Drug Master File (DMF) Submissions – Overview
The Drug Master File (DMF) is used to provide confidential and detailed information about facilities and processes used in the manufacturing, processing, packaging, and storing of one (01) or more human drugs. A DMF is not a substitute for any drug application or export application. It is not approved or disapproved. Technical contents of DMF submissions are reviewed only in connection with the review of a drug application or an export application. DMF filing usually covers the Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) of a component of a drug product; for example, drug substance, excipient, and packaging material. There are five (05) DMF types:
- Type I: Manufacturing Site, Facilities, Operating Procedures, and Personnel (no longer applicable)
- Type II: Drug Substance, Drug Substance Intermediate, and Material Used in Their Preparation or Drug Product
- Type III: Packaging Material
- Type IV: Excipient, Colorant, Flavor, Essence, or Material Used in their Preparation
- Type V: FDA-Accepted Reference Information
Beginning May 05, 2018, the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) mandated that the new DMFs, as well as the documentation for existing DMFs, must be submitted using the electronic Common Technical Document (eCTD). DMF submissions that are not submitted in the eCTD format after this date will be rejected.
European Drug Master File (EDMF)
The Active Substance Master File (ASMF) procedure, formerly known as the European Drug Master File (EDMF) procedure, is to allow valuable confidential intellectual property or 'know-how' of the manufacturer of the active substance (ASM) to be protected while allowing the applicant or the Marketing Authorization Holder (MAH) to take full responsibility for the medicinal product, and the quality & quality control of the active substance. National Competent Authorities/EMA thus have access to the complete information that is necessary for an evaluation of the suitability of the use of the active substance in the medicinal product.
The Active Substance Master File (ASMF), commonly known as the European Drug Master File (EDMF), is a submission made to the European Competent Authorities and/or the EMEA in support of the Marketing Authorization Application [MAA] or Marketing Authorization Variation [MAV] of a medicinal product. The ASMF/EDMF shall be prepared in the Common Technical Document (CTD) format.
The scientific information in the EDMF should be physically divided into the following:
- The Applicants Part (AP) - Contains the information that the EDMF holder regards as non-confidential to the applicant/MAH.
- The Restricted Part (RP) - Contains the information that the EDMF holder regards as confidential.
Regional DMFs
The DMFs generated for regions (excluding the USA and Europe) are covered under regional DMFs for the following countries: Canada, Turkey, Brazil, Korea, South Africa, Australia, Syria, and Saudi Arabia. Regional guidelines of the respective countries must be followed for Drug Master File filing and submission.
Drug Master File (DMF) Submissions – Freyr Expertise
- Maintaining the lifecycle of the Drug Master File Submissions.
- Updating or amending existing Drug Master Files (DMFs) with the US FDA.
- Creating baseline submissions for paper DMFs.
- Converting existing DMFs to eCTD.
- Module 1 document mapping and granularity management.
- DMF lifecycle management, including the amendments and Annual Report.
- Document formatting and publishing specific to the USFDA.
- Navigation and management with hyperlink integration and table of contents.
- Dossier compilation in the eCTD format.
- Providing searchable text-based documents to ease out paper to electronic document conversions as required by the USFDA.
- Serve as your agent for USFDA communications.
- Reactivate the inactive DMFs with the USFDA and convert them to eCTD.
- Requesting for pre-assigned application number for eCTD submissions on behalf of the API pharmaceutical manufacturer.
- Conversion of paper DMFs to electronic DMF Submissions.
Drug Master File (DMF) Submissions – Freyr Advantages
- Flexible eCTD publishing software, Freyr SUBMIT PRO, for end-to-end Regulatory publishing and submission services.
- Well-versed Regulatory team keeping track of the ever-changing Regulatory guidelines.
- Well-defined processes for creating Active Substance Master File (ASMF)/DMF submissions - starting from articulating to publishing and dispatching DMFs.
- Expert advice on region-specific DMF Filing process and DMF submission requirements, and various other Regulatory submission formats.
- Point-of-contact for each submission.
- DMF submissions dispatch availing Freyr gateway.
- Effective dossier compilation and preparation within reduced timeframes.
- Dedicated quality check teams.
- Quick submission turnaround times (TAT).
For faster, compliant and seamless submissions, Freyr offers an in-house eCTD tool Freyr SUBMIT PRO. Freyr SUBMIT PRO suits all your submission requirements across the globe and supports regional formats. To know more about Freyr SUBMIT PRO, gain a comprehensive overview at: