Geneva, 25 June 2015: ICH has published the ICH Q7 Questions & Answers on Good Manufacturing Practice Guide for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients. PIC/S contributed to this Q&A document which provides interpretation to GMP for APIs since the implementation of the ICH Q7 Guideline.
The ICH Q7 Guideline is originally based on a PIC/S draft guideline on API and was adopted by PIC/S in 2001, then integrated as part II of the PIC/S GMP Guide in 2007.
The ICH Q&A document can be downloaded from the link below:
Geneva, 15 June 2022: Registrations for the 2022 PIC/S Seminar on "Inspecting the Pharmaceutical Quality System (PQS)" which will be hosted by Ireland / HPRA in Dublin from 5-7 October 2022 are now open (for Medicines Regulatory Authorities only). Deadline for registration is 1 August 2022.
The Seminar will be preceded by the PIC/S 50th Anniversary Symposium & Celebration Dinner on 4 October 2022 (only upon invitation).
Geneva, 25 March 2022:
PIC/S is a non-binding, informal co-operative arrangement among Regulatory Authorities in the field of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) of medicinal products for human or veterinary use. It has the legal status of an Association under the Swiss law. PIC/S presently comprises 54 Members, which includes the State Service of Ukraine on Medicines and Drugs Control (SMDC).
Given the ongoing tragic events in Ukraine, PIC/S wishes to express its sympathy with all those affected by the war, in particular the most vulnerable: the wounded and the sick. More than ever, patients, whether civilian or military, must be granted indiscriminate access to medicines and medical treatment, irrespective of the circumstances.
As any organisation around the world, PIC/S stands by its Members. PIC/S appeals for a peaceful resolution to the crisis to enable all its Members to continue their important work in protecting patient safety, including the inspection of medicinal products. Violence against staff of any PIC/S Member, who are working to ensure the access of patients to medicine, is unacceptable.
Peaceful co-operation among Regulatory Authorities is at the very heart of PIC/S. PIC/S wishes to reaffirm that as a technical, non-political organisation, it is more important than ever to promote co-operation between Regulatory Authorities in the field of public health. PIC/S is not an agreement among States. While waiting for peace to return to Europe, PIC/S will continue to work untiringly to protect patient safety.
Geneva, 1 February 2022: The PIC/S GMP Guide to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for Medicinal Products has been revised to include:
PIC/S Annex 13 has been revised based on EC Regulation No. 536/2014 on Clinical Trials, which will replace EU Annex 13. This is in line with the Co-operation Agreement between PIC/S and EMA, which provides that the PIC/S and EU GMP Guides should be harmonised with the aim of keeping GMP standards equivalent, thus facilitating the exchange and use of information concerning the manufacture of medicinal products.
PIC/S Annex 16 is a new annex to the PIC/S GMP Guide. Historically, PIC/S did not adapt EU Annex 16, when it was adopted as part of the EU GMP Guide. Initially, PIC/S considered this annex to be EU-specific and difficult to transpose for PIC/S purposes, in particular since the PIC/S GMP Guide is limited to the manufacture of medicinal products and not to import and distribution. Following a consultation of PIC/S Participating Authorities in 2017, it was agreed to make an attempt to transpose EU Annex 16, considering that a PIC/S adaptation could offer added benefit to better convey expectations associated with product release and further international harmonisation efforts in line with PIC/S’ mission to lead the international development, implementation and maintenance of harmonised GMP standards and quality systems of inspectorates in the field of medicinal products. PIC/S also agreed that elements in Annex 16 related to imported medicinal products would be voluntary, dependent on national law.
Both Annexes were successfully approved by the PIC/S Committee by written procedure on 26 January 2022. The drafting / revision process has been successfully driven by the PIC/S Sub-Committee on the Harmonisation of GM(D)P (SCH), led by outgoing SCH Chair Paul Gustafson (Canada / ROEB) and incoming SCH Chair, Ian Jackson (UK / MHRA).
The revised GMP Guide (PE 009-16), with the revised Annex 13 and the new Annex 16, will enter into force on 1 February 2022. This coincides with the entry into force of Regulation No. 536/2014 on Clinical Trials replacing EU Annex 13.
All non-EEA Participating Authorities of PIC/S and Applicants have been invited to transpose Annexes 13 & 16 of the PIC/S GMP Guide into their own GMP Guides.
To download the revised GMP Guide (PE 009-16), please consult the page “Publications”.
Geneva, 4 January 2022: A new PIC/S Executive Bureau (EB) took office on 1 January 2022. Due to the pandemic, the election of the Executive Bureau was carried out by written procedure and successfully completed on 13 December 2021. The PIC/S Committee unanimously elected Mr Paul Gustafson (Canada / ROEB) as Chairperson for the period 2022-2023. Mr Gustafson will be assisted by Ms Susan Laska (US FDA), PIC/S Deputy Chairperson. The full Executive Bureau for the period 2022-2023 consists of:
Geneva, 10 November 2021: The PIC/S Working Group on Veterinary Medicinal Products (VMP), led by Grégory Verdier (France / ANSES), and the EMA GMP/GDP Inspectors Working Group have jointly developed two concept papers on the revision of Annex 4 (manufacture of veterinary medicinal products other than immunologicals) and Annex 5 (manufacture of immunological veterinary medicinal products) of the EU-PIC/S GMP Guide.
These concept papers are submitted to a joint PIC/S-EMA public consultation from 9 November 2021 until 9 January 2022 and can be downloaded on the PIC/S website (https://picscheme.org/en/publications?tri=draft#zone) as well as on the EMA website (https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/human-regulatory/research-development/compliance/good-manufacturing-practice/gmp-gdp-inspectors-working-group#concept-papers,-reflection-papers-and-draft-guidelines-section)
Comments should be sent to ADM-GMDP@ema.europa.eu using the EMA template downloadable via the link provided in the Concept Papers by 9 January 2022.