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ABSTRACT
Quality by Design (QbD) has become a new concept for development of quality pharmaceutical products, It is an
essential part of the modern approach to pharmaceutical quality, QbD is a best solution to build a quality in all
pharmaceutical products but it is also a major challenge to the Pharmaceutical industry whose processes are fixed
in time, despite inherent process and material variability, Under this concept of QbD throughout designing and
development of a product, it is essential to define desire product performance profile [Target product Profile (TPP),
Target Product Quality Profile (TPQP)] and identify critical quality attributed (CQA). On the basis of this we can
design the product formulation and process to meet the product attributes. This leads to recognise the impact of
raw materials [critical material attributes (CMA)], critical process parameters (CPP) on the CQAs and
identification and control sources of variability. QbD is an emerging idea which offers pharmaceutical
manufacturer with increased self-regulated flexibility while maintaining tight quality standards and real time
release of the drug product, This paper discusses the pharmaceutical QbD and describes how it can be used to
develop the pharmaceutical products well within the specified period of time.
Key words: Quality by Design (QbD) Target Product Profile (TPP), Target Product Quality Profile (TPQP),
Critical Quality Attributes (CQA), Critical Material Attributes (CMA), Critical Process Parameter (CPP)
regulatory requirements to demonstrate that the drugs
INTRODUCTION are safe and effective. A new approach to drug
The concept of QbD was mentioned in the ICH Q8 development could increase efficiencies, provide
guideline, which states that “quality cannot be tested regulatory relief and flexibility, and offer important
into products, i.e., quality should be built in by design” business benefits throughout the product’s life cycle.
According to ICH Q8 QbD is defined as A systematic This article explores the processes used in developing
approach to development that begins with predefined a market formulation and requisite supportive data,
objectives and emphasizes product and process particularly in light of the industry’s current
understanding and process control, based on sound movement toward submissions based on quality by
science and quality risk management [7]. QbD design (QbD). It outlines activities that should be
encompasses designing and developing formulations performed early in the drug development process
and manufacturing processes which ensures before initiating manufacturing and attempting market
predefined product specifications. In 2002, the FDA entry.
announced a new initiative (cGMP for the 21st The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of
Century: A Risk based Approach) [1]. This initiative Generic Drugs (OGD) has developed a question based
intended to modernize the FDAs regulation of review (QbR) for its chemistry, manufacturing and
pharmaceutical quality, and establish a new regulatory controls (CMC) evaluation of Abbreviated New Drug
framework focused on QbD risk management, and Applications (ANDAs). QbR is a new quality
quality system. The initiative challenged industry to attributes. It is a concrete and practical implementation
look beyond quality by testing (QbT) for ensuring of some underlying concepts and principles outlined
product quality and performance. An important part of by the FDA’s Pharmaceutical CGMPs for the twenty-
QbD is to understand how process and formulation first century and quality by design (QbD) initiatives
parameters affect the product characteristics and [12].
subsequent optimization of these parameters should be Pharmaceutical Quality by Testing: In this system,
identified in order to monitor these parameters online product quality is ensured by raw material testing,
in the production process. drug substance manufacturing, a fixed drug product
This paper discusses the pharmaceutical quality by manufacturing process, in-process material testing,
design and describes how it can be used to ensure and end product testing.
pharmaceutical quality with emphasis on solid oral The quality of raw material including drug substance
dosage forms of small molecules. The pharmaceutical and excipients is monitored by testing. If they meet the
industry works hard to develop, manufacture, and manufacture’s proposed and FDA approved
bring to market new drugs and to comply with specifications or other standards such as USP for drug
Drug Substance
Meeting Spec.
Assay
Unit Uniformity
Operations, Impurity
Mixing metal
Compression Res. Product
In Process
Coating Solvents Spec.
With fixed Spec. Moisture
Process Dissolutio
Parameter
If fails If fails,
n
Product discarded
Excipient Material
Meeting Spec. Discarded Acceptance criteria
based on one or more
batch data, Testing must
be made to release batches
substance or excipients, they can be used for between formulation and manufacturing process
manufacturing of the products. Because of uncertainty variables (including drug substance and excipients
as to whether the drug substance specification alone is attributes and process parameters) and product
sufficient to ensure quality, the drug substance characteristics are established and sources of
manufacturing process is also tightly controlled. A variability identified. This knowledge is then used to
change to the drug substance manufacturing process implement a flexible and robust manufacturing
may require the drug product manufacturer to file process that can adapt and produce a consistent
supplements with the FDA. product over time. Figure 2 shows a simplified quality
Finished drug products are tested for quality by control diagram under the current Quality by Design
assessing whether they meet the manufacturer’s (QbD).
proposed and FDA approved specification. If not, they Enablers of Quality by Design: Knowledge
are discarded. Root causes for failure are usually not management and quality risk management are two of
well understood. The manufacturers risk ongoing the primary enablers of QbD. They play a critical role
losses of the product until the root causes of failure are both in development and in the implementation of
understood and addressed or FDA approves QbD. They are instrumental in achieving product
supplements to revise the acceptance criteria to pass realization, establishing and maintaining a state of
the previously failed batches. Figure 1 shows a control, and lastly facilitating continual improvement.
simplified quality control diagram under the current A brief description of the two enablers and their utility
quality by testing (QbT) [2]. is provided in the following sections [14].
Pharmaceutical Quality by Design: ICH Q8 defines Quality Risk Management: Quality risk management
quality as the suitability, of either a drug substance or (QRM) is a key enabler for the development and
drug product for its intended use. This term includes application of QbD. During development, it enables
such attributes as the identity, strength and purity. resources to be focused on the perceived critical areas
Pharmaceutical QbD is a systematic, scientific, risk that affect product and process. It is one of the tools
based, holistic and proactive approach to that provide a proactive approach to identifying,
pharmaceutical development that begins with scientifically evaluating, and controlling potential
predefined objectives and emphases product and risks to quality. It also facilitates continual
processes understanding and process control. It means improvement in the product and process performance
designing and developing formulations and throughout the product life cycle.
manufacturing processes to ensure predefined product Knowledge Management: Product and process
quality objectives [9]. QbD identifies characteristic knowledge management is an essential component of
that are critical to quality from the perspective of quality by design and must be managed from
patients, translates them into the attributes that the development through the commercial life of the
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drug product should possess, and establishes how the product, including discontinuation. It is a systematic
critical process parameters can be varied to approach to acquiring, analyzing, storing, and
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consistently produce a drug product with desired disseminating information related to products,
characteristics. In order to do this the relationship processes, and components. This also emphasizes on a
transparency of information from development to detail and provides examples of the elements for
commercial and vice versa. Prior knowledge controlled release (CR) products.
comprises previous experience and understanding of Certain Key Aspects of QBD Include
what has been successful or unsuccessful, and The Target Product Quality Profile (TPQP): Target
recognition of issues, problems, or risks that may Product Quality Profile (TPQP) is a tool for setting the
occur and need to be addressed. strategic foundation for drug development —
Examples of prior knowledge include the following: “planning with the end in mind.” More recently an
Knowledge gained about the drug substance and/or expanded use of the TPP in development planning,
drug product from early development work clinical and commercial decision making, regulatory
Knowledge of the properties of materials and agency interactions, and risk management has started
components used in other products and the to evolve. The target profile is a summary of the drug
variability of associated physicochemical and development program described in the context of
functional properties prescribing information goals [4,5]. The TPP can play
Knowledge from related products, manufacturing a central role in the entire drug discovery and
processes, test methods, equipment, systems, and so development process such as: effective optimization
on of a drug candidate, decision-making within an
Knowledge from previous product and process organization, design of clinical research strategies, and
development projects, both successful and constructive communication with regulatory
unsuccessful authorities. TPP is currently primarily expressed in
Knowledge from the published scientific literature clinical terms such as clinical pharmacology,
Experience from the manufacture and testing of indications and usage, contraindications, warnings,
related dosage forms and products, including precautions, adverse reactions, drug abuse and
deviations, customer complaints, etc. dependence, over dosage, etc. Thus, it is organized
Prior knowledge, be it from the literature, experience according to key sections in the product’s label. TPP
with prior compounds/processes that are similar therefore links drug development activities to specific
provides the basis for the initial risk assessments and statements intended for inclusion in the drug’s label.
influences a number of decisions that are made. Target Product Quality Profile (TPQP) is a term that is
Therefore, a good understanding of the documentation a natural extension of TPP for product quality. It is the
relating to prior knowledge referenced in risk quality characteristics that the drug product should
assessments and DoEs is a must for the success of possess in order to reproducibly deliver the therapeutic
QbD. benefit promised in the label. The TPQP guides
Elements of Quality by Design: ICH Q8: formulation scientists to establish formulation
Pharmaceutical Development discusses the various strategies and keep the formulation effort focused and
elements of quality by design. These in combination efficient. TPQP is related to identity, assay, dosage
with the enablers form the fundamental basis for the form, purity and stability
QbD approach to development. Figure 3 provides a Tablet Characteristics
pictorial representation of the typical elements of Identity
QbD. This section describes the various elements in Assay and Uniformity
Drug Substance
Meeting Spec.
Assay
Unit Uniformity
Operations, Impurity
Mixing metal
Compression Res. Product
In Process
Coating Solvents Spec.
With fixed Spec. Moisture
Process Dissolutio
Parameter
If fails Confirms
n
understanding quality
Excipient and fixing Acceptance criteria
Meeting Spec. root cause based on performance,
Testing may not be necessary to
release batches
15
Control Strategy
microbiological property or characteristic that should the product. In QbD, an improved understanding of the
be within an appropriate limit, range, or distribution to linkages between the CQA and safety and efficacy of
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ensure the desired product quality” [7]. Identification the product is required. QbD has brought a realization
of CQAs is done through risk assessment as per the of the importance of the analytical, nonclinical and
the identified failure. Although the occurrence score additional testing controls, and establishment of
measures how frequently the failure might occur, the specification acceptance criteria. The rigidity of the
detection score indicates the probability of timely current system is required because manufacturers may
detection and correction of the excursion or the not understand how drug substance, excipients, and
probability of detection before end product use. All manufacturing process parameters affect the quality of
three scores are multiplied to provide a risk priority their product or they do not share this information with
number (RPN) and the RPN scores are then ranked to FDA chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC)
identify the parameters with a high enough reviewers.
risk to merit process characterization.
Although FMEA and DOE are not new concepts for CONCLUSION
the development of manufacturing processes, linking The Office of Generic Drugs (OGD) has made
the establishment of design space to the relevant CQA decisive moves to integrate QbD concepts into its
is novel. For example, a granulation step that has a ANDA drug filing structure by implementing a
direct impact on several CQAs and a direct bearing on Question Based Review (QBR) structure. If the rate of
whether the final drug product meets specifications QbD adoption is going to increase in the marketplace,
would be expected to undergo a more thorough the emphasis behind QbD must evolve to a business
process characterization and examination of a larger proposition: one that resonates with the generics
process design space. In contrast, a non-functional industry as a foundation for business competitiveness.
coating step that is robust and has no direct influence To be successful QbD must facilitate a generic product
on any CQA may require relatively limited process development organization whose primary objective is
characterization. to be first to file. Many R&D organizations within the
Defining Control Strategy: Control strategy is defined generics industry are measured by the timing and
as “a planned set of controls, derived from current number of ANDAs filed, not the quality of the ANDA.
product and process understanding that assures If we add the Agency’s activity in ensuring
process performance and product quality”. The control bioavailability claims during development is
strategy in the QbD paradigm is established via risk maintained in commercial products already approved
assessment that takes into account the criticality of the and on the market, the risk of poor process and product
CQA and process capability. The control strategy can understanding is tangible. In the end, the factor that
include the following elements: procedural controls, may well drive the industry toward QbD may be the
inprocess controls, lot release testing, process new pivotal guidance itself. Modeling as a foundation
monitoring, characterization testing, comparability for product and process development will demonstrate
testing and stability testing. It is worth noting that the the bottom line benefits of process understanding,
use of risk assessment in creating the control strategy making scaleup and technology transfer a smooth and
is unique to the QbD approach [7]. effective undertaking. Consolidation in the industry
A control strategy may include input material controls, will continue and the pressure to shrink the innovation
process controls and monitoring, design spaces around timeline will only increase as competition for
individual or multiple unit operations, and/or final emerging markets and within the U.S. marketplace
product specifications used to ensure consistent intensifies. In many ways the success of companies in
quality. A control strategy is what a generic sponsor the near future may be a direct by-product of their
uses to ensure consistent quality as they scale up their ability to integrate the concepts of QbD.
process from the exhibit batch presented in the ANDA
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