Pharmaceuticals And Medical Devices Agency Research Articles

Survey of Data Package and Sample Size of Comparative Clinical Studies for Biosimilar Developments from PMDA Assessments.

The Japanese biosimilar guideline requires that the sponsors conduct clinical studies such as comparative pharmacokinetic (PK), pharmacodynamic (PD), or efficacy studies. In each biosimilar development, the sponsors consider the clinical data package, and thus clinical data packages vary among biosimilar developments. The aim of this study was to elucidate the clinical data packages for the biosimilars approved in Japan. The details of clinical data packages and sample size for the regulatory approvals of biosimilars in Japan was reported. We surveyed the clinical data packages and sample size based on the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) website review reports between 2009 and 2023. Twenty-four biosimilars have been approved based on the comparative PK and efficacy studies, 10 biosimilars have been approved based on the comparative PK/PD study, and one biosimilar has been approved based on the comparative efficacy study. Regarding the sample size, comparative PK studies were conducted in healthy volunteers or patients for up to 300 cases, although the majority enrolled only 1-100 cases (68.1%, 32/47). Comparative PD studies enrolling 1-30, 31-60, and 61-90 cases totaled 4, 7, and 4 cases, respectively. Finally, comparative efficacy studies enrolling 1-300, 301-600, and 601-900 totaled 6, 10, and 11 cases, respectively. In particular, the oncology and rheumatology areas were the first and second disease areas recruiting 601-900 patients. Large numbers of patients were enrolled to conduct a comparative efficacy study. Efficient biosimilar development should be considered on the basis of the accumulation of scientific understanding of comparable features of biosimilars and their development.

Postmarket safety communications on drugs approved in Japan: A 25-year analysis.

Drug safety communications (DSCs) are essential tools for communicating important postmarket serious drug safety information to healthcare professionals and patients. Previous studies characterized DSCs issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA); however, knowledge about the activities of the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA)/the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) is limited. This study characterized DSCs by the PMDA/MHLW in comparison with previously reported DSCs by the FDA and the EMA. We retrospectively analyzed 37 DSCs of 41 adverse drug reactions (ADRs) for 33 drugs in Japan from 1997 to 2022. Most DSCs were related to non-oncology drugs (30/37, 81.1%), and the median (interquartile range) time from approval to DSC issuance was 19 (10-51) months. Notably, the regulatory review reports and the latest labels before DSC issuance did not describe 16/28 (57.1%) and 12/37 (32.4%) of the ADRs related to DSCs, respectively. Most DSCs resulted in label revisions (36/37, 97.3%) and seven drugs were eventually withdrawn. Some DSC characteristics are similar among the PMDA/MHLW, the FDA, and the EMA; however, the number, contents, and range of new safety issues addressed by DSCs differ among the three jurisdictions. Our study emphasized the importance of continuous efforts to gather postmarket drug safety information because substantial ADRs that led to DSCs were recognized after approval and were associated with critical label revisions and withdrawals. Future studies are required to address global challenges for regulatory harmonization of safety-related regulatory actions.

A Sponsor's Perspective on the Contribution of Regulatory-Required Observational Post-Marketing Studies to Understanding Human Drug Product Benefit/Risk in Japan.

Following marketing authorization in Japan, for almost all new drugs or new indications, postmarketing studies (PMS) are a regulatory requirement. These PMS focus on accrual of a defined number of cases with data being collected for a predetermined period after approval to confirm efficacy/effectiveness, safety, and quality in the Japanese population. In contrast to other regions where PMS are only required to address a specific scientific uncertainty, in Japan, PMS are often required regardless of any specific scientific uncertainty, and therefore, their scientific value is unclear. To determine the contribution to the understanding of benefit/risk of PMS conducted by Pfizer in Japan over 2000-2020 for Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) reexamination. A retrospective analysis of all Pfizer Japan postmarketing studies (PMS) during 2000-2020 was performed. Available Pfizer clinical study reports (CSRs) and PMDA reexamination reports (RERs) were reviewed for key safety findings. The primary analysis was conducted on the subset of PMS that had both an English CSR and a discussion of that PMS in the relevant RER issued by the PMDA, which was subsequently translated into English by a professional translation vendor. Reexamination outcome is included in each RER and served to demonstrate the impact of the study of the benefit/risk profile of the drug. A total of 79 PMS for 43 different drug products across therapy areas enrolled a total of 98,035 patients. The 79 PMS comprised 34 general drug use investigation (GDUI) studies and 45 special investigation (SI) studies. The primary analysis involved 37 PMS with a CSR and RER available in English (40,470 patients); all of which were observational in design. For 31 of 37 PMS, the RER concluded the overall adverse drug reaction (ADR) rate in the PMS was nominally lower than in the phase 3 program. Unlabeled ADRs were reported in 28 of 37 PMS; however, no new safety concerns requiring regulatory action arose from any PMS. The PMDA did not require additional risk minimization measures for any of the 43 drug products studied in any of the 79 PMS assessed. Japan PMS data were consistent with prior global data with no evidence of clinically meaningful differences in safety in Japanese patients. In all cases, the reexamination outcome was category 1 ("usefulness is confirmed"). The reexamination process did not result in regulatory changes for any of the examined drugs. The Japan new-drug application (J-NDA) review and approval process, including implementation of the initial Japan product label, assures acceptable benefit/risk at the time of approval such that mandatory GDUI or SI studies for all products should be reconsidered. In the case of genuine scientific uncertainty to the extent that the benefit/risk of the product is not clear, a PMS is warranted.

Therapeutic applications of carbohydrate-based compounds: a sweet solution for medical advancement.

Carbohydrates, one of the most abundant biomolecules found in nature, have been seen traditionally as a dietary component of foods. Recent findings, however, have unveiledtheir medicinal potential in the form of carbohydrates-derived drugs. Their remarkable structural diversity, high optical purity, bioavailability, low toxicity and the presence of multiple functional groups have positioned them as a valuable scaffold and an exciting frontier in contemporary therapeutics. At present, more than 170 carbohydrates-based therapeutics have been granted approval by varying regulatory agencies such as United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Japan Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA), Chinese National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), and the European Medicines Agency (EMA). This article exploresan overview of the fascinating potential and impact of carbohydrate-derived compounds as pharmacological agents and drug delivery vehicles.

Characterization of Chemical Interactions between Clinical Drugs and the Oral Bacterium, Corynebacterium matruchotii, via Bioactivity-HiTES.

In the field of natural product research, the rediscovery of already-known compounds is one of the significant issues hindering new drug development. Recently, an innovative approach called bioactivity-HiTES has been developed to overcome this limitation, and several new bioactive metabolites have been successfully characterized by this method. In this study, we applied bioactivity-HiTES to Corynebacterium matruchotii, the human oral bacterium, with 3120 clinical drugs as potential elicitors. As a result, we identified two cryptic metabolites, methylindole-3-acetate (MIAA) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), elicited by imidafenacin, a urinary antispasmodic drug approved by the Japanese Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA). MIAA showed weak antibacterial activity against a pulmonary disease-causing Mycobacterium conceptionense with an IC50 value of 185.7 μM. Unexpectedly, we also found that C. matruchotii metabolized fludarabine phosphate, a USFDA-approved anticancer drug, to 2-fluoroadenine which displayed moderate antibacterial activity against both Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli, with IC50 values of 8.9 and 20.1 μM, respectively. Finally, acelarin, a prodrug of the anticancer drug gemcitabine, was found to exhibit unreported antibacterial activity against B. subtilis with an IC50 value of 33.6 μM through the bioactivity-HiTES method as well. These results indicate that bioactivity-HiTES can also be applied to discover biotransformed products in addition to finding cryptic metabolites in microbes.

(139) Efficacy of a New Vacuum Erection Device (Vigor 2020) for Erectile Dysfunction in a Retrospective Study in Japan

Abstract Introduction Phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors (PDE5i) are the first-line treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED), but there is in approximately 30% of ineffective patients or contraindicated in patients taking nitrate medications. Although vacuum erection device (VED) is the second line in ED guidelines, they have long been unavailable in Japan, due to the withdrawal of their manufacturers. Objective A new VED, Vigor 2020, has now been manufactured and received medical approval by the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) in Japan. It is very important to be able to sexual intercourse with VED, recommended in the ED guidelines. We conducted a retrospective observational study of patients with Vigor 2020 in clinical practice. Methods We analyzed male patients aged 20 years or older who presented to an outpatient clinic with ED and were treated with Vigor 2020 as a second-line treatment, because PDE5i was ineffective or contraindicated. Sexual and ejaculatory function were assessed using questionnaires [Erection Hardness Score (EHS), International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), Male Sexual Health Questionnaire for assessing ejaculatory dysfunction (MSHQ-EjD), the numerical rating scale (NRS)]. Results There were 34 participants who could be evaluated before and after the use of Vigor 2020, with a mean age of 57.85 (27–86) years. Significant improvement in EHS and IIEF total score were observed with the use of Vigor 2020 in all participants. There was a significant improvement in MSHQ-EjD and NRS for participants who had an EHS of 3 or higher after the use of Vigor 2020. But no significant improvement in MSHQ-EjD and NRS for participants who had an EHS of 2 or lower after the use of Vigor 2020. The participants experienced no significant adverse events. Conclusions Vigor 2020 may be one treatment tool for ED, as defined in the ED guidelines. There is not only significant improvement of erection with Vigor 2020 but also improvement of ejaculation in cases of significant erectile efficacy. Disclosure No.

The Impact of Regulatory Reforms in China on Drug Lag: The Role of Clinical Development Strategies.

In recent years, there has been significant focus on China's new drug lag, but relevant research is limited. This study explores the reasons for drug lag by assessing the impact of reforms in China's drug review system, particularly focusing on the influence of clinical development strategies. This study selected drugs first launched in the United States between 2017 and 2022, examining absolute and relative lag between China and the first-launch country (including submission and review lag). These delays with drugs approved in the European Union and Japan during the same period were compared with uncover the roots of delays in China, further identifying potential factors that could reduce these delays. The results indicate that the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has a longer relative lag compared with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA). The submission lag time of the NMPA significantly surpasses that of the EMA and PMDA, whereas the review lag time of the NMPA exceeds that of the PMDA but falls short of the EMA. Focusing on clinical trial strategies, bridging trials and multiregional clinical trials (MRCTs) are typically required by the NMPA in East Asia, resulting in longer clinical delay time. Whereas the EMA and PMDA primarily require international MRCTs in Europe and America, with a clinical delay of < 5 months. It is evident that there is a significant gap in clinical trial durations between China and other countries. Further optimization of clinical trial management is necessary to address the lag for new drugs in China.

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes: From Regulatory Status to Clinical Translation.

Cardiovascular diseases, considered the deadliest worldwide by the World Health Organization (WHO), lack effective therapies for regenerating cardiomyocytes. With their self-renewal and pluripotency capabilities, stem cell therapies are increasingly used in precision medicine. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are a promising alternative to embryonic stem cells. Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) principles are not yet adapted for large-scale production of iPSCs. Additionally, the quality risk for iPSC products may not always be possible to eliminate, potentially jeopardizing the health of patients. This review aims to identify critical quality attributes (CQAs) for iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) for the development of cardiovascular therapy to ensure compliance with regulations and safety for patients. To attain these goals, the literature review was conducted with articles related to iPSCs and iPSC-CM therapies, legislation, and regulatory guidelines of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA). In conclusion, additional regulations and guidelines are needed to monitor differentiation, maturation, and tumorigenicity. GMP-compliant cell banks and fast-track approval systems may increase accessibility for patients.

Review of COVID-19 Therapeutics by Mechanism: From Discovery to Approval.

The global research and pharmaceutical community rapidly mobilized to develop treatments for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Existing treatments have been repurposed and new drugs have emerged. Here we summarize mechanisms and clinical trials of COVID-19 therapeutics approved or in development. Two reviewers, working independently, reviewed published data for approved COVID-19 vaccines and drugs, as well as developmental pipelines, using databases from the following organizations: United States Food and Drug Administration (US-FDA), European Medicines Agency (EMA), Japanese Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA), and ClinicalTrials.gov. In all, 387 drugs were found for initial review. After removing unrelated trials and drugs, 66 drugs were selected, including 17 approved drugs and 49 drugs under development. These drugs were classified into six categories: 1) drugs targeting the viral life cycle 2) Anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 Monoclonal Antibodies, 3) immunomodulators, 4) anti-coagulants, 5) COVID-19-induced neuropathy drugs, and 6) other therapeutics. Among the 49 drugs under development are the following: 6 drugs targeting the viral life cycle, 12 immunosuppression drugs, 2 immunostimulants, 2 HIF-PHD targeting drugs, 3 GM-CSF targeting drugs, 5 anti-coagulants, 2 COVID-19-induced neuropathy drugs, and 17 others. This review provides insight into mechanisms of action, properties, and indications for COVID-19 medications.

Regulatory Authority in Pharmacovigilance

Abstract: Based on their Gross National Income (GNI) per capita, the World Bank has categorized 80 economies as HighIncome. Global pharmacovigilance rules are primarily driven by three major regulatory stakeholders: the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Medicines Agency (EMA), and the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA). This article's goal is to provide an overview of pharmacovigilance systems and procedures in high-income nations, especially those that are also International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) members. Every high-income nation is a part of the WHO PIDM. Medication safety precautions are directly correlated with a nation's income level. The 10 intrepid members of the Uppsala Monitoring Center are from affluent nations and were among the first to act following the thalidomide catastrophe, establishing drug appraisal committees, launching ADR reporting forms, and implementing safety protocols. Although VigiBase is accessible, several nations have their own databases for data management and analysis, such as the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System, the French pharmacovigilance database, the EU's Eudravigilance system, and Canada's Vigilance online database. Strong pharmacovigilance systems are present in all high-income nations. The two international leaders in pharmacovigilance are the USFDA and EMA. The majority of wealthy nations adhere to EMA regulations. The degree of affluence in a nation directly affects the safety of medicines.

Who goes first? Patterns of cancer drug approvals across four major regulatory authorities: EMA, FDA, Health Canada, and PMDA.

149 Background: New anticancer therapies have led to substantial improvements in prognosis across many cancers. Commercial access to a drug is not possible until the drug has received regional regulatory authority market authorization. In prior work (1), we found that European Medicines Agency (EMA) drug approvals frequently lagged US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals from 2010-2019. Here, we expand the analytic time period to 2004-2023 and include two additional regulatory agencies – Health Canada (HC) and Japan’s Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA). Methods: Drugs with an anticancer indication and first global approval from 2004-2023 were preliminarily identified. Only drugs with an approval by all 4 regulators were included. For each drug, the first and last regulator’s initial approval dates were determined, and the interval between first and last approval was calculated. For drugs approved by all 4 regulators within 1 year (y), it was further determined whether they were considered first-in-class. Results: 209 drugs met the preliminary criteria, and 98 (47%) had approvals by all 4 regulators. The FDA was most commonly the first to approve (84 drugs), followed by PMDA (9 drugs), then EMA (5 drugs); HC was never first to approve. 43 of the FDA-first approvals (51%) were by the accelerated approval (AA) pathway; none of the EMA-first approvals were on the conditional marketing pathway. PMDA was most commonly the last to approve (62 drugs), followed by HC (21 drugs), the EMA (14 drugs), then the FDA (1 drug). The median (IQR) time between first and last regulator’s first approval was 2.4 y (1.3-3.5 y). Some drugs had &gt;5 y between first and last regulator’s approval (Table 1). Conversely, only 16 drugs were approved by all regulators within 1 y, and only 1 drug (isatuximab) was approved by all within 6 months. Of the 16 drugs approved within 1 y by all regulators, 6 (37.5%) were first-in-class: asciminib, elotuzumab, idecabtagene vicleucel, inotuzumab ozogamicin, sotorasib, and trastuzumab emtansine. Conclusions: This study shows that patients with cancer in the US usually have access to new cancer drugs earlier than those in Europe, Japan, and Canada, at least in part due to AA pathways. Less than 8% of newly approved cancer therapies are approved by all 4 regulatory agencies within 1 y of first approval, with a lengthy median first-to-last delay that could exceed the life expectancy of many patients with advanced cancer. Greater global regulatory collaboration in the approval of new anticancer drugs is essential to ensure patients have aligned and coordinated access. (1) Lythgoe et al. JAMA Network Open 2022.[Table: see text]

Toward AI-supported evaluation for safety control measures against near-miss events in pharmaceutical products

The Japan Council for Quality Health Care (JCQHC) promotes medical safety by providing health professionals in pharmacies and the public with information regarding near-miss events from pharmacies. The Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) evaluates the pharmaceutical near-miss events published by the JCQHC to determine whether safety measures need to be taken in terms of drug names and packaging. We propose an artificial intelligence (AI) evaluation model that performs efficient and reproducible evaluations to support PMDA reviewers. We prepared a dataset consisting of pairs of pharmaceutical near-miss events and their human-annotated evaluation in consultation with the PMDA Safe Use Measures Review Committee reports. Pharmaceutical near-miss events consist of semi-structured texts such as drug names and free descriptive comments. To extract text features such as the similarity of drug names from the semi-structured text and predict the evaluation from these text features, a light gradient boosting machine was used. The AI model was evaluated by ablation experiments on these features. Model construction using the metrics of precision, recall, f1-score, and macro-f1 and verification were performed using cross-validation. The developed AI model classified events with a high degree of accuracy close to that of PMDA's human evaluation; however, achieving human classification accuracy proved difficult. Further study is needed to improve the accuracy of the classification evaluation model. The developed model should serve as an operational rule for primary screening in PMDA operations.

Addressing the Clinical Importance of Equilibrative Nucleoside Transporters in Drug Discovery and Development.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Medicines Agency (EMA), and Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) guidances on small-molecule drug-drug interactions (DDIs), with input from the International Transporter Consortium (ITC), recommend the evaluation of nine drug transporters. Although other clinically relevant drug uptake and efflux transporters have been discussed in ITC white papers, they have been excluded from further recommendation by the ITC and are not included in current regulatory guidances. These include the ubiquitously expressed equilibrative nucleoside transporters (ENT) 1 and ENT2, which have been recognized by the ITC for their potential role in clinically relevant nucleoside analog drug interactions for patients with cancer. Although there is comparatively limited clinical evidence supporting their role in DDI risk or other adverse drug reactions (ADRs) compared with the nine highlighted transporters, several in vitro and in vivo studies have identified ENT interactions with non-nucleoside/non-nucleotide drugs, in addition to nucleoside/nucleotide analogs. Some noteworthy examples of compounds that interact with ENTs include cannabidiol and selected protein kinase inhibitors, as well as the nucleoside analogs remdesivir, EIDD-1931, gemcitabine, and fialuridine. Consequently, DDIs involving the ENTs may be responsible for therapeutic inefficacy or off-target toxicity. Evidence suggests that ENT1 and ENT2 should be considered as transporters potentially involved in clinically relevant DDIs and ADRs, thereby warranting further investigation and regulatory consideration.

Analysis of Corticosteroid-Induced Glaucoma Using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Reporting Database.

Glaucoma is the most common cause of blindness, which significantly reduces quality of life. Most glaucoma cases are primary glaucoma; nevertheless, many patients suffer from glaucoma caused by drugs, such as corticosteroids. A comprehensive review of the risks associated with corticosteroid-induced glaucoma is limited. Therefore, we used the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Reporting Database (JADER) published by the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) to analyze the risk factors associated with glaucoma and the trends and characteristics of corticosteroid-induced glaucoma. We did not find sex or age differences associated with the onset of glaucoma. Hierarchical clustering and principal component analysis revealed that triamcinolone acetonide and betamethasone sodium phosphate, which are used around the eyes in Japan, are more likely to induce intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation compared with other corticosteroids. Increased IOP is a direct cause of glaucoma. Based on these findings, it may be necessary to limit or avoid the use of these corticosteroids.

Utilization of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists in children and adolescents in China: a real-world study.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) have been widely used in treating type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity in adults, but scientific research about the indication in children and adolescents is scarce. The current study aims to explore the prescriptions of GLP-1RAs in children and adolescents in China and to evaluate its rationality. GLP-1RA prescriptions of children and adolescents were retrospectively obtained from the Hospital Prescription Analysis Cooperative Project. The study extracted information on patient's demographic characteristics, monotherapy and combination therapy of GLP-1RAs, and trends in GLP-1RA usage from 2016 to 2021. The rationality of GLP-1RA prescriptions was comprehensively assessed based on the indications approved by China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Medicines Agency (EMA), Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA), and published randomized controlled trials (RCTs). A total of 234 prescriptions from 46 hospitals were included, with a median age of 17 years old. The majority of patients were diagnosed with overweight/obesity or prediabetes/diabetes, accounting for 43.59% and 46.15%, respectively. There were 88 patients on GLP-1RA monotherapy. GLP-1RAs plus metformin was the most common combination therapy (38.89%). 12.39% of patients were found a co-administration with orlistat. The share of overweight/obesity prescriptions increased from 27% in 2016 to 54% in 2021, whereas prediabetes/diabetes prescriptions declined from 55% to 42%. The prescriptions were divided into appropriate and questionable groups according to the diagnosis, and the potentially questionable prescription was related to age (p = 0.017), department visited (p = 0.002), and any hospitalization (p < 0.001). This study described the prescribing of GLP-1RAs in children and adolescents. Our findings indicated that the utilization of GLP-1RAs has increased from 2016 to 2021. There was a strong basis for administering GLP-1RAs in overweight/obesity and prediabetes/diabetes, whereas the evidence was insufficient in other conditions. It is crucial to demand robust and sustained efforts to enhance the awareness of the safety of utilization of GLP-1RAs in children and adolescents.

Severe adverse reactions caused by Kampo formulas from the viewpoint of cases relieved by the Adverse Drug Reaction Relief System in 2021

Traditional & Kampo MedicineEarly View LETTER TO THE EDITOR Severe adverse reactions caused by Kampo formulas from the viewpoint of cases relieved by the Adverse Drug Reaction Relief System in 2021 Kazuo Yamada, Corresponding Author Kazuo Yamada [email protected] orcid.org/0000-0001-9219-6108 Division of Psychiatry, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Sendai, Japan Correspondence Kazuo Yamada, Division of Psychiatry, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 1-15-1 Fukumuro, Miyagino-ku, Sendai 983-8536, Japan. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorKensuke Usui, Kensuke Usui Division of Clinical Pharmaceutics and Pharmacy Practice, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Sendai, JapanSearch for more papers by this authorEiji Suzuki, Eiji Suzuki Division of Psychiatry, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Sendai, JapanSearch for more papers by this author Kazuo Yamada, Corresponding Author Kazuo Yamada [email protected] orcid.org/0000-0001-9219-6108 Division of Psychiatry, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Sendai, Japan Correspondence Kazuo Yamada, Division of Psychiatry, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 1-15-1 Fukumuro, Miyagino-ku, Sendai 983-8536, Japan. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorKensuke Usui, Kensuke Usui Division of Clinical Pharmaceutics and Pharmacy Practice, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Sendai, JapanSearch for more papers by this authorEiji Suzuki, Eiji Suzuki Division of Psychiatry, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Sendai, JapanSearch for more papers by this author First published: 03 June 2023 https://doi.org/10.1002/tkm2.1378Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article. REFERENCES 1Tsukiyama K, Tasaka Y, Nakajima M, Hino J, Nakahama C, Okimoto N, et al. A case of pneumonitis due to sho-saiko-to. Nihon Kyobu Shikkan Gakkai Zasshi. 1989; 27: 1556– 61. 2Ohtsu K, Matsui T, Nishimura T, Hirai F, Ikeda K, Iwashita A, et al. Association between mesenteric phlebosclerosis and Chinese herbal medicine intake. Nihon Shokakibyo Gakkai Zasshi. 2014; 111: 61– 8. 3Arai I, Hagiwara Y, Motoo Y. Estimated incidence of adverse reactions to Kampo medicines in randomized controlled clinical trials. Tradit Kampo Med. 2018; 5: 106– 12. 4Arai I, Harada Y, Koda H, Tsutani K, Motoo Y. Estimated incidence per population of adverse drug reactions to Kampo medicines from the Japanese adverse drug event report database (JADER). Tradit Kampo Med. 2020; 7: 3– 16. 5 Pmda.go.jp [homepage on the internet]. Tokyo: Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA). Available from: https://www.pmda.go.jp/relief-services/adr-sufferers/0011.html. 6 Pmda.go.jp [homepage on the internet]. Tokyo: Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA). Available from: https://www.pmda.go.jp/files/000246325.pdf 7Shimada Y. Adverse effects of kampo medicines. Intern Med. 2022; 61: 29– 35. https://doi.org/10.2169/internalmedicine.6292-20 Early ViewOnline Version of Record before inclusion in an issue ReferencesRelatedInformation

A case-control study showing low creatinine clearance and high magnesium intake as risk factors for hypermagnesemia in older individuals.

According to epidemiological studies, constipation has a negative effect on life expectancy, necessitating appropriate treatment. According to the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA), patients who have been taking magnesium oxide (MgO) for constipation over a prolonged period, especially those with impaired renal function and older individuals, are at high risk of hypermagnesemia. Therefore, serum Mg levels, which are often not checked in clinical practice, should be monitored in these patients. Thus, to predict elevated serum Mg levels and prevent the development of hypermagnesemia, we aimed to identify the risk factors of hypermagnesemia, especially in the older population. Our study included patients who were prescribed MgO at our hospital between January 1, 2014, and March 31, 2016. Patients who did not meet the inclusion criteria were excluded and matched to adjust for background factors; finally, 35 patients in the hypermagnesemia arm and 140 patients in the non-hypermagnesemia arm were included in the analysis. Multivariate analysis identified estimated creatinine clearance (eCcr) ≤28.2mL/min as a statistically significant risk factor. In addition, MgO dose ≥900mg/day was identified as a risk factor for clinical consideration, although not statistically significant. Furthermore, the incidence of hypermagnesemia was shown to increase to 11.6% for those with MgO dose ≥900mg/day, 27.0% for those with eCcr ≤28.2mL/min, and 53.1% for those with both. Hypermagnesemia may occur in older patients with eCcr≤28.2mL/min who take more than 900mg/day of MgO.

Historical Overview of Regulatory Approvals and PMDA Assessments for Biosimilar Products in Japan During 2009-2022.

A biosimilar product is defined as "a biological product that is highly similar to an existing, approved biological product (known as originator or reference product) in terms of structure, function, quality, and clinical efficacy and safety". Recently, biosimilar products have been actively developed around the world, and part of the reason for this is to combat the rapid growth of medical expenses in many countries, including Japan, the United States (US), and Europe. The use of biosimilar products has been promoted as a measure to address this issue. The review of marketing authorization applications for biosimilar products in Japan is conducted by the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA), which reviews the comparability of the quality, efficacy, and safety based on the data submitted by the applicants. As of December 2022, 32 biosimilar products have been approved in Japan. Through this process, the PMDA has gained much experience and knowledge regarding the development and regulatory approval of biosimilar products; however, details of the regulatory approvals for biosimilar products in Japan have not been reported until now. Therefore, in this article, we present the details of regulatory history and revised guidelines for approval of biosimilar products in Japan, questions and answers, other relevant notifications, and consideration for comparability evaluations for analytical, non-clinical, and clinical studies. In addition, we provide details about the approval history, number, and types of biosimilar products that have been approved between 2009 and 2022 in Japan.

Addressing practical issues in the smooth implementation of revised guidelines for non-clinical studies of vaccines for infectious disease prevention

Herein, we investigated possible practical issues for the smooth implementation of the revised Japanese Guidelines for Non-clinical Studies of Vaccines for the Prevention of Infectious Diseases, which were raised in response to public comments on the proposed guideline revision and a gap analysis of the World Health Organization and European Medicines Agency guidelines. We identified main issues such as the non-clinical safety studies of adjuvants and evaluation of local cumulative tolerance in toxicity studies. The revised Japanese Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA)/Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) guidelines require non-clinical safety studies for vaccines containing new adjuvants, but additional safety pharmacology studies or safety studies in two animal species may be required if non-clinical safety studies raise any concerns (i.e., systemic distribution). Adjuvant biodistribution studies may aid in understanding vaccine characteristics. The evaluation of local cumulative tolerance in non-clinical studies, which was the focus of the Japanese review, can be omitted by including a warning in the package insert to avoid injection to the same site. The study's findings will be reflected in a Q&A to be released by the Japanese MHLW. We hope that this study will contribute to the global and harmonized development of vaccines.

Conditional early approval for new drug applications in Japan: Current and emerging issues.

Conditional early approval for new drug applications in Japan: Current and emerging issues.