Manufacturing

Lessons from 483s: Essential Strategies for Medical Device Manufacturers 

by | Apr 3, 2024 | , ,

Streamline CFR Part 820 compliance for medical devices. Merit for Life Science tackles CAPA, complaints & training for smoother FDA inspections. Introduction As a medical device leader, ensuring FDA compliance is paramount. It safeguards product safety, patient well-being, and your business from costly citations. However, navigating the complexities of FDA regulations can be daunting. Merit for Life Science simplifies this process.  The Challenge: Avoiding Costly FDA Citations  A closer examination of Form FDA-483 or FDA 483 Warning Letters reveals the most common reasons medical device manufacturers are issued a 483. Since 2015, 38% of citations (4,568 to be exact!) stemmed from just two areas:  21 CFR Part 820.100(a): Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA)...

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Lessons from 483 Inspections: CFR 21 Part 211

by | Mar 15, 2024 | , , , , , ,

In the highly regulated world of drug and biotechnology manufacturing, adhering to FDA regulations is essential not just legally, but also for protecting patient health, ensuring quality and building market trust. This blog highlights a critical trend: over 50% of the compliance issues noted during FDA Inspections (as documented in 483 Letters) for drug manufacturers (including some biotechnology firms) have focused on specific sections of FDA CFR 21 Part 211. This indicates a crucial area for compliance improvement to maintain operational integrity and uphold industry standards.  Understanding CFR 21 Part 211 and Recent Observations:  FDA CFR 21 part 211 outlines the regulations for the manufacturing, processing, packing, or holding of drug...

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Lessons from 483 Inspections: Navigating FDA Compliance for Drug and Biotech Manufacturers

by | Mar 14, 2024 | , , , , ,

In the biopharmaceutical industry, ensuring public health and product safety is paramount. Regular inspections by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are crucial to this mission. Even for established companies, the prospect of receiving a Form 483 (a document outlining potential compliance issues) following an inspection can be nerve-wracking.  Common Areas of Non-Compliance The FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) and the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) publish annual data on the number of 483s issued and aggregated data on the particular types of issues cited in the 483 letters. While each individual 483 letter is unique, looking at the data in aggregate reveals recurring themes, such as:  Quality systems: Deficiencies in quality...

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How Merit for Life Science Meets Weighing and Dispensing Requirements

by | Feb 1, 2024 | , , , , ,

In this four-part blog series, we’ll explore how Merit for Life Science optimizes critical business processes for pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Watch for our other blogs on inventory management and product safety, inventory splitting and sub-batching, and controlling storage conditions.   Weighing and Dispensing in Life Science Manufacturing Weighing and dispensing is a critical process for pharmaceutical and biotechnology manufacturers. These processes include removing specified amounts of bulk raw material from their source containers and dispensing specific quantities into other containers.  Pharmaceutical and biotech organizations require that strictly controlled processes be used when materials are measured out or transferred between containers, in...

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