India

India Rare Diseases: Court Shows Path For Policy Action, Funding, Price Issues

 

A court order encompassing funding, drug pricing, clinical trials and overall policy implementation aspects is expected to cause a paradigm shift in the treatment of rare diseases in India. Sarepta, Roche and Sanofi are among the companies that have been part of pricing discussions.

India Tightens Oversight Of CROs With Mandatory Registration

 
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Contract research organizations in India must gear up to comply with new registration requirements coming into effect in April 2025 that aim to enhance the quality and integrity of clinical trials, as well as of any bioavailability and bioequivalence studies conducted by them.

Geopolitics, US BIOSECURE: Pharma Looks To Redistribute CDMO Footprint

 

A senior McKinsey executive discusses trends in the CDMO sector amid geopolitical tensions, the spurt in customer queries at Indian firms and also facets of the deals scenario.

India And Pakistan Boost Transparency In Industry-Doctor Interactions

 
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Developments in India and Pakistan are designed to standardize how drug companies disclose their expenses associated with health care professionals.


EU-US-Japanese-Indian Pharmacopeia Group Says ‘New Members Wanted’

 

The deadline is nearing for pharmacopoeias to express their interest in joining the decades-old discussion group that works to harmonize excipient monographs and general chapters and reduce the burden on manufacturers to perform analytical procedures in different ways depending on the jurisdiction.

India To Weed Out 156 Irrational FDCs; Legal Challenge Underway

 

India prohibits the manufacture and sale of over 150 fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) that lack therapeutic justification and pose potential health risks, though all eyes are on how effectively the regulatory apparatus enforces the ban, not the first in the area, amid legal action. One firm has secured an ad interim ruling for its combination drug.

India Trial Waivers: New Drugs, CGTs Cleared In Specific Countries To Qualify

 

Drugs in specific categories that have passed regulatory muster in certain advanced markets, including the US and Japan, will be eligible for trial waivers in India, raising sponsors’ hopes for an accelerated and more streamlined approval process in the country.

US FDA’s Cavazzoni To Manufacturers: Pay Attention To Data Received From CROs

 

Manufacturers should keep a sharp eye on data from contract research organizations, looking for “any irregularities” amid a concerning trend of data integrity issues pertaining to BA/BE studies conducted by certain CROs in India, the director of the FDA’s drug center says.


India’s Drug Regulatory Apparatus Set For ‘Big Ticket’ Changes

 

India’s drugs regulator sets out plans for extensive digitization across the regulatory value chain and regulatory rationalization initiatives, while also “looking inward” to up its game as it tightens processes and enforcement. Audit action under the revised GMP norms is also being kicked off.

ANDA Suitability Petitions: The Timelines They Are A-Changin'

 

US suitability petition submissions see an uptick against the backdrop of GDUFA III new goals for the FDA's response to such petitions. The Pink Sheet tracks some of the activity as applicants seek to tap market opportunities without the need for new clinical data.

Bolar Exemption India Files: Roche Blocks Alleged Infringer Of Evrysdi Patent

 

More legal action in India that has the Bolar exception provision at its crux with Roche, in this instance warding off a local drug maker in the Evrysdi patent infringement case.

Quotable: Top Experts On Policy Hot Topics

 

The Pink Sheet highlights recent comments and insights from pharma officials and executives on key issues we are covering.


‘Unsavoury’ Practices: Pharma Will Need To Be More Transparent On CME Expenses In India

 

India’s revised code for marketing practices includes US Sunshine Act-like requirements converging with tax laws and puts the spotlight on continuing medical education initiatives, where pharma will need to display funding/expenditure data on their website. The Pink Sheet talks to experts on the implications and also new requirements on brand reminders and drug samples.

India IPR Wheels Are Turning: Novartis, Bayer, Sun, Legal Heads Discuss Realities

 

Leaders from Novartis, Bayer, Sun Pharma, the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance, Médecins Sans Frontières and Anand and Anand discuss India’s evolving intellectual property rights landscape, including pre-grant oppositions, enforcement action and other realities. Concerns around evergreening, restrictions on patent-eligible subject matter and compulsory licensing were also key talking points at a recent conference in Hyderabad.

Lilly CEO: Affordable Generics And IP Support 'Not Incompatible Ideas'

 

Lilly’s CEO indicates that the long-standing IPR debate that has generally divided the developed and developing world is largely a “false narrative.” The executive also called for lowering regulatory barriers in India amid expectations of the potential debut of Zepbound/Mounjaro in the country next year.

Pooled Procurement Of Cancer Drugs In India: Is Pharma Game For More?

 

India’s National Cancer Grid pilots pooled procurement for 40 drugs including trastuzumab, imatinib, and pemetrexed, delivering median savings of over 80%. Experts discuss with Scrip the prospects of scaling the initiative and what it may mean for pharma’s margins and go-to-market strategy.


Data Exclusivity Demand In EFTA-India Deal: Access, Licensing, Other Implications

 
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The contentious issue of data exclusivity came to the fore during the European Free Trade Association's negotiations with India for a Free Trade Agreement. What are the arguments in support and against, including impact on compulsory and voluntary licensing?

Congress Explores Plans For Catching Up On US FDA Foreign Inspections

 
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Absent agency said to have a plan to overcome vacancies and clear inspection backlog; subcommittee has other plans.

India’s Interim Budget Pushes Innovation, Green Production, HPV Vaccination

 
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India’s interim budget 2024 hikes allocation for production-linked incentive schemes in pharmaceuticals, supports biotech start-ups - particularly green ones- and sets the right note for inclusion of HPV vaccination in the country’s Universal Immunization Program, one of the world's largest public health programs. How does it help?

India Sets Out Revised GMP Rules: Can It Weed Out Dodgy Players?

 

India’s revised GMP rules up the bar and lay out specifics for pharmaceutical quality systems, handling of product complaints and supplier audits, among other areas. While risk-based inspections are already being deployed, it will take unflinching enforcement to separate the wheat from the chaff across 10,000 manufacturing sites in the country.