Process Control - Parenteral Drug Association

Control System Development –
Learnings from the QbD
Journey towards Approval
PDA: A Global
Association
Christof Finkler, PhD
Section Head Analytical Development an d QC
Biotech Europe
Global Lead Roche QbD Large Molecule Team
F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel
Outline
• Introduction
• QbD Roadmap
- CQA Assessment
- Process Controls
- Control System
• Learnings and Benefits of QbD
2
Approaches to Process Development
Application of ICH Q11 Definition
Traditional Approach:
 Identify potential CQAs
 Define an appropriate manufacturing process
 Process development research often conducted one
variable at a time
 Define a control strategy to ensure process
performance and Drug Substance quality
Control Strategy not
systematically linked
to understanding of
CQA criticality or
process control
Enhanced Approach:
Identify potential CQAs
Determining the functional relationships that link material
attributes and process parameters to CQAs
Multivariate experiments to understand product and process
Use enhanced knowledge to establish a risk based control
strategy which can include a proposal for a design space(s) or
real-time release testing
Control Strategy
systematically linked
to understanding of
CQA criticality and
process control
3
QbD Roadmap
Critical Quality Attributes
Process Control
CQA
Identification
Using RA Tool
Determine CQA
Acceptance
Criterion (CQA-AC)
Assess
Process Impact/
Stability Impact
What attributes
are important?
What levels are
acceptable?
Does the process control the
CQAs within those levels?
Are they stable?
Overall
Control
Strategy
Determine Attribute Testing
Strategy based on CQA and
Process Impact Knowledge
Do we have a
robust process
& testing strategy?
What needs to be tested?
Control Strategy
QbD provides a systematic approach to answer these questions
4
CQAs for a MAb
ICH Q8 R1: Critical Quality Attribute: A physical, chemical, biological or
microbiological property or characteristic that should be within an appropriate limit,
range, or distribution to ensure the desired product quality.
High Molecular
Weight Species
Fragments
Composition and
Strength
Adventitious Agents
Glycation
Aspartic Acid Isomerization
Oxidation Variants
Leached
Protein A
Glycosylation Variants
Host Cell DNA
Host Cell Protein
N-terminal Variants
C-terminal Lysine
Deamidation
Raw Materials
Sequence Variants
Proline Amidation
Cysteine Forms
Leachables
Drug Product Specific
5
Critical Quality Attributes (CQAs)
Categorization
Category of Attribute
Assessment
Rationale for Approach
Product Variants
Risk Ranking and Filtering
Impact to patient safety and product efficacy is specific to
variant in question, mechanisms of action, route of
administration, etc.
Process-related impurities
Risk Ranking and Filtering
Clinical data from similar products can be used to assess
safety
Composition and Strength
Obligate CQA
Potentially high impact to safety and efficacy
Adventitious Agents
Obligate CQA
Potentially high impact to safety
Raw Materials
Compare Estimated Daily
Intake and Acceptable Daily
Exposure
Extensive data available from safety and toxicity studies
6
CQA Identification
Risk Ranking & Filtering Tool
Risk = Impact Score x Uncertainty Score
(2, 4, 12, 16, 20)
Risk that an attribute
impacts safety or
efficacy.
(1, 2, 3, 5, 7)
Impact attribute has on
safety and efficacy.
Determined by the
available knowledge.
More severe impact 
higher value.
Safety
Uncertainty in assigning impact.
Determined by relevance of
knowledge.
Reflects the degree of
confidence.
Higher uncertainty  higher
value.
Bioactivity
PK
Immunogenicity
Impact and Uncertainty rankings have different scales to reflect the relative importance
7
CQA Acceptance Criteria (CQA-AC)
The CQA-AC represents a numerical limit a CQA must
meet at the Drug Product end of shelf life in order to
ensure the desired quality of the product.
– based on patient impact and not limited to product-specific
clinical and manufacturing experience
– collective effect of CQAs considered to ensure PK and
biological activity
– drive CPP and Design Space identification and definition of
control strategy
– based on product-specific non-clinical and clinical experience
as well as platform knowledge and published literature
– Process capability is considered. Extension of limits beyond
clinical experience is feasible if patient safety is ensured
8
QbD Roadmap
Critical Quality Attributes
Process Control
CQA
Identification
Using RA Tool
Determine CQA
Acceptance
Criterion (CQA-AC)
Assess
Process Impact/
Stability Impact
What attributes
are important?
What levels are
acceptable?
Does the process control the
CQAs within those levels?
Are they stable?
Overall
Control
Strategy
Determine Attribute Testing
Strategy based on CQA and
Process Impact Knowledge
Do we have a
robust process
& testing strategy?
What needs to be tested?
Control Strategy
9
Process Control
CQAs
• Identify CQAs for the product
• Determine relevant levels for each CQA
at each step
Cell Culture/
Fermentation
Characterize
the process
• Perform scale-down uni- and multivariate
or worst-case experiments for each unit
operation
• Monitor all relevant CQAs
• Defines site- and scale-independent PP
impacts
Confirm a
Design Space
(optional)
• Linkage studies at worst-case limits for all
CPPs across the whole process
• Monitor process-wide performance for
relevant CQAs
Traditional atscale Process
Validation
• Confirms consistency of the process at
scale in the commercial manufacturing site
• Confirms site- and scale-dependent
validation
Centrifugation
Chromatography
Steps
Concentration
and Formulation
10
Drug Product
Manufacturing
QbD Roadmap
Critical Quality Attributes
Process Control
CQA
Identification
Using RA Tool
Determine CQA
Acceptance
Criterion (CQA-AC)
Assess
Process Impact/
Stability Impact
What attributes
are important?
What levels are
acceptable?
Does the process control the
CQAs within those levels?
Are they stable?
Overall
Control
Strategy
Determine Attribute Testing
Strategy based on CQA and
Process Impact Knowledge
Do we have a
robust process
& testing strategy?
What needs to be tested?
Control Strategy
11
Overall Commercial Control
Strategy
Acceptance
Ranges
INPUT:
Process
Parameter
OUTPUT:
Quality
Attribute
CPPs
CQAs
CPPs
CQAs
Acceptance
Criteria
Overall Control Strategy
Control of
Process Parameters
GMP - Procedural
Controls
+
GMP - Environmental
Controls
12
(CPPs & Non-CPP)
Control of
Materials
+
Attribute Testing
Strategy
Specified CQAs
Monitored CQAs
12
The Overall Control Strategy is a
Risk Management Strategy
Using the QbD approach, lot release & stability testing is risk-based
and addresses highly critical or less well-controlled attributes
Process impact/
stability impact
CQA Risk
Ranking and
Filtering
CQA-AC
definition
CQA
High
Process
Impact
Non-CQA
How critical is
the attribute?
Lot Release
Testing
Medium
Process
Impact
Low
Process
Impact
QAs
Attribute Testing Strategy
Risk Ranking and Filtering
Attribute
Monitoring
Robustness
assessment
No Testing
How well does the
process control it?
Does it change on
Stability
Either high criticality or high
process/stability impact
drive testing
Attribute Testing
Strategy confirmed
13
Attribute Testing Strategy Score
Defines Testing Strategy
CQA
Impact Score
(2,4,12,16,20)
X
Process/Stability Impact Score
(1,2,4,10)
=
Stability Impact Tree
Process Impact Tree
Attribute Testing
Strategy (ATS) Score
Attribute Testing
Strategy Score
<21 No testing required
21-50 Monitoring required
>50 Control System testing required
14
Impact assessment is done for the individual
steps by the aid of risk ranking and filtering tools
Drug Substance
Production
Decision Tree for Process Impact
Drug Substance
Storage
Decision Tree for Stability Impact Table
Drug Product
Production
(through filling ops)
Drug Product
Storage, Finishing,
Distribution
Decision Tree for Process Impact
Decision Tree for Stability Impact Table
Process Impact Assessment and
Residual Risk
CQA assessment
process capability independent
Non-CQA
CQA
Worst case prediction
CQA target
range
70 % of CQA
target range
CQA
RRF
Process
studies &
Linkage
<1.0%
Abundance
Variant not
susceptible
to change
(Equivalent
to RS)
Process mean
70 % of CQA
target range
CQA target
range
No impact
low impact
low moderate high
impact impact impact
16
Stability Impact Assessment and
Residual Risk
Amount variant xyz
Allowable Stabiliy Range
CQA-AC
Potential space for allowable excursions
(e.g. temperature)
Release specification
Target manufacturing
Probability to exceed allowable stability
range defines stability impact and attribute testing
strategy:
>1.0%  high stability impact
0.1-1.0%  moderate stability impact
<0.1%  low stability impact
= predicted change for individual data point over shelf-life
Upper/lower prediction interval
Residual risk (high impact) can be covered by control
system testing
Attribute Testing Strategy - Example
No Testing
Process Impact Score
Stability Impact Score
Batch Release
Stability
Monitoring
Considered for Stability in
Comparability Exercises
10
80 200 


4
2
80
40



LMWS
16
4
2
64


32

2
2


32
32

Deamidation
16
in CDR
1
1




16
1
1




16
Deamidation
16
in non-CDR
1
1




16
1
1




16
10
2
120 

24

2
10
 120 24


Oxidation in
12
CDR (Met)
2
2


24
24

2
2


24
24

Oxidation in
16
CDR (Trp)
1
1




16
1
1




16
Oxidation in
16
non-CDR
(Met)
2
2


32
32

2
2


32
32

Unknown
Acidic
Charge
Variants
12
No Testing
Considered for Stability in
Comparability Exercises
4
Monitoring
Batch Releasea
20
Stability
Stability Impact Score
Control
System
Testing
Process Impact Score
Control
System
Testing
Drug Product
HMWS
CQA Category
Size
related
variants
Charge-Related
Variants:
Acidic Variants
Oxidation-Related
Variants
Drug Substance
CQA Impact Score
CQA
18
QbD Roadmap
Critical Quality Attributes


Process Control
CQA
Identification
Using RA Tool
Determine CQA
Acceptance
Criterion (CQA-AC)
Assess
Process Impact/
Stability Impact
What attributes
are important?
What levels are
acceptable?
Does the process control the
CQAs within those levels?
Are they stable?
Overall
Control
Strategy
Determine Attribute Testing
Strategy based on CQA and
Process Impact Knowledge
Do we have a
robust process
& testing strategy?

What needs to be tested?
Control Strategy
19
Outline
• Introduction
• QbD Roadmap
- CQA Assessment
- Process Controls
- Control System
• Learnings and Benefits of QbD
20
Key Learnings – CQA Assessment (1)
• Structured CQA assessment is an extensive exercise – ensure
timely start in order be ready to support PC/PV studies
• Involvement of preclinical an clinical experts is key to draw the right
conclusions
• Include all relevant mode of actions into CQA assessment to ensure
that all CQAs and hence all CPPs are identified.
Early agreement with health authorities on relevant mode of actions
is beneficial.
• Risk assessments and justification thereof require proper and timely
documentation
21
Key Learnings – CQA Assessment (2)
•In silico analysis is a valuable tool to support CQA assessment
•Criticality assessment of individual quality attributes should be
performed independent of levels present in clinical trial material
•Type and amount of information provided in filings to convey enhanced
understanding is increased
22
Key Learnings – Control Strategy (1)
• Extention of CQA acceptance criteria beyond actual levels present
in clinical trial material is possible but requires proper justification.
Acceptable levels of attributes affecting immunogenicity and safety
are usually more closer to clinical history
• Collective effect of CQAs needs to be considered to ensure PK and
biological activity
• Risk based control strategy provides oppertunity to reduce
redundant or low/non-value added QC test
23
Key Learnings – Control Strategy (2)
• Evaluation of process impact on CQAs should include the
identification of interactions of process parameters and worst-case
linkage of all unit operations affecting that CQA in order to reduce
the risk of unexpected product quality/process failure.
• Thorough explanation of tools and approaches that are used as part
of the enhanced approach to process- and control strategy
development is required in the dossier
• Summaries on CQA criticality, process and stability impact, and
control strategy robustness assessment strongly supports the
justification of specification(s) in S.4.5 and P.5.6.
• The dossier need to include a clear overview of the remaining
risks/uncertainties and how the control strategy managed these
24
Benefits of QbD for Control
System Development
•
Systematic risk based CQA assessment leads to a better
understanding of the molecule
•
The more extensive evaluation of process impacts on CQAs
generates the knowledge which CQA are affected by the process
parameters for each unit operation
•
Documented risk assessments is a strong basis for knowledge
management
•
QbD approach allows a more rigor development of overall control
strategy
Acknowledgements
Thanks to:
Roche Global QbD Large Molecule Team
Multiple Technical Development Teams
Lynne Krummen, Mary Cromwell, Paul Motchnik, Reed Harris
Gerald Gellermann, Felix Kepert, Nadja Alt, Ettore Ohage, ...
Doing now what patients need next
26