Between 2010 and 2018, 33.8 percent of the 402 orphan indications approved by the FDA were approved for children only or targeted pediatric diseases.[1] The rare pediatric disease priority review voucher program is one incentive that’s helped to spur research and development in this area with more than 20 vouchers granted to date, but it...
Featured Guests Luke Gill, B.Sc., M.Sc., MBAVice President, Oncology Luke Gill is the head of Oncology Clinical Development Services at Premier Research. He works collaboratively with biotech sponsors, the scientific community, and other stakeholders to develop and implement strategic approaches to early phase oncology development and CAGT trials. As a drug development expert, Gill has...
The Electronic Common Technical Document (eCTD) is the standard format for submitting applications, amendments, supplements, and reports to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). The eCTD harmonizes the regulatory review process for global drug development, as its structure is based on the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use...
Gene therapy products are typically designed to achieve therapeutic effect through long-acting or permanent changes in the human body. Due to this extended period of exposure, patients who receive gene therapies may be at increased risk of delayed adverse events. To understand and mitigate the risk of these delayed adverse events, participants in gene therapy...
With the need to incorporate remote ways of working and interacting with study participants, sponsors and contract research organizations (CROs) have turned to technology for critical study activities ranging from patient consent and consultation to site monitoring. A particular instance of increased technology uptake has been in the area of patient-reported outcome (PRO) data collected...
Medical devices play an increasingly critical role in the health and quality of life for millions of people worldwide. While clinical trials for medical devices have many similarities to those for pharmaceuticals, the regulatory evaluation of devices is distinct from that of drugs – and there are critical differences in the way the device trials...
With the passage of the Pediatric Research Equity Act (PREA) of 2003, drug manufacturers were required to submit an initial pediatric study plan (iPSP) prior to commencement of Phase 3 studies (or new drug application [NDA]/biologics license application [BLA] submission in the absence of a Phase 3 study) for studies involving a new active ingredient,...
The Research to Accelerate Cures and Equity (RACE) for Children Act aims to improve and expand treatment options for pediatric cancer patients by mandating that all new adult oncology drugs also be tested in children when the molecular targets are relevant to a particular childhood cancer. Enacted August 18, 2017, as part of the Food...
As a regulatory affairs professional advising various stakeholders on the interpretation and implementation of guidance documents from the FDA, I can safely say that the task is challenging in the best of cases. FDA guidance documents have a tendency to be vague and difficult to decode. As experts, we are always debating about what the...
With their potential for long-term or even curative efficacy, gene therapies are of great interest to researchers, clinicians, patients and caregivers alike. But coordinating and conducting a global, multi-center gene therapy trial is a complex, high-risk undertaking. Beyond the usual protocols and procedures required to ensure patient safety and data quality, gene therapy studies must...