News Along the Pike
April 5, 2005
Volume 11, Issue 1
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
Index
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CDER event honors 81 individuals, 46 groups: Spirit, service, commitment cited in ‘challenging year’
By Jackie Barber Washington
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Tentative approval provides quality HIV products to 3rd World
By Justina Molzon, MSPharm, J.D., Jeffrey Murray, M.D.,
MPH,
Rao V. Kambhampati, Ph.D., and
Barbara Davit, Ph.D.
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Guidance, new review group to spur ‘personalized medicine’
By Felix Frueh, Ph.D., and
Larry Lesko, M.D.
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CDER nurse anesthetist develops master’s program for university
By Patrick E. Clarke
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New CDERLearn educational tutorial focuses on generic drug review
By Ayse N. Hisim
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Parklawn Spanish Club helps you learn language, culture
By Joe Tonning
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Pharmacist Professional Advisory Committee seeks volunteers
CDR Patricia N. Garvey
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FDA Science Forum to feature free public session, achievement awards
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Pike’s Puzzler: Number, Please
By Tony Chite
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Joe's Notebook: Risk minimization, CT guidances
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Editorial board
Return to Index
CDER event honors 81 individuals, 46 groups:
Spirit, service, commitment cited in ‘challenging year’
By Jackie Barber Washington
At CDER’s Fall Honor Awards Ceremony, top management presented 81
individual and 46 group awards.
“The Center experienced another challenging year but thanks to your
innovative spirit, dedication to public service and commitment to our important
public health mission, we met the challenges head-on,” Acting Center Director
Steven Galson, M.D., told the awardees. "Whether it’s scientific, technical, administrative or managerial, the
expertise you bring, and so willingly share, enabled us to meet our everyday
deadlines and embark on exciting new initiatives.”
Kevin Barber sang the national anthem, and the PHS Wind Ensemble played the
“PHS March.” The awards were announced by John Emilio, who heads the
Division of Management Services in the Office of Management. Dr. Galson and
members of the Center’s senior management presented the awards.
Click here to read the awards.
Jackie Barber Washington is the Center’s incentive awards
officer.
Return to Index
Tentative approval provides quality HIV products to 3rd World
By Justina Molzon, MSPharm, J.D.,
Jeffrey Murray, M.D., MPH,
Rao V. Kambhampati, PH.D., and
Barbara Davit, Ph.D.
The Office of New Drugs has provided tentative approval to the first
low-cost, complete product to become eligible for purchase under the president’s
emergency $15 billion plan for AIDS relief around the world.
Also, the Office of Generic Drugs approved a U.S. firm’s generic version of
didanosine delayed-release capsules in December. This was the first approval of
a generic antiretroviral drug under the emergency plan and was accomplished in
less than seven months.
The OND tentatively approved product is a complete treatment for HIV-1
infection in adults. The three-drug regimen consists of lamivudine/zidovudine
fixed-dose combination tablets co-packaged in a single blister card with
nevirapine tablets. These tablets are generic versions of already approved
products from innovator drug firms. This approval, the first for an HIV drug
regimen manufactured by a non-U.S.-based generic pharmaceutical company, came on
Jan. 25—within two weeks of our receiving a complete marketing application.
The product, made in South Africa, meets FDA’s quality, safety and efficacy
standards and thus qualifies for purchase under policies implementing the
President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
Tentative approval, whether for a new drug application or a generic drug
application, will be the regulatory mechanism by which low-cost versions of
innovator drugs sold in the developed world become eligible for purchase under
the emergency plan. Our tentative approval means that existing patents or
exclusivity prevent the product from being sold in the United States.
Through our commitment to expedited review, we hope to make safe, effective
and affordable quality drugs available quickly for patients with HIV or AIDS in
the undeveloped world.
The president’s plan was announced in the 2003 State of the Union address and
has a special focus on 15 countries hardest hit by the HIV epidemic. It targets
three specific areas related to HIV/AIDS:
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Prevention of HIV transmission.
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Treatment of AIDS and associated conditions.
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Care, including palliative care, for HIV
infected-individuals and care for orphans and vulnerable children.
In May 2004, HHS announced that we would implement a new, expedited review
process to ensure that the United States could provide safe, effective drugs to
developing countries. That same month, we published a draft guidance encouraging
manufacturers to submit applications of fixed-dose combination and co-packaged
versions of previously approved antiretroviral therapies. In June, we traveled
to South Africa and India to discuss the new guidance with generic drug
manufacturers.
The guidance outlines four scenarios for review of different fixed-dose
combination and co-packaged products. Some of the scenarios could permit
approval in as little as two to six weeks after submission of a high-quality
application.
For companies making products where another firm owns the U.S. patent rights,
we are able to issue a tentative approval when we find the product meets our
normal safety and efficacy standards.
In addition to the approval scenarios, the guidance
(http://www.fda.gov/oc/initiatives/hiv/hivguidance.html)
outlines the bioequivalence studies needed for approval
and the acceptable three-drug regimens.
We are encouraging fixed-dose combination or co-packaged regimens for ease of
use in Third Word countries. Three-drug regimens are needed to avoid treatment
failure and prevent the emergence of drug resistant strains of HIV.
A fixed-dose combination package has two or three drugs in a single pill. A
co-packaged product contains two or three pills in a single package, and one of
the pills can be a fixed-dose combination of two drugs.
When the generic versions of the regimens have a brand-name equivalent, the
route to tentative approval will be a generic drug application. When the
fixed-dose combination or co-packaged product has no brand-name equivalent, the
first such regimen will be tentatively approved as a new drug. That will then
become the reference product for future generic applications. Many three-drug
regimens in the developed world consist of drugs from different innovator firms,
so a fixed-dose combination or co-packaged reference product is unavailable.
Some generic manufactures are copying European versions of drugs. In those
cases we have been successful in negotiating with the innovator firms to obtain
a limited right of reference to their data. The right of reference only applies
to tentative approvals and avoids the potential sale of the products in
countries where they are protected by patent or exclusivity.
We are committed to ensuring that only quality drug products reach the
affected nations as quickly as possible. Because many firms will have little or
no experience with FDA, we lack information about most clinical laboratories and
manufacturing sites associated with the new and generic drug products seeking
approval under the emergency plan. Therefore, our involvement also includes:
We are developing programs that
include train-the-trainer sessions, training for general application and
approval process information, current good manufacturing practices, active
pharmaceutical ingredients and post-market reporting.
Expedited application review and manufacturer assistance.
We will conduct our traditional drug product review activities for both new
and generic products to ensure safety and effectiveness. Our review time will
be significantly less than the traditional review time. We will work closely
with sponsors to explain our scientific and regulatory policies. We also will
help identify potential products in order to foster their development.
Inspections.
FDA will conduct pre-approval inspections
of laboratories and cGMP inspections to ensure drug product quality during
manufacturing.
Post-marketing activities.
After approval, we will
monitor the drug products by reviewing drug adverse event reports to ensure
continued drug safety after the drug enters the market. In addition, we will
review any changes made to approved products to ensure that they are still
safe and effective.
Justina Molzon is the Center’s associate director for
international programs, Jeffrey Murray is deputy director of the Division of
Anti-Viral Drug Products, Rao Kambhampati is a senior regulatory review
scientist in the Office of New Drug Chemistry, and Barbara Davit is deputy
director of the Division of Bioequivalence. This article is based on their
presentations at the Jan. 26 CDER Scientific Rounds. The presentation slides are
available--to FDA employees only--at
http://cdernet.cder.fda.gov/dtd/Rounds/rounds.htm.
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Guidance, new review group to spur ‘personalized medicine’
By Felix Frueh, Ph.D., and Larry Lesko, M.D.
The final guidance on pharmacogenomics, the newly formed
Agencywide group to review voluntary submissions of genomic data and a new Web
site are part of a broad effort underway at FDA to foster pharmacogenomics
during drug development. When we announced the Critical Path last year
(July 2004 Pike), we recognized the
importance of pharmacogenomics and encouraged its use in drug development.
Pharmacogenomics allows health care providers to identify
sources of an individual’s drug response profile and predict the best possible
treatment option.
“FDA’s efforts will bring us one step closer to ‘personalizing’
medical treatment,” said Janet Woodcock, M.D., acting deputy commissioner
for operations. “This new technology will allow medicines to be uniquely crafted
to maximize their therapeutic benefits and minimize their potential risks for
each patient.”
Instead of a hit-or-miss approach to treating patients where it
can take multiple attempts to find the right drug and the right dose,
pharmacogenomics holds the promise that doctors will be able to analyze a
patient’s genetic profile and prescribe the best available drug therapy and dose
from the start.
The field has experienced significant growth over the last few
years. The sequencing of the human genome and the advent of new tools and
technologies have already opened new possibilities in drug discovery and
development.
For example, genomic tests are helping to identify cancers that
have a good chance of responding to a particular medication or regimen. This has
enabled the development of targeted therapies like trastuzumab for metastatic
breast cancer, imatinib mesylate for chronic myeloid leukemia and cetuxmab for
metastatic colorectal cancer.
Also, the Center for Devices and Radiological Health in December
last year approved the first laboratory test—based on a DNA microarray
(December 2002 Pike)—which will enable
physicians to use genetic information to select the right doses of certain
medications for cardiac, psychiatric diseases and cancer. The new test analyzes
two genes from a family of genes called cytochrome P450s, which are active in
the liver to break down certain drugs and other compounds. Variations in one or
more of these genes can cause a patient to metabolize certain drugs more quickly
or more slowly than average or, in some cases, not at all.
“We hope ultimately to bring personalized, or targeted,
medicine, to every healthcare professional’s prescription pad for the benefit of
their patients and U.S. consumers,” Dr. Woodcock said.
Guidance
The final guidance, Pharmacogenomic Data Submissions,
clarifies:
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What pharmacogenomic data to submit during drug development
and when.
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What format to use for the submissions.
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How the data will be used in regulatory decision-making.
The guidance also explains a new mechanism for industry to
submit research data voluntarily to further the scientific exchange of
information as we move into more advanced areas of pharmacogenomic research. The
voluntary data will be reviewed by an internal, Agencywide group and will not be
used for regulatory decision-making. However, the data will help FDA and
industry gain valuable experience as the field continues to evolve.
A voluntary data submission should benefit both sponsors and FDA
because:
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It creates an opportunity for early informal meetings with FDA
pharmacogenomics experts.
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It offers flexibility in review and meeting process.
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Sponsors receive informal peer-review feedback on
pharmacogenomic issues and questions.
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Sponsors gain insight into current FDA thinking about
pharmacogenomics that may assist in reaching important strategic decisions.
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It offers time- and cost-savings by familiarizing both parties
early with novel pharmacogenomic approaches and avoiding future delays in
review.
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It provides an opportunity for sponsors to influence FDA’s
thinking and help build consensus around future pharmacogenomic standards,
policies and guidances
We have already received several pharmacogenomic data
submissions, both required and voluntary. A variety of large and small companies
have made voluntary submissions, most of them in second half of last year. The
submissions covered a wide range of topics from whole genome scans and the use
of gene expression biomarkers in peripheral blood to study designs. In addition,
we have held several meetings with sponsors of voluntary data to discuss their
data and conclusions.
Review group
The Interdisciplinary Pharmacogenomic Review Group, organized
formally in January, is responsible for reviewing all voluntary genomic data
submissions. Data from these submissions will go directly to the review group
and reside on a dedicated server that only members of the group can access.
Members of the review group are drawn from the Office of the
Commissioner, the Agency’s medical product centers and the National Center for
Toxicological Research.
Although interdisciplinary and Agencywide, the group will be
located in CDER in the Office of Clinical Pharmacology and Biopharmaceutics.
In addition to reviewing voluntary data, the group has several
responsibilities related to implementing genomic review practice within the
Agency. Among its duties, the group will:
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Meet with sponsors upon request before or after a voluntary
submission.
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Consult upon request with review staff on required submissions
containing genomic data.
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Integrate pharmacogenomics into the regulatory review process
and help develop future guidances and review standards.
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Harmonize review practices and quality review systems for
applications with genomic data.
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Coordinate public discussions and set agendas for a special
genomic subcommittee of the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory
Committee.
Web site
Our new pharmacogenomics Web site is available at
http://www.fda.gov/cder/genomics/default.htm.
Titled “Genomics at FDA,” the site includes links to:
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Detailed information on submitting genomic data, including a
decision tree to simplify data submissions and frequently asked questions.
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Relevant regulatory information and guidance documents.
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FDA contact information and members of the special review
group.
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Published papers and presentations by FDA scientists.
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Workshops and public meetings.
Along with the Drug Information Association, we are sponsoring a
scientific workshop April 11 to 13 that will focus on integrating
pharmacogenomics in clinical trials for new drugs, biologics and associated
devices. We will also address ways to translate pharmacogenomics into medical
product development and clinical practice.
Larry Lesko is the office director and Felix Frueh is the
associate director for genomics in OCPB.
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CDER nurse anesthetist develops master’s program for university
By Patrick E. Clarke
CAPT. E. Jane McCarthy, CRNA, Ph.D., discovered a disconcerting fact in
the spring of 2003.
“There had been no nurse anesthetist master’s program in the state of
Maryland for the last 20 years,” said McCarthy, the science education team
leader in the Division of Training and Development in the Office of Training and
Communications. She is also an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland’s
School of Nursing.
McCarthy organized a group of certified registered nurse anesthetists to
develop a proposal for the nursing school’s dean. The proposal included:
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A needs assessment for certified registered nurse
anesthetists in Baltimore and Washington area hospitals.
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Evidence of clinical site commitment for student
experiences.
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Identification of possible funding sources.
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Information about the American Association of Nurse
Anesthetists.
They presented the proposal to the dean and several other nursing school
faculty members. “About a week later the assistant dean called me and asked me
to be the one to start the program,” McCarthy said.
She made arrangements with her supervisors to work on the project at the
University of Maryland for four days a week for six months and one day a week
for an additional six months.
“During this time I wrote a curriculum for a nurse anesthetist master’s
program, identified hospitals for clinical education, wrote the self-study for
accreditation and set-up and implemented the on-site accreditation visit needed
for the program to be accredited,” McCarthy said. She also co-authored a funding
grant application for the program to the Health Resources and Services
Administration.
“During my second six-months, I assisted in hiring faculty and admitting
students,” McCarthy said. As an adjunct professor at the university, she teaches
pulmonary physiology and basic principles of anesthesiology. “I’m still used as
a consultant for the program and I may do a curriculum analysis for them at the
end of the year,” she said.
The first class of 18 students began the program in August 2004.
McCarthy notes that her work in developing the program ties right in with the
mission of the Public Health Service. “This program meets a tremendous public
health need. Operating rooms have had to be closed because they didn’t have
enough nurse anesthetists to perform surgery,” McCarthy said. Currently,
McCarthy noted, nurse anesthetists in Maryland are getting older and are
overworked.
McCarthy had previous experience setting up a nurse anesthetist master’s
program for the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in
Bethesda, where she earned her doctorate in physiology. To do that, she took a
six-year detail from FDA to the USUHS from 1993 to 1999.
“We educated nurses from all the services in this program. It was the first
time ever that all the services were educated under the same nurse anesthetist
program,” McCarthy said. The program McCarthy set up was so well regarded that
the Air Force closed down its nurse anesthetist program and started sending all
its students to the Bethesda program.
Because it was a military program, McCarthy had to ensure there was a combat
readiness component. “That weighed heavily on my mind,” she said. “Students
within six months of graduation could be in war zone with limited equipment and
a hostile environment.”
McCarthy’s prior experience proved valuable in structuring the combat
readiness component. During 1970 and 1971 she was with the U.S. Army Evacuation
Hospital, DaNang, in the former Republic of South Vietnam, where she provided
triage and emergency room nursing care for war casualties.
Now, at CDER, McCarthy focuses on an entirely different
curriculum. “I’m the science education team leader—responsible for the science
education curriculum that my division provides for the reviewers here,” McCarthy
said.
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New CDERLearn educational tutorial focuses on generic drug review
By Ayse N. Hisim
CDER is offering “The FDA Process for Approving Generic Drugs,” a free online
educational tutorial that offers one hour of continuing education credit for
physicians and pharmacists.
The course, available at
http://www.connectlive.com/events/genericdrugs/,
provides an overview of the generic drug review process, including how
FDA’s approval assures that generic drugs are safe, effective and high quality
drug products.
The learning objectives include being able to:
-
Cite the legislation that enables the approval of generic
drug products.
-
Describe the differences between the generic drug approval
process and the innovator drug approval process.
-
Identify information contained in the Orange Book.
-
Describe the methodology for determination of
bioequivalence of drug products.
-
Describe the complexities of the patent certification
process and the impact on the approval of generic drug products.
This CDERLearn course is one of a series of educational tutorials offered by
the Center as part of its strategic initiative to inform and educate people
about the safe use of medicine, the drug regulatory process and the vital role
health care professionals play to assist us in fulfilling our duties.
Our other current courses are:
Ayşe Hısım is a public affairs specialist and the Office of
Training and Communications’ project officer for the generic drug education
program.
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Parklawn Spanish Club helps you learn language, culture
By Joe Tonning
Learning Spanish can help you get promoted within the federal government, and
the Parklawn Spanish Club can help you learn the language.
For many federal jobs, knowledge of another language is highly desirable.
Currently, Hispanics comprise about 13 percent of the U.S. population, so it’s
easy to understand why knowing Spanish is becoming more important each day.
According to the Census Bureau, there were almost 40 million Hispanics living
in the United States in 2002. This number is expected to increase over the next
few decades. It’s very likely that you encounter people every day who speak
Spanish as their primary language. Spanish, used by 300 million people, is the
dominant language spoken in 21 countries on five continents and is the fourth
most widely spoken language in the world.
In addition to opening more career doors, learning Spanish can help you gain
an appreciation of other cultures. Reading Latin American newspapers and
watching Spanish language television can help you understand how other people
think and feel in ways that may be different from your own. Knowing Spanish can
improve your critical and creative thinking skills, enhance travel opportunities
and open up a whole new world of history, art and music. Spanish also allow you
to enjoy great literary and cinematic masterpieces in their original language.
The Spanish Club meets every Wednesday from noon to 1.m. in Conference Room
17B-43 in the Parklawn Building. There are no dues. People of all knowledge
levels are welcome, from beginners to native speakers.
In addition to practicing Spanish, we also learn about history, food, travel
and different Latin American cultures.
Even native Spanish speakers from Latin America are amazed at how much they
learn about other Latin American cultures. If you would like more information
about the Parklawn Spanish Club please contact me at (301) 827-7720.
Joe Tonning is a senior program manage in the Office of
Pharmacoepidemiology and Statistical Science
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Pharmacist Professional Advisory Committee seeks volunteers
CDR Patricia N. Garvey
The Pharmacist Professional Advisory Committee is seeking pharmacists who are
interested in serving on the committee. While there are currently no anticipated
openings for a CDER representative, all nominations will be kept on file for
future consideration. Members serve a three-year term.
The committee provides advice and consultation to the surgeon general and to
the pharmacist chief professional officer on issues related to both the
professional practice of pharmacy and the personnel activities of Commissioned
Corps and Civil Service pharmacists.
The committee meets at least monthly in the Rockville area, and
teleconferencing is available.
The committee is composed of pharmacists representing the various HHS
agencies and operating divisions as well as non-HHS programs that employ
Commissioned Corps and Civil Service pharmacists.
If you are interested in the committee, please submit your curriculum
vitae, a cover letter describing your interest and the date of your first
licensure as a registered pharmacist. Also, please provide a memo or letter of
endorsement from your immediate supervisor. The committee is strongly
considering membership requirements to include meeting basic readiness
standards.
I need all materials by May 30. Please contact me (GARVEYP) for the mailing
address if you are sending paper copies.
If you would like to participate in the committee’s activities as a
non-member, please volunteer to serve one of the following sections and
activities:
awards, membership, charter, data
analysis, history, legislation, and external pharmacy affairs.
Career development:
emergency response, professional
guidance and retention, and public health issues.
Communications:
Web site, listservs, events/meetings,
and community interaction.
Recruitment:
associate recruiter program, student
programs, point of contact initiative, and placement.
Working with a section or activity is a great way to contribute while
learning about the PharmPAC and its activities.
Patricia Garvey is a senior regulatory manager in the Office
of New Drugs.
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FDA Science Forum to feature free public session, achievement awards
On April 26 at 1:00 p.m. at the Washington Convention Center—the afternoon
before the 11th annual Science Forum—FDA will present a free symposium for the
general public entitled “Personalizing your Healthcare: The Best Consumer is an
Educated Consumer.”
This session, which requires a separate registration, gives the general
public an opportunity to hear about the science behind personalized medicine
(above), an issue of critical importance to both
consumers and FDA. Janet Woodcock, M.D., acting deputy commissioner for
operations, will moderate the presentations from an expert panel, and there will
be time for questions.
A link to the public session registration form is available on the Science
Forum Web site at
http://www.fda.gov/scienceforum
or directly at
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~frf/forum05/pubsci.html.
The Science Forum, from April 27 to 28, showcases the broad range of FDA
science and its relationship to our public health mission. The registration for
employees is $25.
FDA’s Office of Science and Health Coordination notes that the winners of the
2005 Center-ORA Scientific Achievement Awards—to be picked from center and ORA
nominees—will be announced April 28 at 1:30 p.m. during the Science Forum.
The awards, the CDER-level nominees and the nominated teams with CDER members
and their CDER members, are:
Excellence in Analytical Science
Mary E. Willy, Ph.D.
Excellence in Laboratory Science
Raymond P. Donnelly, Ph.D.
Excellence in Review Science
Leslie A. Kenna, Ph.D.
Outstanding Junior Investigator
Joan Buenconsejo, Ph.D.
Outstanding New Reviewer
Chenxiong Le, Ph.D.
Outstanding Intercenter Scientific Collaboration
Sculptra Injectable Gel PMA Review Team: Kimberly Struble, Pharm.D.
Process Analytical Technology Team: Joseph Famulare, Keith Webber, Ph.D.,
Frank Holcomb, Jr., Ph.D., Moheb Nasr, Ph.D., Ajaz Hussain, Ph.D., Christopher
Watts, Ph.D., Ali Afnan, Ph.D., Huiquan Wu, Ph.D., John Simmons, Karen Bernard,
Ph.D., See-Yan Lam, Pharm.D., Ph.D., Albinus D’Sa, Ph.D,, Mike Gavini, Ph.D.,
Brenda Uratani, Ph.D., Norman Schmuff, Ph.D., Lorenzo Rocca, Ph.D., Vibhakar
Shah, Ph.D., Rosario D’Costa, Ph.D., Bryan Riley, Ph.D.
Return to Index
Pike’s Puzzler: Number, Please
By Tony Chite
Match the phrase to the correct value:
1. Approximate number of drops in 1
milliliter of ophthalmic solution |
a. 3 |
2. Number of teaspoons in a 4-ounce
bottle of cough syrup |
b. 5 |
3. Number of milligrams in 1 grain
|
c. 20 |
4. Number of micrograms in 1 milligram
|
d. 24 |
5. Number of ounces in 1 quart
|
e. 30 |
6. Number of milliliters in 1 teaspoon
|
f. 32 |
7. Number of milliliters in one ounce
|
g. 60 |
8. Number of teaspoons in one tablespoon
|
h.
1,000 |
Key: 1c; 2d; 3g; 4h; 5f; 6b; 7e; 8a
Tony Chite, a former Center employee, is a pharmacist
practicing in Olney, Md.
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Joe's Notebook: Risk minimization, CT guidances
Three final guidances that we issued on March 24 will help develop new ways
and improve methods to assess and monitor the risks associated with drugs and
biological products in clinical development and general use. The documents are
part of our ongoing and comprehensive efforts to minimize risks while preserving
the benefits of medical products.
“As one of the five initiatives announced in November 2004 to further
strengthen our drug safety program, these guidances are further evidence of
FDA’s commitment to transparency in risk management decision-making,” said
Acting Center Director Steven Galson, M.D. “Continuing to improve the way
safety is assessed and monitored will lead to the earlier identification of
safety problems and enable a more proactive approach to minimizing these risks.”
The final guidances are:
which describes
additional safety testing, monitoring and interventions that may be helpful in
selected circumstances and addresses pre-market risk assessment
(http://www.fda.gov/cder/guidance/6357fnl.htm).
Development and Use of Risk Minimization Action Plans,
which discusses the development, implementation and evaluation of risk
minimization action plans, (called RiskMAPs
(http://www.fda.gov/cder/guidance/6358fnl.htm).
Good Pharmacovigilance Practices and Pharmacoepidemiologic
Assessment,
which covers the assessment of reported adverse events
(http://www.fda.gov/cder/guidance/6359OCC.htm).
The final guidances fulfill FDA’s commitment to risk management performance
goals as part of the reauthorization of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act in
June 2002. They are based on three concept papers released on March 7, 2003, and
on comments we received following a subsequent public workshop and publication
of the draft guidances in May 2004.
————————————
We published a draft guidance on Feb. 14 that provides advice on what studies
sponsors need to perform to evaluate drugs called “decorporation agents.”
These are drugs that reduce health risks by increasing the rate of
elimination or excretion of radioactive contaminants that have been absorbed,
inhaled or ingested.
The draft document provides guidance to industry on the development of those
decorporation agents when we need evidence to demonstrate effectiveness but when
human efficacy studies are unethical or infeasible.
We convened a multidisciplinary group of scientists to discuss how provisions
under the 2002 Animal Efficacy Rule could be used to facilitate development of
new decorporation agents. This rule applies when adequate and well-controlled
clinical studies in humans cannot be ethically conducted because the studies
would involve administering a potentially lethal or permanently disabling toxic
substance or organism to healthy human volunteers.
The rule is a major part of our effort to help make medical countermeasures
available and thereby help improve the nation’s ability to respond to
emergencies, including terrorist events.
Other examples of approved decorporation agents are Prussian Blue, potassium
iodide (KI), Ca-DTPA and Zn-DTPA. These drugs, when manufactured under
conditions specified in an approved NDA, have been found safe and effective for
the treatment of internal contamination with radioactive cesium (Prussian Blue),
iodine (KI) and plutonium, americium or curium(Ca-DTPA and Zn-DTPA).
Return to Index
Editorial board
Tthe Pike is published electronically approximately
monthly on the World Wide Web at:
http://www.fda.gov/cder/pike.htm.
Photocopies are available in the Medical Library (Parklawn Room
11B-40) and its branches (Corporate Boulevard Room S-121 and
Woodmont II Room 3001).
Views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not
necessarily reflect official FDA or CDER policies. All material in
the Pike is in the public domain and may be freely copied or
printed.
Pam Fagelson
Elaine Frost
Mary Jane Mathews
Edward Miracco
Melissa Moncavage
Ellen Shapiro
Ted Sherwood
Tony Sims
Nancy Smith
Wendy Stanfield
Marcia Trenter
Jennifer Wagner
Diane Walker
Grant Williams
Pamela Winbourne
Have ideas, news or comments to contribute? Please
contact a member
of the Editorial Board or:
News Along the Pike
CDER Office of Training and Communications (HFD-210)
Parklawn Building, Room 12B-31
Editor:
Norman "Joe" Oliver
(OLIVERN)
Associate Editors: Patrick Clarke, Sherunda Lister
Phone: (301) 827-1695
Fax: (301) 827-3055
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Date created: April 5, 2005