Transcript validation
VALIDATION
What is the new guidance?
What is a Compliance Policy
Guide?
Explain FDA policy on regulatory issues
CGMP regulations and application commitments.
Advise the field staff on FDA’s standards and
procedures to be applied when determining
industry compliance
CPGs may come from a request for an
advisory opinion, from a petition from outside
the Agency, or from a perceived need for a
policy clarification by FDA personnel.
The Big Disclaimer
It represents the FDA's current thinking
on the topic.
It does not create or confer any rights
for or on any person and does not
operate to bind FDA or the public.
An alternative approach may be used if
such approach satisfies the
requirements of the applicable statute
and regulations.
Process Validation Requirements
for Drug Products and APIs
Subject to Pre-Market Approval
CPG 490.100
Background
The CPG covers
CDER/CBER/CVM products
Sterile and Nonsterile processes
The CPG does not address methods and
controls designed to ensure product
sterility (e.g. aseptic fill validation)
Does not cover BLAs or recombinant
protein drug products
Areas of interest
Conformance batch
Validation before PAI
Validation before commercial
distribution
Process analytical technology
API process validation
When is process validation
expected?
Not necessary before an NDA is
approved
Although many prefer to validate the
manufacturing process prior to the
preapproval inspection.
Reduce time to market
Gain additional process information
It is necessary before commercial
distribution
Why Validate?
Quality by design, built in
Can’t inspect quality in
Demonstrate control of process
Good science
Good business
It’s the law
Process Validation and the
Law
Dosage Forms
Required by CGMPRs (211.100; 211.110)
Enforced as GMP under the FD&C Act
(501(a)(2)(b))
APIs
Enforced as GMP under the FD&C Act
(501(a)(2)(b))
Validated Process
Provides a high level of scientific
assurance to reliably produce
acceptable product
Using rational experimental design
Evaluation of data
From development to commercial phase
What is expected?
Before commercial distribution begins, a
manufacturer is expected to have
accumulated enough data and
knowledge about the commercial
production process to support postapproval product distribution.
There is a new term!!
Conformance Batch
Prepared to demonstrate that, under
normal conditions and defined ranges of
operating parameters, the commercial
scale process appears to make
acceptable product.
Conformance Batches
Formerly known as validation batches
NDAs may be approved prior to
completion of the initial conformance
batch phase of process validation
The manufacture of the initial
conformance batches should be
successfully completed prior to
commercial distribution
Inspection of validation
activities during a PAI
PAI team will assess any validation activities
whether completed or not
A withhold recommendation will be made if:
Questionable integrity
Demonstrate that the process is not under control
Firm has not committed to making appropriate
changes
If deficiencies found in already approved product
validations
Inspection of validation
activities - - post-approval
Cover within 1st year of manufacture at
commercial scale if
It is the first drug produced at the site
There were previous problems validating a
similar process for another product
Equipment/process is substantially different
from existing equipment/processes
Inherently variable/complex operations
Inspection of validation
activities - - post-approval
If a firm has a good validation history
with similar products/processes
Process validation protocol & report may
be sent to District office for evaluation
Inspection of validation
activities - - post-approval
If significant deficiencies in validation
efforts are found…
Initial conformance batch phase not
completed
Protocol not followed or inadequate
Data shows process not in control
And product has been distributed…
Recommend regulatory action
Completion of conformance
batches prior to distribution
It is expected for most products
May not be needed for certain products
Orphan drugs
Radiopharmaceuticals
Completion of conformance
batches prior to distribution
If product distribution is to be
concurrent with release of conformance
batches, FDA will assess:
Basis for justification
Protocol/plan & available data to verify
controls prior to release; eventual process
validation
Post distribution monitoring for problems
Process analytical technology
For manufacturing processes that use
PAT, it may not be necessary for a firm
to manufacture multiple conformance
batches prior to initial distribution.
This will be decided on a case by case
basis by FDA depending on how and
the extent PAT is used.
API’s used in other already
approved drug products
Process validation is expected prior to
approval of the application if the API is
already being used in another drug
product and is made by essentially the
same process/scale
Conformance batches will be reviewed
API’s: NMEs or new process
Not having completed process validation and initial
conformance batches will not delay approval of the
NDA
FDA will audit and assess any available process
validation protocols, activities, data, and information
whether or not completed
A withhold recommendation will be made if any
completed API validation efforts include data of
questionable integrity or demonstrate that the API
process is not under control and the firm has not
committed to making appropriate changes.
APIs & Biotech
Some biotech NDAs require validation
information to be submitted as part of
the CMC section.
Deficiencies in other validated
API processes
If process validation activities are deficient for an API
process similar to that of the API under inspection
and for which a warning letter or other regulatory
action will be proposed, a withhold recommendation
for the dosage form will be made.
A withhold recommendation will be made if the API
firm has not established or is not following an
adequate initial conformance batch validation
plan/protocol or when the process is not under
control as demonstrated by repeated batch failures
due to manufacturing process variability.
So What Is New?
(nothing really……
Wink, wink
Nudge, nudge!!)
So What Is Missing?