CDER Deficiencies and Information Requests for Injectable Drugs 2024-2025
By Rhizome Team
Understanding CDER's specific requests for information and deficiencies regarding injectable drugs and delivery devices is crucial for biopharmaceutical companies developing combination products. These regulatory communications provide valuable insights into FDA's expectations for drug quality testing and device ISO compliance.
By analyzing the actual deficiencies and information requests disclosed in review memos from 2024 and 2025, manufacturers can proactively address common regulatory concerns related to sterility testing, container closure integrity, device performance specifications, biocompatibility assessments, and quality system requirements.
This comprehensive analysis examines over a dozen injectable drug products and their delivery devices, revealing patterns in CDER's requests that span from essential performance requirements and design verification to risk management documentation and corrective action procedures. Understanding these regulatory expectations helps sponsors build more robust submission packages and avoid common pitfalls in their BLA and NDA filings.
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Provide a list of only the requests for information, information requests, or deficiencies that CDER disclosed in review memos in 2024 and 2025 about injectable drugs or delivery devices in a BLA or NDA pertaining to drug quality tests or delivery device ISO tests.
Answer
Certainly! Below is a comprehensive, non-duplicative list of requests for information, information requests, or deficiencies disclosed by CDER in review memos from 2024 and 2025 about injectable drugs or delivery devices in a BLA or NDA, specifically pertaining to drug quality tests or delivery device ISO tests. Where answers conflicted or overlapped, all relevant details are included and differences are noted.
1. ALHEMO (Concizumab-mtci) – BLA 761315 (2025)
-
Essential Performance Requirements (EPRs) in Stability Protocol and Release Specs:
- CDER requested inclusion of EPRs (dose accuracy, activation force, hold force, injection time) in the post-approval stability protocol and in the drug product release specifications. The applicant’s initial response was deemed insufficient, and CDER reiterated the need for these EPRs to be included to ensure ongoing device performance monitoring post-approval.
- Pertains to device performance testing and ongoing quality monitoring, related to ISO standards for combination products and injectable delivery devices.
- 1524
-
Filing Review Checklist (Device/Combination Product):
- CDER/CDRH checked for (and would request if missing):
- Essential Performance Requirements defined by the sponsor
- Design verification data and full test reports for verification/validation (including reliability, biocompatibility, sterility, shelf life, aging, transportation)
- Description of quality systems (drug cGMP-based, device QSR-based, or both)
- Control strategy for EPRs
- 15
- CDER/CDRH checked for (and would request if missing):
2. NEFFY (Epinephrine Nasal Spray) – NDA 214697 (2025)
- Device Performance and Biocompatibility Deficiencies:
- Lack of device performance testing of EPRs post-transportation simulation; FDA requested performance testing post-shipping to ensure device meets specifications (linked to ISO essential performance and reliability standards).
- Missing biocompatibility test reports, specifically irritation testing per FDA guidance and ISO 10993-1/10993-23. FDA requested an irritation test report for the device.
- Lack of fault tree analysis (FTA), design/process risk analysis, or trace matrix. FDA requested a FTA with a top-level failure mode of “failure to successfully deliver complete intended dose,” referencing ISO 14971:2019 (risk management for medical devices).
- 2530
3. YESAFILI (Aflibercept-jbvf) – BLA 761274 (2024)
- Facility and Device Quality/ISO-Related Requests:
- CDER requested identification of facilities responsible for final assembly, kit assembly, and sterilization, and an updated 356h form.
- Requested information supporting intraocular injection device specifications, including bacterial endotoxins (FDA guidance), sterilant residuals (ISO 10993-7), particulates (USP 789), ocular irritation (ISO 10993-23), and controls to assure future lots meet these specifications (release tests, quality agreements, etc.).
- 18
4. TYENNE (Tocilizumab) – BLA 761275 (2024)
- Quality Systems and CAPA Deficiencies:
- CDER/CDRH requested summaries of GMP compliance approach and quality systems for the final finished combination products, including:
- 21 CFR 820.20 (Management Responsibility)
- 21 CFR 820.30 (Design Controls)
- 21 CFR 820.50 (Purchasing Controls)
- 21 CFR 820.100 (Corrective and Preventive Actions)
- Other subparts related to device quality system regulation (QSR)
- Requested CAPA procedure required elements for device constituent parts/combination products.
- 17
- CDER/CDRH requested summaries of GMP compliance approach and quality systems for the final finished combination products, including:
5. ENTYVIO (Vedolizumab) – BLA 761133 (2024)
- Device and Quality System Deficiencies:
- CDER requested:
- Full design verification reports for prefilled syringe and autoinjector, including real-time and accelerated aging testing, with statistical summaries and force traces.
- Data demonstrating needle safety override force meets required confidence and reliability up to proposed shelf life (per FDA guidance for sharps injury prevention features).
- Documentation of compliance with combination product cGMP requirements and base operating system.
- Addressed deficiencies in prior cycles: needle clogging, CAPA, purchasing controls, cap removal force.
- 1481628
- CDER requested:
6. ZURNAI (Nalmefene Hydrochloride Autoinjector) – NDA 218590 (2025)
- Device Filing Review – Verification and Validation Testing:
- CDER/CDRH requested:
- Design verification data included in the NDA/BLA or cross-referenced.
- Full test reports for verification and validation testing (EPRs, reliability, biocompatibility, sterility, shelf life, aging, transportation).
- Description of device manufacturing process and quality systems.
- 726
- CDER/CDRH requested:
7. BRIXADI (Buprenorphine) – NDA 210136 (2024)
- Drug Quality Deficiencies:
- Concerns about sterility: CDER requested additional information on the testing procedure or alternative test method to assess assurance of sterility throughout shelf life.
- Lack of specification for factors affecting dissolution; requested assay/specification for release or stability, and found dissolution method deficient.
- Concerns about inspectional findings at the testing site, calling into question the validity of supporting data.
- 27
8. LIDOCAINE – NDA 209190 (2024)
- Drug Quality Deficiencies:
- CDER requested discussion and control strategy for increasing trend in unknown impurity on stability.
- Requested inclusion of vacuum test in stability specification for pouch integrity at every stability time point.
- 20
9. ANKTIVA – BLA 761336 (2024)
- Drug Quality Deficiency:
- CDER requested revision of container closure integrity testing method to detect breaches <20 µm and inclusion of appropriate routine positive controls.
- 23
10. TERIPARATIDE – NDA 211097 (2024)
- Drug Quality Deficiencies:
- Multiple information requests and deficiencies regarding drug product quality/method verification and verification of drug product quality methods.
- 29
11. Filgrastim-txid – BLA 761126 (2025)
- Drug Quality Deficiency:
- CDER requested summary data for "volume of injection" for ongoing real-time stability study to support proposed 24-month shelf life for both dose presentations.
- 35
12. YORVIPATH (Palopegteriparatide) – NDA 216490 (2024)
- Device Dose Delivery and Statistical Control:
- CDER requested design verification testing data to verify device meets new pen dose delivered specification.
- Requested statistical control plan for lot release testing of device EPRs.
- 5
13. General/Other Notable Requests (from Multiple Products)
-
Risk Management and Analysis:
-
CAPA Procedures:
Summary Table
| Product (Year) | Request/Deficiency Area | Description/Notes | Source(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALHEMO (2025) | Device ISO/Quality | EPRs in stability protocol/release specs, V&V data, quality systems | 1524 |
| NEFFY (2025) | Device ISO/Quality | EPRs post-shipping, biocompatibility (ISO 10993-23), FTA (ISO 14971) | 2530 |
| YESAFILI (2024) | Device ISO/Quality | Facility identification, device specs (ISO 10993-7/23, USP 789) | 18 |
| TYENNE (2024) | Device ISO/Quality | Quality systems, CAPA, QSR elements | 17 |
| ENTYVIO (2024) | Device ISO/Quality | Design V&V reports, needle safety force, cGMP compliance, CAPA | 1481628 |
| ZURNAI (2025) | Device ISO/Quality | V&V data, test reports, quality systems | 726 |
| BRIXADI (2024) | Drug Quality | Sterility, dissolution, inspectional data | 27 |
| LIDOCAINE (2024) | Drug Quality | Impurity trend, pouch integrity/vacuum test | 20 |
| ANKTIVA (2024) | Drug Quality | Container closure integrity test method | 23 |
| TERIPARATIDE (2024) | Drug Quality | Method verification, quality IRs | 29 |
| Filgrastim-txid (2025) | Drug Quality | Volume of injection stability data | 35 |
| YORVIPATH (2024) | Device ISO/Quality | Dose delivery V&V, statistical control plan | 5 |
| Multiple | Device ISO/Quality | Risk management plan, hazard analysis, FTA (ISO 14971) | 3033 |
| Multiple | Device ISO/Quality | CAPA procedures (21 CFR 820.100) | 132 |
Conflicting/Additional Notes
- Some review memos (e.g., for ENTYVIO, EBGLYSS, WINREVAIR) state that no new deficiencies were issued in 2024, but prior cycles had device quality and CAPA-related deficiencies that were resolved 10111213141628.
- For some products (e.g., ZURNAI), the review memo confirms that device EPRs and V&V data were reviewed and found appropriate, with no explicit new deficiencies, but the filing review checklist indicates what would be requested if missing 726.
- Some answers reference deficiencies or requests in prior cycles that were addressed before 2024/2025; these are included for completeness where the 2024/2025 memo references their resolution 1628.
References
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