Geneva, 2 August 2021:
Registrations for the 2021 PIC/S Seminar on "GMP Assessment Approaches in Post COVID-19 Era" which will be hosted virtually from 9-11 November 2021 are now open (for Medicines Regulatory Authorities only). Deadline for registration is 3 October 2021.
For more information, please contact the PIC/S Secretariat.
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The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) of the Republic of Korea is pleased to announce that the 2021 PIC/S Virtual Seminar will be hosted by MFDS from 9 to 11 November 2021.
The Seminar on “GMP Assessment Approaches in Post COVID-19 Era” will consist of presentations, interactive panel discussions, and workshops for GMP Inspectors from around the world.
As the COVID-19 pandemic has put restrictions on GMP on-site inspections, various alternative GMP assessment approaches have been taken by Regulatory Authorities to ensure the quality of pharmaceuticals. As we face the post COVID-19 era, there is a need to explore the current and future status of these GMP assessment approaches. There is also a need to be prepared for the changes that will likely be seen in post COVID-19. Therefore, in this Seminar, we look forward to valuable presentations and discussions regarding different experiences in distant assessment from regulatory and industry experts; and regarding the status of GMP assessment based on reliance.
The Seminar is open to the participation of Inspectors from Medicines Regulatory Authorities around the world.
Geneva, 30 July 2026
PIC/S has published the revised PIC/S Recommendations on Qualification and Validation (PI 006-4).
These Recommendations have been revised by a dedicated PIC/S Working Group, successively chaired by Norman Gray (UK / MHRA) and subsequently jointly chaired by Kevin O’Donnell (Ireland / HPRA) and Rebecca Dowd (USA / US FDA). They supersede the PIC/S Recommendations on Validation Master Plan; Installation and Operational Qualification; Non-Sterile Process Validation; and Cleaning Validation (PI 006-3).
PI 006-4 will enter into force on 1 October 2026.
To download the revised Recommendations document, please consult the page “Publications”.
Geneva, 28 July 2026:
Registrations for the 2026 PIC/S Seminar on “Digital Transformation in GMP” which will be hosted by Türkiye / TMMDA from 4-6 November 2026 are now open (for Medicines Regulatory Authorities only). Deadline for registrations is 31 August 2026 (early-bird) and 23 October 2026 (standard).
For more information, please contact the PIC/S Secretariat.
Geneva, 28 July 2026:
On 15 July 2026, a Rapporteur was appointed by written procedure for the pre-accession application of Emirates Drug Establishment (EDE), for which a pre-accession application was received on 5 March 2026.
In line with the revised PIC/S Guidelines for the Pre-Accession Procedure, the designation of the Rapporteur marks the start of the pre-accession process.
Geneva, 28 July 2026:
On 17 December 2025, the State Entity “Center of Good Practices” of the Pharmaceutical Industry Development Agency under the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the State Institution “Center for Pharmaceutical Products Safety” under the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan, submitted a joint membership application to PIC/S.
The application received was completed on 15 January 2026, further to which the Rapporteurs and Audit Team are in the process of being appointed by written procedure.
Geneva, 16 July 2026:
The joint EMA - PIC/S drafting group has developed a concept paper on the revision of the Annex 15 (Qualification and validation) of the EU - PIC/S GMP Guide.
This concept paper aims to outline the rationale, objectives, and proposed changes for updating the Annex 15 - Qualification and validation, of the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Guide, that is common to the Member States of the European Union (EU) / European Economic Area (EEA), as well as to the Participating Authorities (PAs) of the Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme (PIC/S). The aim of the revision is to extend the scope of the annex to active substances manufacturers and to consider the revision of ICH Guideline Q9 (R1) on quality risk management.
This concept paper was submitted to a joint EMA - PIC/S public consultation and comments have been collected until 9 April 2026. Following the public consultation, the initial timetable has been revised, and only this section has been updated accordingly.
The revised Concept Paper can be downloaded on the PIC/S website (link), as well as on the EMA website (link).