Postmarket monitoring of therapeutic goods in Australia
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Postmarket monitoring assesses the safety and efficacy of therapeutic goods post-registration, using tools like risk management plans and adverse event reporting. The importance of this monitoring is highlighted by past incidents like the withdrawal of Vioxx due to undisclosed cardiovascular risks. Health professionals play a crucial role in reporting adverse events to enhance product safety and improve regulatory actions.
Postmarket monitoring of therapeutic goods in Australia
- 2. Overview • What is postmarket monitoring? • Why is it important? • Tools used in postmarket monitoring • Managing risk • Adverse events • Risk management plans • Signals • Early warning system • Recall actions • Other education modules 2
- 3. What is postmarket monitoring? The aim is to continually monitor and evaluate the safety and, in some cases, the efficacy or performance of therapeutic goods that are available on the market and to manage any risks associated with individual products. We regulate therapeutic goods throughout their lifecycle in a number of ways Assess evidence Register Monitor Changes to product information, safety alerts, recalls Enforce compliance 3
- 4. Why is this important? Not all risks can be identified before registration Vioxx was first approved in Australia in 1999 for symptomatic treatment of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis Postmarket study showed an increased risk of cardiovascular events beginning after 18 months of treatment in patients taking the recommended daily dose Compared with placebo, this equated to one extra cardiovascular event for each 65 patients who took Vioxx for at least 18 months Vioxx was withdrawn from the market worldwide in 2004 This was one catalyst for more vigorous postmarket monitoring for regulators around the world 4
- 5. Tools used in postmarket monitoring Risk management plans Adverse event reporting Environmental scanning (seeking confidential advice from other regulators and review of medical literature, regulatory news, media and other sources) As a future health professional, you can help by learning how to report adverse events 5
- 6. Managing risk 6 • The TGA works on a risk-benefit assessment of products at a population level. The benefit of taking the medicine or using the device should be greater than the possible adverse events. • Higher levels of risk may be acceptable for a product used to treat a terminal illness, but not for a common or minor complaint.
- 7. Definition of an adverse event For both medicines and medical devices: an event that resulted in, or could have resulted in, serious injury, illness or death A medical device adverse event can also be associated with the use (or misuse) of a medical device. This may include difficulties or malfunctions, such as problems with getting the device to operate, the need for repeated repairs, difficulty of use or difficulty with cleaning after use 7
- 8. Your role as a health professional • You play an important role in monitoring the safety of therapeutic goods by reporting any suspected adverse events to the TGA • Reports can be made online, or by phone, fax or email • Visit the TGA website for more information about reporting 8Search the databases of adverse event notifications to see what has been reported to the TGA www.tga.gov.au 8
- 9. What should you report? The TGA is particularly interested in: • serious or unexpected reactions to medicines (this is explained further on the next slide) • serious medicine interactions • faults or problems with medical devices that have resulted, or could have resulted, in adverse events 9
- 10. Reporting serious and unexpected reactions to medicines It is most important to report serious and unexpected reactions to medicines. These are distinct from well known side effects. For example, we would not expect reports of: • tiredness after taking an opiate based painkiller • nausea or diarrhoea after taking certain antibiotics. 10
- 11. Who currently reports adverse events? 2012 data Medicines 58% 13% 11% 5% 4% 7% 2% Sponsors State and territory health departments Hospitals (including hospital pharmacists) General practitioners Consumers Community pharmacists Others Industry * Medical devices 81% 4% 2% 10% 1% 2% Sponsors Hospital supply and administrators Engineers and technicians Health professionals Consumers Others Industry * * There are mandatory reporting requirements for industry. 11 The TGA is developing strategies to encourage increased reporting by health professionals and consumers
- 12. Why Risk management plans? (RMPs) Real-world use of a medicine or biological identifies issues that may not have been discovered during a clinical trial RMPs are completed by sponsors as part of the registration process for high risk medicines and biologicals (made from or contains human cells or human tissue) They outline the risk management system for a product once it is available for use in Australia RMPs are living documents that cover the lifecycle of a product and inform the periodic safety update reports 12
- 13. Key elements of an RMP Safety specification Safety profile of a medicine or biological, including known and potential safety concerns Pharmacovigilance activities Plan for how safety concerns will be monitored and how further information will be collected Risk minimisation activities Plan for how the risks associated with the use of the product will be minimised 13
- 14. Signals Not from satellites! • Signals are information collected from one or more sources that show a potentially causal relationship between a product and an adverse event • There are three steps in the signal investigation process 14
- 15. Step 1 – detecting signals Involves a review of adverse event reports, international monitoring activities and reports, published literature and post-approval studies to identify harmful effects TGA 15
- 16. Step 2 – assessing signals 16 Involves determining the: • nature • magnitude • health significance of potential safety problems and their impact on the overall risk-benefit of the product. This process takes into consideration factors such as whether it is a serious adverse event in a few patients or a moderate adverse event in a large number of patients.
- 17. Step 3 – responding to signals Regulatory actions taken to mitigate risk include: • communication of information for consumers, health professionals and industry regarding the problem – Medicines Safety Update – Medical Devices Safety Update • alteration of the product label • recall of goods from sale or use, or for correction • changes to the conditions of registration • suspension or cancellation of the product 17
- 18. Case study – one report can make a difference Report that an epidural catheter, which is normally clear, was yellow when removed from the packaging for use. Upon testing, the yellow catheter was found to be cytotoxic. New, clear catheters (of the same brand) were also found to be cytotoxic. Further analysis found a plasticiser used to soften the catheter, n-butyl benzene sulfonamide, is a neurotoxin. The manufacturer had been using it for 30 years with no reports of related adverse events. The catheter was reformulated worldwide due to the TGA’s discovery. 18
- 19. Case study – a handful of reports can uncover previously unknown safety issues The TGA received eight reports of serious liver injury associated with the use of lumiracoxib (an anti-inflammatory used to treat osteoarthritis) including two fatalities, two liver transplants, severe jaundice and acute hepatitis without liver failure. The TGA investigated the reports and received expert advice that the apparent rate of severe liver injury with lumiracoxib appeared greater than for other similar medicines. The TGA immediately cancelled the registration of all forms of lumiracoxib in Australia, on the grounds that failure to do so would create an imminent risk of death, serious illness or serious injury. 19
- 20. Early warning system 20 Monitoring communications: • Early communications to highlight potential safety concerns • Not yet fully investigated • Further reporting encouraged Alert communications: • Issued once a safety concern has been investigated • Provides advice for health professionals and consumers Step 1 Step 2 20 If investigation reveals that a potential safety concern is not a true signal, an alert communication will not be published. The monitoring communication will be updated to reflect this.
- 21. Recall actions A recall action is taken to resolve a problem with a therapeutic good already supplied in the market when there are issues or deficiencies in relation to safety, quality, efficacy (performance) or presentation There are three distinct recall actions: • Recall – July 2013: one batch of Febridol Paracetamol 500 mg 100 tablet bottles recalled due to possibility of containing a foreign tablet • Recall for product correction – June 2013: Medtronic Paradigm insulin infusion sets recalled for product correction due to a potential safety issue if insulin or other fluids came in contact with the set's connector • Hazard alert – August 2013: hazard alert for the PyroTitan humeral resurfacing arthroplasty device, due to potential to break after being implanted You can search for recall actions via the System for Australian Recall Actions (SARA) database. 21
- 22. Subscribe to the TGA information services to stay up-to-date: www.tga.gov.au Receive information on: • Safety alerts • Recall actions • Medicines Safety Update • Medical Devices Safety Update • Consultations • Publications • Scheduling 22
- 23. Other education modules include: 23 Medicines Biologicals Medical devices Introduction to the TGA Good Manufacturing Practice