Emery Pharma and Fortrea Launch Podcast on Restoring Rifampin for Safer DDI Studies
Alameda, CA | July 28, 2025 – Emery Pharma, a leading GLP/GMP-certified analytical laboratory, is proud to announce the release of a special podcast episode featuring Dr. Marcus Stavchansky, Global Head of Pharmacy Services at Fortrea. The episode explores the renewed role of rifampin in drug-drug interaction (DDI) studies and highlights the innovative partnership between Emery Pharma and Fortrea to ensure safer, FDA-compliant rifampin use through validated nitrosamine impurity testing.
This timely conversation follows the recent regulatory shift by the U.S. FDA, which updated the acceptable intake limits (0.66 PPM) for 1-methyl-4-nitrosopiperazine (MNP), a genotoxic impurity previously found in rifampin batches. In response, Emery Pharma and Fortrea have joined forces to provide lot-by-lot rifampin certification, leveraging advanced LC-MS/MS and HRMS-based assays that help clinical sponsors confidently restore rifampin as the gold standard CYP3A4 inducer in DDI studies.
In this 8-minute episode, Dr. Stavchansky joins Dr. Ryan Cheu, Director of Chemistry at Emery Pharma, and moderator Chris Purcell, Business Development Manager at Emery Pharma to discuss:
- Why rifampin remains critical in clinical pharmacology
- How rigorous impurity testing restores confidence in its safety
- What sponsors need to know to meet FDA expectations for rifampin use in early-phase studies
- Emery Pharma’s validated assay can detect up to 0.003 PPM of NMP in a 600 mg Rifampin pills.
Watch the full podcast here: https://youtu.be/jNGZFPhL1Y0
“This partnership enables clinical programs to move forward with confidence, using validated methods that align with regulatory standards,” said Dr. Stavchansky. “It’s about restoring a vital tool to our DDI toolbox—safely and effectively.”
Planning a DDI study with rifampin?
Ensure your clinical design is backed by science and compliance.
Contact Emery Pharma at emerypharma.com to discuss impurity testing and method validation.
Connect with Fortrea at www.fortrea.com to learn more about integrated clinical pharmacology and DDI study support.
Together, we make rifampin work—safely, confidently, and compliantly.
