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Deadline postponed for the second targeted consultation on Annex 1
Those who have already submitted their comments are welcome to revise their contribution if they would like to. Only their latest comments will be considered.
The European Commission remain at your disposal in case you would have any further questions at : SANTE-REVISION-OF-ANNEX-1@ec.europa.eu
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Geneva, 20 February 2020:
Period of consultation:
From 20 February 2020 to 20 July 2020.
Objective of the consultation:
Annex 1 was first published in 1971, to ensure sterility of medicinal products placed on the market for the benefits of patients.
Since then it has undergone a number of targeted updates but, until now it has not undergone a full review. This revision is intended to add clarity, introduce the principles of Quality Risk Management to allow for the inclusion of new technologies and innovative processes and to change the structure to a more logical flow. Key changes are:
A first consultation conducted from 20 December 2017 to 20 March 2018 allowed about 140 companies and/or organizations to comment. The joint PIC/S-EMA drafting group (with WHO participation) processed more than 6200 lines of comments.
Due to widespread interest from industry following the first consultation, and because of substantial modifications introduced in several sections, the European Commission (EC), the European Medicines Agency (EMA), WHO and PIC/S have jointly agreed to engage with stakeholders a second targeted consultation on the updated draft guidance (version 12) focused on the sections and/or significantly modified paragraphs that raised most concerns by stakeholders.
The second targeted consultation aims at collecting experience from the sectors on certain manufacturing steps. PIC/S therefore expect to receive contribution from the associations representing the sectors.
Acknowledgment
In order to maintain the global alignment of standards, achieving at the same time assurance for the highest quality, the document will be, in parallel, subject to a second joint targeted consultation by the EC / EMA, WHO and PIC/S.
Joint Consultation Process
In line with the PIC/S-EMA Harmonised Consultation Procedure, comments will be collected by the EC as well as a number of organisations representing relevant stakeholders, which have agreed to receive all the comments of this second consultation from their members, to compile and send the comments to the European Commission. For the list of stakeholders, please refer to the EC website (link provided below), in particular the section on “Targeted Stakeholders”.
To download the consultation document and the template required to submit comments as well as for the process on how to submit comments, please refer to the EC website by clicking “here” - see in particular the section on “How to submit a contribution”.
The consultation document is also published on the PIC/S website under the section Drafts on the page “Publications”
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.