Pharmaceutical Development

 Quality specifications and end-product testing

– with emphasis on the development of a

discriminatory dissolution testing method

 Presented by: Birgit Schmauser, pharmacist, PhD

Training Workshop on Pharmaceutical Development

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 Pharmaceutical development

 Objectives of the presentation

– Role of quality specifications
• Setting and justification of acceptance criteria
• Selection of test procedures

– Establishment of a dissolution testing method

Discrimination of formulations
Discrimination of manufacturing performance
Identification of stability problems

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 Introduction
 API
– Establishing chemical equivalence with Innovator API
• Stress stability testing
– Identify critical chemical quality attributes
– Developing a stability indicating analytical method
Establishing suitable acceptance criteria

 FPP
– Establishing equivalence of performance with Innovator FPP
• Dissolution testing
– Developing a dissolution method with discriminatory potential for changes in
formulation
Establishing discriminatory testing conditions and acceptance criteria

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 Discriminatory power of a dissolution
method
 Dissolution methods should be challenged during development to demonstrate that
change in formulation effects change in dissolution profile

Product A Product B Product C Product D

120 120
120 120

100 100
100 100

Dissolution (%)
Dissolution (%)
Dissolution (%)

80 80

Dissolution (%)
80 80

60 Ethambutol HCl 60 60
60

Isoniazid
40 40 40 40

Ethambutol HCl Ethambutol HCl

Ethambutol HCl
20 20 20 20
Isoniazid Isoniazid
Isoniazid

0 0 0 0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Withdrawal time in minutes Withdrawal time in minutes Withdrawal time in minutes Withdrawal time in minutes

 Source: T.G. Dekker, E. Swanepool, A-M. Redelinghuys & E.C. van Tonder – unpublished
(Dissolution of Ethambutol-HCl and Isoniazid FDC)

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 Quality specifications

 Specification
– List of tests (test parameters) & reference to analytical procedures &
appropriate acceptance criteria

 Specifications are critical quality standards

 Specifications are chosen to confirm the quality of the

API / FPP

 Specifications are not intended to fully characterize the

API / FPP

 Specifications are one part of a quality control strategy of the

API / FPP

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 Quality of pharmaceutical products

Phar mace
Proc ess ut ic
Val al
In proces ida Qu
e
D velopm s ti a
ent o li
Design n ty

rols P
cont M
G

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 Quality specifications

 The quality of APIs and FPPs is determined by a well-

controlled, validated manufacturing process
– Critical quality attributes of input materials
– Critical process parameters

 Quality specifications are established to ensure that

APIs and FPPs meet the pre-determined acceptance
criteria derived from thorough product characterization
during development

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Quality specifications of biological APIs

 The quality of APIs resulting from biological

processes such as fermentation cannot be
sufficiently ensured by quality specifications

 PQIF
– Not suitable for evaluation of biological APIs

Biological APIs are not subject of this presentation

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 Quality specifications

General concepts
 Periodic testing / skip testing
– Pre-selected batches / predetermined intervals
• Justification / less than full schedule testing / post approval

 Release versus shelf-life specification

– Acceptance criteria / set of tests

 In-process tests
– Conducted during manufacturing process / acceptance criteria

 Exclusion of tests
– Supported by development data
• Extractables / particle size / dissolution >> disintegration

 Revision of specifications based on sufficient batch data

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 Quality specifications

 Pharmacopoeial standards
– If appropriate, pharmacopoeial test procedures and acceptance
criteria should be used
– Alternative test procedures (and acceptance criteria) may be
used if comparability to or superiority to the pharmacopoeial
procedure is demonstrated
– If pharmacopoeial finished product standards are used
compliance to each test parameter/procedure/acceptance
criteria is understood

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 Quality specifications

 Specifications typically not included in official compendia

– Residual solvents
• API and FPP (e.g. granulation, film coating)
– User requirements
• Particle size
– Potential critical quality attribute identified during pharmaceutical
development
• (Polymorphic forms)

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 Verification of compendial standards

 Compendial assay methods

– API
• Verification of applicability with the necessary accuracy and precision
• Verification of specificity with regard to impurities/degradants identified
during stress testing
– comparable impurity profile
– FPP
• Verification of applicability with the necessary accuracy (matrix!) and
precision
• Verification of specificity with regard to impurities/degradants identified
during stress testing

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Verification of comparability of in-house
methods with pharmacopoeial standard

 Abacavir sulfate PhInt PhInt profile In-house profile (in-

(PhInt method) house method)

 In-house impurity profile should Impurity A Enantiomeric impurity

be verified by comparison with Impurity B -

PhInt method Impurity C Amino-impurity

– Comparison of retention times of Impurity D -
PhInt impurities with Impurity E -
chromatographic profile of Impurity F -
sample
- Chloro-impurity
– Verification that impurities B and
- Pyrimidine-impurity
D-F are not present (e.g. spike
with impurity standard)

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 Quality specifications

 „A specification establishes the set of criteria to

which a new drug substance or new drug product
should conform to be considered acceptable for its
intended use“ (ICH Q6A)

 …Justification should be presented for each

procedure and each acceptance criterion included
(ICH Q6A)
– Development data, pharmacopoeial standards, test data
from preclinical and clinical studies, results from stability
studies
– Range of expected analytical and manufacturing variability

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 Quality specifications (FPP)

General Characteristics and Tests

 Description
– Size, shape, colour

 Identification
– Identity of API (discriminatory)

 Assay
– Specific, stability-indicating

 Purity
– Degradation products (single un-identified and identified; total)
– Residual solvents

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 Quality specifications (FPP)

Particular Characteristics and Tests

 Oral solid dosage forms

– Dissolution
• Disintegration (dissolution  80% in 15min at pH 1.2 – 6.8)
– Hardness/friability
– Uniformity of dosage units
– Water content
– Microbial limits

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 Quality specifications (FPP)

Particular Characteristics and Tests

 Liquid dosage forms for oral use

(& powder and solution for reconstitution)
– Uniformity of dosage units
– pH
– Microbial limits
– Antimicrobial/Antioxidative preservative content
– Antimicrobial preservative effectiveness
– Extractables
– Dissolution (suspensions)
– Particle size distribution
– Redispersibility (time required)
– Water content (powder and solution for reconstitution)

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 Quality specifications (FPP)

Particular Characteristics and Tests

 Parenteral drug products
– Uniformity of dosage units (powders for reconstitution)
– pH
– Sterility
– Endotoxins
– Particulate matter (visible /subvisible particulates)
– Water content (powders for reconstitution)
– Antimicrobial/Antioxidant presevative content
– Antimicrobial preservative effectiveness
– Extractables
– Osmolarity
– Particle size distribution (suspensions)
– Redispersibility (suspensions)
– Reconstitution time

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 Particular aspects – FDC-FPPs

 WHO TRS 929, Annex 5, Guidelines for registration of fixed

dose combination medicinal products
– Emphasis on homogeneity of APIs in dosage form (≤ 25 mg/%)
• Homogeneity of blend before compression (content uniformity, PhInt, PhEur, USP))
• Homogeneity of finished dosage form (content uniformity, PhInt, PhEur, USP)
– Emphasis on adequate impurity specifications
• Calculation with reference to the parent API or API with lowest peak area percentage
• Particular attention to adequate validation of analytical procedure
• Stability testing
– Impurity specifications based on adequate stress testing (Appendix 3)
– Emphasis on adequate dissolution testing
• More than one dissolution medium may be necessary

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 Quality specifications - limitations

 Quality specifications are applied to a relatively small

proportion of a batch and rely on representativeness of
samples for a batch
– Well controlled manufacturing procedure (dosage forms)

 Acceptance criteria of quality specifications are limited by the

performance/capability of the method used for testing
– Specifications (assay, impurities) based on inadequate validation
• Impurity specifications and LOQ / response
• Assay specification and peak purity
• Impurities not covered by an analytical method

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 Quality specifications - potential

 Unravel unexpected related quality problems

– Quality problems identified by non-conformance to organoleptic
parameters/appearance
• Odour (discovery of genotoxic esylates)
• Turbidity [Ba2+(type I-glass !) and SO4-containing FPP-solution]
• Color (formation of degradation products)

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 Pediatric formulations in PQ

 Isoniazid + Pyrazinamide + Rifampicin tablet

30mg+150mg+60mg
– Uncoated dispersible tablet with break line
• 7th EOI, antituberculosis medicines

 Isoniazid + Rifampicin tablet

30 mg+60mg
– Uncoated dispersible tablet with break line
• 7th EOI, antituberculosis medicines

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 Quality specifications - Dissolution

 Performance Testing (ICH Q8)

– Performance can be considered as an indicator of the delivery of a drug
from the dose to the target site (type of dose/route of administration)
– Performance monitoring of unit solid dosage forms is usually addressed
as the disintegration of the preparation and the dissolution of the active
substance in a suitable medium

 Disintegration testing should demonstrate the effective break up

of the solid formulation after administration (performance of
disintegrant)

 Routine performance of disintegration testing may not be necessary

if a dissolution test with acceptable discriminatory power is
included in the finished product specification

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 Dissolution - ICH Q8

 The actual amount of drug liberated from the dose form into an
aqueous reservoir in vitro is intended to reflect the in-vivo
behaviour of the product

 In-vivo behaviour is dependent on several factors making in-vitro /

in-vivo correlation difficult

 Investigation of dissolution characteristics should routinely be

applied to all solid dosage forms at the development phase

 From such studies a decision can be made as to the relevance of

the dissolution test to the in-vivo behaviour and its ability to
discriminate between formulation changes

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 Development of Dissolution Testing

Preliminary considerations
 Physical parameters of APIs demonstrated to be variable
and critical for the quality of the product need to be
controlled
– Additional physical tests beyond scope of a monograph
• Water content (crystal properties/particle size/stability)
• Particle size (bioavailability/content uniformity/solubility/stability)
• Crystal properties and polymorphism (solubility / bioavailability / stability)

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 Development of Dissolution Testing

 Consideration of physicochemical characteristics of the API in

formulation
– Solubility of API (at 37°C)
• choice of formulation/choice of analytical method
– Physical properties of APIs and excipients
• Differing properties may lead to uneven distribution/alteration in drug delivery

To be addressed in development studies

(WHO TRS 929, Annex 5, (6.3.2.3, 6.3.2.5, 6.3.3, Appendix 3)
– Homogeneity
– Performance characteristics (e.g. dissolution testing)
• Establishing pharmaceutical equivalence to innovator

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 Development of Dissolution Testing

 Establish a dissolution method

– Apparatus
– Dissolution medium
– Test conditions

 Expectations
– discriminating sufficiently rugged
– Reproducible for day-to-day operation
– Capable to be transferred between laboratories
– Acceptance criteria representative of multiple batches
• Same composition, same manufacturing procedure including key
batches (clinical studies/stability studies)

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 Development of Dissolution Testing

 Discrimination (balance)
 Distinguishing significant changes in a composition or a manufacturing
process – likely to affect bioavailability
 Distinguishing between batches - without significant difference observed in
vivo
 Reflect relevant changes in drug product over time (by temperature /
humidity / photosensitivity and other stresses)

 Characterize discriminatory power of the procedure

– Assessing results from multiple batches (typical variability in composition
and manufacturing parameters)
– Intentional variation of manufacturing parameters (e.g. lubrication, blend
time, compression force) or drying parameters

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 Development of Dissolution Testing
 Separate development of
different dissolution methods
for different purposes

 Discrimination between
different concentrations of a
functional excipient (sodium
laurylsulfate) in preformulation
experiments

 Source: Bansal, A.K. Criticality of

functional excipients and decoding methods
during generic product development,
Pharmaceutical Technology Europe, 01 June
2006

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 Development of Dissolution Testing

 Variability of dissolution data is discouraged

because it is difficult to identify trends or effects of formulation changes on
highly variable data
• RSD ≥ 20% at ≤ 10 min, RSD ≥ 10% at  10 min

Root cause investigation on variability (prerequisite)

– Variability of formulation itself
• Content uniformity, process inconsistency, excipient interactions, film coating capsule
shell aging, hardening/softening of dosage form (stability)
– Artifacts associated with test procedure (coning, sticking)
– No free dispersing of contents throughout vessel
• Change of apparatus, agitation speed, deaeration
• Sinker type, composition of medium

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 Development of Dissolution Testing

 Selecting a suitable dissolution medium

– Solubility of drug
As a function of pH
– Solution state stability
– SINK conditions
• Dissolution volume 3 – 10 times saturation volume (PhEur; USP)
– Physiologic pH range 1.2 – 6.8, aqueous

Selection of appropriate conditions for routine testing

discriminatory capability
stability of the analyte
relevance to the in-vivo performance

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 Development of Dissolution Testing

 Typical media
– Dilute HCl, buffers in the pH range 1.2 – 6.8, simulated gastric/intestinal
fluid, water

 Volume
– 500 – 1000 ml (900 ml)
• Extendable to 2 – 4 L (sink conditions) with justification, validation

 Apparatus
– Basket or paddle (most frequently for solid oral dosage forms)
– Reciprocating cylinder or Flow through cell (special dosage forms)

 Agitation
– Baskets: 100 rpm / Paddles: 50 – 75 rpm
• Decreasing or increasing (25 – 150 rpm) justified if supported by data/profiles/results

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 Development of Dissolution Testing

Design of dissolution studies

 Immediate release dosage forms

– For routine release purpose
• Single time point specification
– For product comparability/performance
• Profiles with NLT 5 time points
– Characterise ascending and plateau phase
– Calulation of similarity factors
• Exception
– Release of more than 85% of API within 15 min

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 Development of Dissolution Testing

 Assay
– Spectrometric determination (fast/simple/no solvents)
– HPLC
• no interference from excipients, stability indicating, specific

 Validation of assay
– Specificity / Linearity and Range / Accuracy/Recovery /
Precision / Robustness / Solution stability

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 Development of Dissolution Testing

 Acceptance criteria (see also ICH Q6A)

– Typical range Q=75 – 80%
• Assay and content uniformity ranges are considered
– To be established on the basis of evaluation of profile data
– Consistency with historical data
• Acceptable batches will fall within the acceptance criteria
– No significant differences in in vivo performance, composition,
manufacturing procedure
• „Unacceptable“ batches should be outside the acceptance criteria
– Batches from the development phase that showed poor
bioavailability, different composition, difference in manufacturing
procedure

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 Acceptance criteria II
– Discriminating stability problems
• Disintegration rate affected by change in hardness, friability
Dissolution rate subsequently revealing change
– Discriminating manufacturing problems
• Dissolution affected by alternative manufacturing procedure/alternative
manufacturing site?
Variation No. 5, Doc. No. 9
(Supplement I, Generic Guideline)

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 Formulation investigation by dissolution
API Filler Binder Disintegrant Lubricant

 Objective: Develop a formulation which is pharmaceutically equivalent to the

innovator (capsules)
 Direct filling
– Improper flow, poor uniformity of content
 Wet granulation (with water)
– Dissolution inferior to innovator
 Sieving at different mesh size, disintegrant partly extragranulary
– Dissolution higher than innovator
 Decreasing the quantity of disintegrant
– Dissolution slightly faster than innovator
 Adding binder intragranularly
– Dissolution still slightly faster than innovator
 Decreasing disintegrant
– Final formulation; dissolution performed without sinker

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Dissolution Testing and in-vivo performance

 Dissolution and potential in vitro / in vivo correlation

– Biorelevant medium (USP; Medium with some relevance on the
in vivo-performance)
• Absorption site (if known)
• Rate-limiting step to absorption
Dissolution or permeability?
• Case A: quick dissolution in the stomach, high permeability
• Rate limiting step to absorption may be gastric emptying time → acidic
dissolution medium
• Case B: poorly soluble drug, weak acid
• dissolution mainly in the intestine → pH 6.8 dissolution medium

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Dissolution Testing and in-vivo performance

 Cynthia Brown et al. (2004) Acceptable Analytical Practices for Poorly Soluble
Compounds. Pharmaceutical Technology
– Relationship of rate of disintegration versus rate of dissolution

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Dissolution testing and in-vivo performance

 Discriminatory potential of dissolution test

conditions and acceptance criteria
– Physical characteristics of the APIs
• Relation between solubility and permeability of the drugs
– Influence of formulation on performance

Dissolution test conditions and acceptance criteria

must be developed individually for each particular
formulation

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 Summary

 A well controlled manufacturing process is the essential

prerequisite for FPPs

 Quality specifications will help to ensure that manufacturing

has been performed under well-controlled conditions to meet
predetermined acceptance criteria

 Dissolution testing can help to develop a suitable formulation

and manufacturing process during development

 Established discriminatory dissolution testing will

consequently identify FPP-problems

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 THANK YOU

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