DIA 2020 Global Annual Meeting

As required by ICH E6(R2) and by regulators such as the FDA and MHRA, sponsors retain the ultimate responsibility for activities that are outsourced to vendors providing services critical to the successful outcome of a clinical study. Sponsors delegating study activities to a vendor or a vendor’s vendor should take measures to pre-identify risks and ensure the vendor and any subcontractors are consistently delivering products or services of acceptable quality. This and more will be presented in this session, including communication pathways between clinical teams and the quality teams, and types of plans for management of risks by clinical teams. Some of the challenges of managing CROs/other vendors will be discussed such as how vendors are evaluated – per study or across a program area and regional challenges. Who does the initial assessment of the vendor (the operational group or QA?). Risk-based approaches to vendor quality management will be presented that includes how the vendors can be risk assessed and audited, along with how the vendor risk assessment information flows to the assessor completing the tool. Lastly, examples of the type of documentation expected by the FDA and MHRA to demonstrate oversight of vendors will be presented.