The revised Annex 1 to the PIC/S GMP Guide on the manufacture of sterile products has been published and will enter into force on 25 August 2023, except for point 8.123 which is postponed until 25 August 2024. The date of entry into operation is aligned with that of the revised EU Annex 1, which is identical to PIC/S Annex 1 (with some very minor editorial differences).
The entry into force closes a long revision process, which has been driven jointly by PIC/S and the EMA Inspectors’ Working Group (IWG) on GMDP in close co-operation with the European Commission (EC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). This has been a best-in-class model of international co-operation between EC, EMA, WHO, and PIC/S.
Annex 1 was first published in 1971 based on a PIC/S recommendation to ensure the sterility of medicinal products for the benefits of patients. It has undergone a number of partial revisions since its publication. This is, however, the first full revision aiming at restructuring this Annex, adding clarity to the requirements on the sterile manufacturing of medicinal products and introducing the principles of Quality Risk Management to allow for the inclusion of new technologies and innovative processes.
PIC/S decided to establish a Working Group on Annex 1 at its Rome meeting on 15-16 May 2014. It was then merged with the EMA IWG Drafting Group with a view to jointly revise Annex 1. WHO also decided to join the revision process with a view to align Annex 1 to the WHO GMP Guide. The joint Working Group included representatives of the Competent Authorities of PIC/S and EEA as well as WHO. The Working Group was first chaired by Andrew Hopkins (UK / MHRA) and then by Abdelaali Sarakha (France / ANSM).
Following two written consultations of Competent Authorities, the revision of Annex 1 was submitted to joint public consultation in December 2017. Over 6,300 comments were received during the 3-month consultation and then reviewed by the Working Group in 2018-19. This resulted into a new draft of the revised Annex 1, which was submitted to a second joint consultation from February to July 2020, during which approximately 2,000 comments were received and then reviewed by the Working Group in 2020-21.
The revised Annex 1 was then submitted to adoption to the EMA IWG on GMDP and the PIC/S Committee on 1 March and 29 April 2022, respectively. It has then been published by the EC on Eudralex and by PIC/S on the PIC/S website.
Geneva, 23 September 2026:
The PIC/S GMP Guide to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for Medicinal Products has been revised to include the revised Annex 19 (Reference and Retention Samples).
The revision of PIC/S Annex 19 primarily concerns Section 9, which addresses reference and retention samples for parallel imported, parallel distributed, and parallel traded products. The note clarifying that Section 9 applies only where local legislation covers parallel imported, parallel distributed, or parallel traded products — present in the previous version of the PIC/S GMP Guide (PE 009-17) — has been retained in the current version (PE 009-18).
This update aligns with the Co-operation Agreement between PIC/S and the EMA, which mandates the harmonisation of PIC/S and EU GMP Guides. The aim is to maintain equivalent GMP standards, thereby facilitating the exchange and use of information concerning the manufacture of medicinal products, in line with PIC/S' mission to lead the international development, implementation, and maintenance of harmonised GMP standards and quality systems for inspectorates in the field of medicinal products.
The revised Annex 19 was successfully adopted by the PIC/S Committee by written procedure on 22 September 2026.
The revised GMP Guide (PE 009-18), with the revised Annex 19 will enter into force on 24 September 2026. This coincides with the entry into force of the revised Annex 19 in the EU following the publication by the European Commission of the revised Annex 19 on Eudralex Volume 4 on 23 June 2026.
All non-EEA Participating Authorities of PIC/S and Applicants have been invited to transpose Annex 19 of the PIC/S GMP Guide into their own GMP Guides.
To download the revised GMP Guide (PE 009-18), please consult the “Publications” page.
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.