EMA Advice on How to Use Real World Data

A lot has been written about the potential of Real World Data (RWD) and Real World Evidence (RWE) over the last decade. In the latest guidance from a regulatory agency, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) released a reflection paper on using RWD derived from non-interventional studies (NIS) to generate RWE for regulatory purposes. It emphasizes … Read more

Why Randomized Trials Matter: The Case for Controlled Trials

In the field of medicine, the integrity of clinical data is crucial for ensuring that patients receive effective treatments. Randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) are considered the gold standard for evaluating the efficacy of new drugs because they offer the most reliable evidence by eliminating bias and allowing for direct comparisons between treatments. While the … Read more

Beyond Government Grants: A Diversified Funding Strategy for Drug Development

For more than four decades, government grants have been a cornerstone of early-stage drug development, providing crucial non-dilutive funding that has fueled tens of thousands of programs. They’ve been vital in translating innovative scientific discoveries into life-saving therapies. However, the current political climate introduces an element of uncertainty regarding the future availability and consistency of … Read more

Developing Treatments for Rare Disease: FDA’s Case Studies

The FDA released a user guide, the Learning and Education to Advance and Empower Rare Disease Drug Developers (LEADER 3D) based on case studies highlighting key concepts and regulatory considerations crucial for successful rare disease drug development programs. The case studies present successful approaches used by sponsors in designing and conducting their rare disease drug … Read more

Chasing Profits: The Drug Companies’ Ethical Dilemma

Pharmaceutical companies are often seen exploiting legal loopholes to increase their profits at the expense of patient safety. The case involving Gilead Sciences highlights a troubling delay in releasing a safer drug, raising important questions about the impact of corporate decisions on public health. Of particular concern is a tactic known as “product hopping” which … Read more

Can AI Replace Doctors in Patient Care Conversations?

Artificial intelligence is transforming healthcare, but is it ready to replace human touch? As technology advances, a new study investigates the effectiveness of AI, specifically ChatGPT, in answering patient questions compared to experienced surgeons, revealing surprising insights about communication in medicine. Bots like ChatGPT are designed to understand and generate human language. ChatGPT can interpret … Read more

Improper Donor Testing at IVF Clinic: FDA Warning Letter

Human cells and tissues must be vigorously tested for contamination from infectious pathogens.  Seems like a common sense approach to easily avoid spread of infectious diseases. But not every collection, processing, and storage site for human tissue follows this simple screening step for their operations. A Sperm Bank in California got a Warning Letter for … Read more