eCTD Submissions

Electronic submissions have taken the life science industry's Regulatory space by storm. Majority of the Regulatory submissions are now made using the eCTD format globally. The benefits of eCTD are undeniable - faster, more efficient, and standardized. But transitioning from non-eCTD electronic Submission (NeeS) to eCTD isn't always a cakewalk. In this blog, we'll dive into the benefits of eCTD, the challenges of transitioning, and some strategies to successfully transition to the electronic world of submissions.

China’s pharmaceutical industry has seen substantial growth since its entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO). As of 2021, China holds a 12% share of the global pharmaceutical market, making it the second largest contributor. According to Xinhua News Agency, the Chinese pharmaceuticals market generated 708.75 billion yuan in 2021, while the Chinese domestic medicinal companies amassed 502 billion USD in profit.

The process of submitting Regulatory documentation to Health Authorities can be complex and time-consuming. Many organizations partner with a vendor that offers a submission tool to ease this process. With so many options in the market, it can be difficult to know who the right strategic partner is for your submission requirements.

eCTD submissions are one of the key steps in the development of pharmaceuticals. What if you miss your product launch due to a delay in eCTD submissions? The cost of lost opportunity per day delay in the product launch is expected to be in the millions. Subsequently, the cost of non-compliance to the Health Authority (HA) timelines and regulations is huge. With the fast-approaching submission deadlines for multiple products in their portfolio, life science companies often struggle to efficiently plan, execute, and track their submission activities.

Since 2003, eCTD has been accepted by several Health Authorities around the world. Its standard has evolved incrementally over time. Based on the Health Level Seven (HL7) standard called RPS (Regulated Product Submission), eCTD 4.0 brings in major changes and introduces certain substantial updates. The updates focus on addressing a few key constraints that both Agencies and sponsors have discovered over the last two (02) decades.

Structured Product Labeling (SPL) and Structure Product Monograph (SPM) are the mandatory document mark-up standards for the submission of label content, product and facility information and any subsequent changes to the existing label information in an electronic format. SPL format defines the structure and content of label information as per the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA), whereas SPM is for Health Canada (HC).