SOP Guide for Pharma

BA-BE Studies: SOP for Regulatory Inspection at Clinical Site – V 2.0

BA-BE Studies: SOP for Regulatory Inspection at Clinical Site – V 2.0

Standard Operating Procedure for Regulatory Inspection at Clinical Site in BA/BE Studies

Department BA-BE Studies
SOP No. SOP/BA-BE/123/2025
Supersedes SOP/BA-BE/123/2022
Page No. Page 1 of 10
Issue Date 17/04/2025
Effective Date 20/04/2025
Review Date 17/04/2026

1. Purpose

To establish a standardized and compliant procedure for managing regulatory inspections at clinical trial sites conducting Bioavailability/Bioequivalence (BA/BE) studies, ensuring full preparedness, transparency, and proper follow-up.

2. Scope

This SOP applies to all clinical site personnel, sponsor representatives, and QA staff involved in regulatory inspections conducted by authorities such as CDSCO, US FDA, EMA, MHRA, or other agencies at BA/BE study

sites.

3. Responsibilities

  • Quality Assurance Head: Acts as the inspection coordinator and is responsible for audit readiness and response management.
  • Principal Investigator: Responds to scientific and protocol-related queries during inspection.
  • Clinical Trial Manager: Coordinates logistics, documentation, and access to study records.
  • Document Control Officer: Provides controlled copies of requested documents and maintains tracking.

4. Accountability

The Site Director or Facility Head is accountable for ensuring successful inspection readiness, document availability, and compliance with all applicable regulatory standards.

5. Procedure

5.1 Pre-Inspection Preparedness

  1. Maintain an inspection readiness checklist (Annexure-1) reviewed monthly by QA.
  2. Ensure the Trial Master File (TMF) and Investigator Site File (ISF) are complete and updated.
  3. Conduct mock audits every six months and document findings in Annexure-2: Mock Audit Report.
  4. Ensure key staff are trained on GCP, protocol, SOPs, and inspection handling procedures.

5.2 Inspection Announcement

  1. Upon notification of inspection:
    • Inform sponsor and QA immediately
    • Assign Inspection Coordinator and Support Team
    • Prepare Annexure-3: Inspector Visit Plan

5.3 Hosting the Inspection

  1. Prepare dedicated inspection room with:
    • Working internet and printer access
    • Log of documents accessed (Annexure-4)
  2. Ensure only pre-verified staff interact with inspectors.
  3. Provide requested documents promptly with control tracking.
  4. Maintain daily briefing logs (Annexure-5).

5.4 Responding to Observations

  1. Review observations (Form 483, NAI, VAI, or EIR formats).
  2. Draft Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) plan in response to findings (Annexure-6).
  3. Submit response within agency-specified timelines (e.g., 15 days for FDA).
  4. Track implementation of CAPA and close documentation formally.

5.5 Post-Inspection Activities

  1. Hold debriefing meeting with staff and sponsor to discuss outcomes.
  2. Archive all inspection-related documents securely in TMF/ISF.
  3. Update site readiness plan based on lessons learned.

6. Abbreviations

  • BA: Bioavailability
  • BE: Bioequivalence
  • QA: Quality Assurance
  • TMF: Trial Master File
  • ISF: Investigator Site File
  • CAPA: Corrective and Preventive Action
  • CDSCO: Central Drugs Standard Control Organization
  • FDA: Food and Drug Administration

7. Documents

  1. Inspection Readiness Checklist – Annexure-1
  2. Mock Audit Report – Annexure-2
  3. Inspector Visit Plan – Annexure-3
  4. Document Access Log – Annexure-4
  5. Daily Briefing Log – Annexure-5
  6. CAPA Response Template – Annexure-6

8. References

  • ICH E6(R2) – Good Clinical Practice
  • CDSCO Inspection Guidelines
  • FDA Investigator Operations Manual
  • EMA Clinical Trial Guidelines

9. SOP Version

Version: 2.0

10. Approval Section

Prepared By Checked By Approved By
Signature
Date
Name
Designation
Department

11. Annexures

Annexure-1: Inspection Readiness Checklist

Area Compliance Status Remarks
ISF completeness Compliant All documents filed

Annexure-2: Mock Audit Report

Date Auditor Findings Action Taken
10/04/2025 QA Head Labeling delay Retraining completed

Annexure-3: Inspector Visit Plan

Date Agency Contact Person Coordinator Assigned
18/04/2025 CDSCO Mr. R. Sharma Rajesh Kumar

Annexure-4: Document Access Log

Date Document Accessed Requested By Issued By Returned
18/04/2025 CRF BE-121 Inspector Sunita Reddy Yes

Annexure-5: Daily Briefing Log

Date Topics Discussed Attendees Key Actions
18/04/2025 Day 1 Findings Site + QA Prepare CAPA draft

Annexure-6: CAPA Response Template

Observation Root Cause Corrective Action Preventive Action Responsible
Late SAE reporting Inadequate training Immediate notification SOP revised Annual refresher training CRA

Revision History:

Revision Date Revision No. Details Reason Approved By
01/01/2022 1.0 Initial Release Regulatory Compliance QA Head
17/04/2025 2.0 Added inspection logistics, briefing, and tracking formats Internal Review QA Head
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