services approach to managing FDA Warning Letters, Consent Decrees, Remediation and other serious regulatory situations. Our pharma consultants know how to partner with executive, legal, and communication teams. Each RCA pharma consulting Expert will develop a response that will be accepted by the regulatory agency and be realistic to execute.

 

Regulatory Compliance Associates pharma regulatory consultants will develop a comprehensive proof book of documented evidence demonstrating the corrective action taken to remediate non-compliant issues. In addition, each Regulatory Compliance Associates pharma consulting Expert understands compliance enforcement. We’ll prepare a comprehensive pharma consulting strategy to assist in your remediation efforts, drive continuous improvement, and maintain regulatory compliance with the regulations.

 

  • Regulatory Action
  • Regulatory Compliance
  • Regulatory Enforcement
  • Warning Letter
  • 483 Observation
  • Oversight Services
  • Risk Management Plan

 

About Regulatory Compliance Associates

 

euaRegulatory Compliance Associates® (RCA) provides pharmaceutical consulting to the following industries for resolution of life science challenges:

 

 

We understand the complexities of running a life science business and possess areas of expertise that include every facet of R&D, operations, regulatory affairs, quality, and manufacturing. We are used to working on the front lines and thriving in the scrutiny of FDA, Health Canada, MHRA and globally-regulated companies.

 

As your partners, Regulatory Compliance Associates can negotiate the potential minefield of regulatory compliance and regulatory due diligence with insight, hindsight, and the clear advantage of our unique expertise and experience.

 

  • Founded in 2000
  • Headquartered in Wisconsin (USA)
  • Expertise backed by over 500 industry subject matter experts
  • Acquired by Sotera Health in 2021

 

About Sotera Health

 

The name Sotera Health was inspired by Soteria, the Greek goddess of safety, and reflects the Company’s unwavering commitment to its mission, Safeguarding Global Health®.

 

Sotera Health Company, along with its three best-in-class businesses – Sterigenics®, Nordion® and Nelson Labs®, is a leading global provider of mission-critical end-to-end sterilization solutions and lab testing and advisory services for the healthcare industry. With a combined tenure across our businesses of nearly 200 years and our industry-recognized scientific and technological expertise, we help to ensure the safety of over 190 million patients and healthcare practitioners around the world every year.

 

We are a trusted partner to 5,800+ customers in over 50 countries, including 40 of the top 50 medical device companies and 9 of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies.

 

Commitment to Quality

 

Our Certificate of Registration demonstrates that our Quality Management System meets the requirements of ISO 9001:2015, an internationally recognized standard of quality.

 

To begin the Regulatory Compliance Associates scoping process today, please enter your information in the blue form below and click the submit button at the bottom of the webpage. 

EU Regulatory Update

Posted on by Brandon Miller

The European Commission’s formal pitch for revising the medicines legislative & EU regulatory framework was recently released. The new European regulatory documents targeting pharmaceutical industry reform & regulation law have been uploaded to the EU’s website. Multiple documents are included to help industry participants better understand the proposed regulatory compliance initiatives.

 

Regulatory Framework

 

The current European regulatory system is responsible for the evaluation & assessment of medicinal products. This regulatory process involves the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the competent authority of each EU member state, and subject matter experts on EMA scientific committees.

 

The proposed measures are designed to update the regulatory framework to accommodate the increase in EU pharmaceutical new product development. This includes requirements related to both clinical trials & real-world evidence. Additionally, secondary use of health data & regulatory sandboxes are also a focus of the legislation.

 

Regulatory Legislation

 

The new legislation draft mentions COVID-19 & the reduced availability of scientific resources has led to capacity constraints becoming more common. Further, this problem would continue without changes based on the current regulatory submission volume from drug companies.

 

Finally, the proposal mentions the current inefficiency of pharmaceutical product submissions. Regulatory submissions currently going through as many as five scientific committees to receive marketing authorization. A simplified regulatory framework is proposed to add flexibility so committee members have more time to concentrate on evolving pharmaceutical drug priorities.

 

Scientific Committees

 

The regulatory legislation draft proposes to reduce the number of scientific committees to just two:

 

  • Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP)
  • Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC)

 

The CHMP & PRAC would continue to include pharmaceutical chemistry subject matter experts from each EU member state. The CHMP would also incorporate patient representatives on the new committee, a first of its kind for the European Commission. This representation of patients & health care professionals would consist of individuals with expertise in all areas, including rare & pediatric diseases.

 

Regulatory Training

 

New members of scientific committees from all EU member states would be offered different types of regulatory training opportunities. The goal for the EU regulatory training is to increase expertise in new areas of science & technology by partnering with top pharmaceutical companies & industry experts. This would help to relieve the current bandwidth issues many regulatory agencies & committees encounter, directly impacting new committee members who can contribute.

 

Further, training programs would be designed to help individuals assess & monitor pharmaceutical products. In fact, the proposal specifically mentions the speed of researching & approving cutting edge medicinal products from drug manufacturers.

 

Regulatory Procedure

 

The regulatory proposal continues by documenting the need for a reduction of regulatory burden on the committees. The opportunity to simplify regulatory procedures & increased digitalization are both mentioned as European Medicines Agency priorities. Additionally, this regulation meaning could influence electronic submission of applications & electronic product information (ePI) for approved pharmaceuticals.

 

Sunset Clause

 

Two measures designed to shrink the EU regulatory committee responsibility are the elimination of the renewal and the sunset clause. The EMA legal framework states the pharmaceutical research leading to marketing authorization of a medicine will:

 

  • Cease to be valid if the medicine is not on the market within three years of approval
  • Cease to be valid if the medicine is removed from the market for three consecutive years

 

While this does not represent a majority of pharmaceutical regulatory approvals, it does show the goal of the proposal is simplification. By reducing the regulatory burden of unnecessary policy, pharmaceutical companies should hopefully be able to expedite their dealings with the EMA. This will also amplify the streamlining of the new scientific committee structure. Finally, a more efficient regulatory process should help new pharmaceuticals move toward approval quicker and deliver product to patients sooner.

 

Paediatric Investigation Plans (PIPs)

 

Paediatric drug development is also evolving per the regulatory proposal draft. Clinical development plans for children at a young age currently requires pharmaceutical manufacturers to make statements about the anticipated results. As a result, regulatory teams submitting approval for novel therapies will be given more freedom to introduce a high level clinical development plan. Subsequently, this could help pharma manufacturing companies working on multiple novel treatments at the same time during the pharmaceutical product development process. 

 

Pharmaceutical Companies

 

So, who exactly does this proposed legislation help & would it impact pharmaceutical sales? According to the EMA, the reduction of administrative burden should benefit small & medium-sized EU pharmaceutical companies who have more challenges bringing new products to market. The regulatory legislation would also help not-for-profit bodies participating in pharmaceutical manufacturing research & development of new therapeutic products.

 

Industry Reaction

 

As anticipated, reaction from big pharma leaders has been swift & mixed. Martuscelli reports that policymakers want to tackle the uneven rollout of drugs across the EU. However, the proposed rules would remove two years of data protection from all new medicines launched in the European Union.

 

This would allow unbranded competitors to enter the market more quickly. Cutting drug market exclusivity for new medicines from ten to eight years will not go over well with pharmaceutical industry executives. Billions of dollars are spent annually on pharmaceutical technology & developing new products to address unmet needs of the patient. 

 

Stella Kyriakides, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, commented the proposal would help regulatory process by offering incentives for novel drugs & providing concrete action toward reducing drug shortages.  Additionally, transparent supply chains & leaner regulatory approval rules could increase the speed of pharmaceutical science programs. This is an important step as pharmaceutical supply chain members recover from the COVID-19 pandemic & drug shortages associated with the outbreak. 

 

About RCA’s Pharmaceutical Consulting Services 

 

Regulatory Compliance Associates (RCA) has helped thousands of pharmaceutical companies meet regulatory, compliance, quality assurance, and remediation challenges. With more than 20 years of experience with FDA, Health Canada, EU and global regulatory agencies worldwide, Regulatory Compliance Associates® offers leading pharmaceutical consultants. We’re one of the few pharma consulting companies that can help you navigate the challenges associated with industry regulations.

 

Our pharmaceutical consulting firm includes over 500 seasoned FDA, Health Canada & EU compliance consultants and regulatory affairs experts who understand industry complexities. It’s a pharma consultancy founded by regulatory compliance executives from the pharmaceutical industry. Every pharmaceutical industry consultant on the Regulatory Compliance Associates team knows the unique inner workings of the regulatory process. 

 

Client Solutions

 

Whether you’re in the product planning, development or pharmaceutical lifecycle management stage or need a remediation strategy for a compliance crisis, Regulatory Compliance Associates will guide you through every pharmaceutical consulting step of the regulatory process. Our pharmaceutical consulting Experts will create a customized approach depending on your product and company’s individual needs. Our regulatory compliance clients include:

 

  • Companies new to FDA, Health Canada or EU regulations and regulatory compliance
  • Start-up organizations with novel submissions to 510(k) submissions from multi-national corporations
  • Investment firms seeking private equity due diligence for pre-acquisition and post-deal research
  • Law firms seeking pharmaceutical consulting firm expertise in the remediation of warning letters, consent decrees, 483’s or import bans

 

Regulatory Affairs

 

Regulatory affairs is Regulatory Compliance Associates backbone. We exceed other pharma consulting companies with industry experts experienced in complexities of the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries. Our pharma consulting expertise spans all facets and levels of Regulatory Affairs. Additionally, we specialize in Regulatory Support for New Products to Life Cycle Management, Outsourced Regulatory Affairs, Submissions, Training, and more.

 

As your partner, we can negotiate the potential assessment minefield of regulatory compliance services with insight, hindsight, and the clear advantage of our breadth and depth of knowledge and regulatory compliance consulting. We offer the following pharma consulting regulatory affairs services for pharmaceutical companies.

 

  • New Product Support
  • Product Lifecycle
  • Other Regulatory Services
  • Combination Products

 

Compliance Assurance

 

The regulations process surrounding pharmaceutical companies can be tricky for even the most experienced industry veteran to understand. Just one misstep could mean significant and lasting consequences for your business. At Regulatory Compliance Associates, we offer the pharma consulting experience and pharma consultants necessary to guide you through the quality compliance process.

 

  • Assessments
  • Audits
  • Regulatory Agency Response
  • Preparation and Training
  • Inspection Readiness
  • Data Integrity

 

Quality Assurance

 

Regulatory Compliance Associates Quality consulting includes assessments, strategy, implementations, staff augmentations, and identification of quality metrics to ensure continuous improvement. Our pharma consultants understand the strategic thinking needed to align your business needs and goals. Regulatory Compliance Associates quality assurance services include quality experts with experience spanning major corporations and start-ups. Our pharmaceutical consulting firm knows firsthand how to achieve, maintain, and improve quality. Finally, our regulatory compliance services team excels in transferring continuous improvement knowledge to your organization.

 

  • 21 CFR Part 11
  • Data Integrity
  • Manufacturing Support
  • Facility Support
  • Quality Metrics

 

Remediation Services 

 

Regulatory Compliance Associates has a proven remediation services approach to managing FDA Warning Letters, Consent Decrees, Remediation and other serious regulatory situations. Our pharma consultants know how to partner with executive, legal, and communication teams. Each RCA pharma consulting Expert will develop a response that will be accepted by the regulatory agency and be realistic to execute.

 

Regulatory Compliance Associates pharma regulatory consultants will develop a comprehensive proof book of documented evidence demonstrating the corrective action taken to remediate non-compliant issues. In addition, each Regulatory Compliance Associates pharma consulting Expert understands compliance enforcement. We’ll prepare a comprehensive pharma consulting strategy to assist in your remediation efforts, drive continuous improvement, and maintain regulatory compliance with the regulations.

 

  • Regulatory Action
  • Regulatory Compliance
  • Regulatory Enforcement
  • Warning Letter
  • 483 Observation
  • Oversight Services
  • Risk Management Plan

 

About Regulatory Compliance Associates

 

eu regulatoryRegulatory Compliance Associates® (RCA) provides pharmaceutical consulting to the following industries for resolution of life science challenges:

 

 

We understand the complexities of running a life science business and possess areas of expertise that include every facet of R&D, operations, regulatory affairs, quality, and manufacturing. We are used to working on the front lines and thriving in the scrutiny of FDA, Health Canada, MHRA and globally-regulated companies.

 

As your partners, Regulatory Compliance Associates can negotiate the potential minefield of regulatory compliance and regulatory due diligence with insight, hindsight, and the clear advantage of our unique expertise and experience.

 

  • Founded in 2000
  • Headquartered in Wisconsin (USA)
  • Expertise backed by over 500 industry subject matter experts
  • Acquired by Sotera Health in 2021

 

About Sotera Health

 

The name Sotera Health was inspired by Soteria, the Greek goddess of safety, and reflects the Company’s unwavering commitment to its mission, Safeguarding Global Health®.

 

Sotera Health Company, along with its three best-in-class businesses – Sterigenics®, Nordion® and Nelson Labs®, is a leading global provider of mission-critical end-to-end sterilization solutions and lab testing and advisory services for the healthcare industry. With a combined tenure across our businesses of nearly 200 years and our industry-recognized scientific and technological expertise, we help to ensure the safety of over 190 million patients and healthcare practitioners around the world every year.

 

We are a trusted partner to 5,800+ customers in over 50 countries, including 40 of the top 50 medical device companies and 9 of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies.

 

Commitment to Quality

 

Our Certificate of Registration demonstrates that our Quality Management System meets the requirements of ISO 9001:2015, an internationally recognized standard of quality.

 

To begin the Regulatory Compliance Associates scoping process today, please enter your information in the blue form below and click the submit button at the bottom of the webpage. 

FDA Expands Virtual Audit Guidance

Posted on by Brandon Miller

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently expanded on its clarification of a virtual audit, and how new manufacturing protocols in the COVID-19 environment will evolve. Travel constraints continue to impact the industry, especially in countries like India where a tremendous outbreak of COVID cases erupted in April 2021.

 

“This does show that indeed, we are very much interested in doing these remote interactive investigations, you know, especially the ones with video streaming technology.” said Michael Kopcha, director of the Office of Pharmaceutical Quality in the agency’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

Looking for help preparing for the new guidance? Contact Us Now →

After reviewing recommendations from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory products Agency (UK MHRA), the FDA continues to address the questions many pharmaceutical companies and partners have voiced during the pandemic. FDA officials commented that, due to these early learnings from other global regulatory bodies, they have recently expanded their recommendations for virtual audit best practices and new criteria of considering when to conduct a remote inspection.

 

Two of the initial primary use cases for virtual pharmaceutical inspections mentioned by the FDA include records requests and on-site inspectional work. While developing the new virtual audit process is still ongoing, one recommendation is Pharmaceutical companies should choose a proven regulatory partner to assist with the audit. Agency executives explained they will not be engaging vendors to perform virtual audits on behalf of the FDA.

virtual audit

 

One looming issue to be remedied is will virtual audits be allowed for facilities with serious good manufacturing practice (GMP) violations. FDA officials have expanded on their risk-based approach to prioritization in deciding which sites may qualify. An expanded virtual audit strategy continues to be a work-in-progress by agency officials including defining which companies qualify for an FDA virtual inspection and, more importantly, in what order the virtual audits may happen.

 

GMP violations involve either FDA warning letters or action-indicated site classifications based on the possible corrective actions needed. If the corrective actions needed for a facility can be successfully addressed remotely, it may become more likely that the number of hybrid virtual inspections authorized by the FDA will continue to grow. However, agency official commentary concluded that each facility will be examined by the FDA team on an individual basis with consideration of potential violations involved being a primary decision-making driver.

 

The good news for Pharmaceutical industry executives is it appears the FDA is willing to learn from international regulatory experiences and potentially even collaborate using technology in new ways to increase the FDA’s ability to continue operations. Global travel limitations will more than likely impact every industry for the foreseeable future in 2021 until the COVID-19 vaccine becomes more widely administered.

 

About RCA’s Pharmaceutical Consulting Services 

 

Regulatory Compliance Associates (RCA) has helped thousands of pharmaceutical companies meet regulatory, compliance, quality assurance, and remediation challenges. With more than 20 years of experience with FDA, Health Canada, EU and global regulatory agencies worldwide, Regulatory Compliance Associates® offers leading pharmaceutical consultants. We’re one of the few pharma consulting companies that can help you navigate the challenges associated with industry regulations.

 

Our pharmaceutical consulting firm includes over 500 seasoned FDA, Health Canada & EU compliance consultants and regulatory affairs experts who understand industry complexities. It’s a pharma consultancy founded by regulatory compliance executives from the pharmaceutical industry. Every pharmaceutical industry consultant on the Regulatory Compliance Associates team knows the unique inner workings of the regulatory process. 

 

Client Solutions

 

Whether you’re in the product planning, development or pharmaceutical lifecycle management stage or need a remediation strategy for a compliance crisis, Regulatory Compliance Associates will guide you through every pharma consulting step of the regulatory process and create a customized approach depending on your product and your pharma company’s individual needs. Our regulatory compliance clients include:

 

  • Companies new to FDA, Health Canada or EU regulations and the pharmaceutical industry
  • Start-up organizations with novel submissions to 510(k) submissions from multi-national corporations
  • Investment firms seeking private equity due diligence for pre-acquisition and post-deal research
  • Law firms seeking pharmaceutical consulting firm expertise in the remediation of warning letters, consent decrees, 483’s or import bans

 

Regulatory Affairs

 

Regulatory affairs is Regulatory Compliance Associates backbone. We exceed other pharma consulting companies with industry experts experienced in complexities of the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries. Our pharma consulting expertise spans all facets and levels of Regulatory Affairs, from Regulatory Support for New Products to Life Cycle Management, to other services like Outsourced Regulatory Affairs, Submissions, Training, and more.

 

As your partner, we can negotiate the potential assessment minefield of pharmaceuticals with insight, hindsight, and the clear advantage of our breadth and depth of knowledge and regulatory compliance experience. We offer the following pharma consulting regulatory affairs services for pharmaceutical companies.

 

  • New Product Support
  • Product Lifecycle
  • Other Regulatory Services

 

Compliance Assurance

 

The regulations process surrounding pharmaceutical companies can be tricky for even the most experienced industry veteran to understand. Just one misstep could mean significant and lasting consequences for your business. At Regulatory Compliance Associates, we offer the pharma consulting experience and pharma consultants necessary to guide you through the quality compliance process.

 

  • Compliance Enforcement
  • Assessments
  • Audits
  • Regulatory Agency Response
  • Preparation and Training
  • Inspection Readiness

 

Quality Assurance

 

Regulatory Compliance Associates Quality consulting includes assessments, strategy, implementations, staff augmentations, and identification of quality metrics to ensure continuous improvement. Our pharma consultants understand the strategic thinking needed to align your business needs and goals. Regulatory Compliance Associates pharmaceutical industry consultants are quality experts with experience spanning major corporations and start-ups. Our pharmaceutical consulting firm knows firsthand how to achieve, maintain, and improve quality, and we excel in transferring pharma consulting knowledge to your organization.

 

  • 21 CFR Part 11
  • Data Integrity
  • Manufacturing Support
  • Facility Support

 

Remediation Services 

 

Regulatory Compliance Associates has significant experience and a proven remediation services approach to managing FDA Warning Letters, Consent Decrees, and other serious regulatory situations. Our pharma consultants know how to partner with executive, legal, and communication teams, and will assist management with a response that will be accepted by the regulatory agency and be realistic to execute. Regulatory Compliance Associates pharma regulatory consultants will develop a comprehensive proof book of documented evidence demonstrating the corrective action taken to remediate non-compliant issues.

 

In addition, each Regulatory Compliance Associates pharmaceutical industry consultant understands compliance enforcement. We’ll prepare a comprehensive pharma consulting strategy to assist in your remediation efforts, drive continuous improvement, and maintain regulatory compliance with the regulations.

 

  • Regulatory Action
  • Warning Letter
  • 483 Observation
  • Oversight Services

 

About Regulatory Compliance Associates

 

pharmaceutical consultantsRegulatory Compliance Associates® (RCA) provides pharmaceutical consulting to the following industries for resolution of life science challenges:

 

 

We understand the complexities of running a life science business and possess areas of expertise that include every facet of R&D, operations, regulatory affairs, quality, and manufacturing. We are used to working on the front lines and thriving in the scrutiny of FDA, Health Canada, MHRA and globally-regulated companies.

 

As your partners, we can negotiate the potential minefield of regulatory compliance and regulatory due diligence with insight, hindsight, and the clear advantage of our unique expertise and experience.

 

  • Founded in 2000
  • Headquartered in Wisconsin (USA)
  • Expertise backed by over 500 industry subject matter experts
  • Acquired by Sotera Health in 2021

 

About Sotera Health

 

The name Sotera Health was inspired by Soteria, the Greek goddess of safety, and reflects the Company’s unwavering commitment to its mission, Safeguarding Global Health®.

 

Sotera Health Company, along with its three best-in-class businesses – Sterigenics®, Nordion® and Nelson Labs®, is a leading global provider of mission-critical end-to-end sterilization solutions and lab testing and advisory services for the healthcare industry. With a combined tenure across our businesses of nearly 200 years and our industry-recognized scientific and technological expertise, we help to ensure the safety of over 190 million patients and healthcare practitioners around the world every year.

 

We are a trusted partner to more than 5,800 customers in over 50 countries, including 40 of the top 50 medical device companies and 8 of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies.

 

 

To begin the Regulatory Compliance Associates scoping process today, please enter your information in the blue form below and click the submit button at the bottom of the webpage. 

 

Commitment to Quality

Our Certificate of Registration demonstrates that our Quality Management System meets the requirements of ISO 9001:2015, an internationally recognized standard of quality.

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