1. Best Quality Practices for Biomedical
Research in Drug Development
Rick Calabrese
Global Director of Quality Systems
Sartorius Stedim Biotech
15 Jan 2014
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ASQ Northeast Pharmaceutical
GMP Conference 2014
2. Table of Contents
• Project Background
• Purpose of Technical Report
• Project Goals
• Objectives
• Current Technical Report Outline
• Management System
• Documentation
• Technical Requirements
• Legal & Ethical Considerations
• Dependencies & Resources
• Contributors & Affiliation
• Looking Ahead
• Questions
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3. Project Background
Best Quality Practices for Biomedical Research in Drug Development
• Recent basic science achievements promise significant payoffs in
human health, but these potential benefits are threatened by low
productivity -- measured by the high costs and high risks of failure
in the current development processes and the declining number of
successful products reaching patients.”
• FDA’s “Critical Path Paper”, March 2004
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4. Project Background
• Because of the rapid progress of biological sciences, non-GLP
laboratory research (e.g. biomarker development, exploratory,
mechanistic studies etc.) has become increasingly critical for
modern drug development.
• Many research institutions are recognizing the need to establish
solid quality standards to ensure integrity and validity of the data
they generate. But which standards and how to introduce them is
the big question.
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5. Project Background
• Non-GLP biomedical research has traditionally been considered to
be off-limits for formal quality systems or management.
• Scientists in general regard their work as a highly intellectual
activity where quality is a knowledge and experience driven integral
part of the scientific rigor they apply.
• A long-standing tradition of quality control in science has been peer
review of the results, but modern pharmaceutical research has
become so complex that peer review has a limited value today.
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6. Purpose of Technical Report
• To minimize waste of resources and reduce the need for costly
confirmation and repetition of work already performed
• To generate reliable data to ensure a solid basis for deciding whether
to invest in further development of a strategy or product
• Quality means better science
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7. • The technical report specifies the general quality requirements for
non-regulated biomedical research in drug development in order to
ensure credibility of biomedical research results.
• This includes both large and small molecule discovery and non-
clinical development that is not covered by GxP.
• It is based on the format laid out for the international quality
management standard ISO 9001.
Technical Report Project
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8. Project Goals
• The target audience for this technical report is the scientific staff
at institutions and companies involved in drug development.
• Compliance with applicable regulatory and safety requirements
are not covered by this report.
• Set up basic quality standards for new drug development.
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9. Objectives
• Publish ASQ Technical Report (Completed June 2012)
• Publish the technical report Mandarin and Spanish
• Present information to targeted groups
• Publish promotional papers in ASQ journals and other magazines
• Provide training courses on the information in the technical
report
• Initiate joint forums with WHO and regulatory agencies (FDA,
EMA, Health Canada, SFDA, etc.) for their input and by in.
• Develop the technical report into an ASQ/ANSI standard
• Turn the ASQ/ANSI standard into an internationally recognized
ISO standard.
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10. Current Technical Report Outline
• Management System
• Documentation
• Technical Requirements
• Legal and ethical considerations
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11. Management System
• Have managerial and scientific personnel to carry
out their duties
• Have arrangements and / or policies to ensure that
it may not adversely affect the quality of their work
• Appoint a member of staff as quality manager who
has direct access to the highest level of the research
institute’s management at which decisions are made
on research institution policy or resources
• Have facilities and equipment sufficient to conduct
the study
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12. • Prescriptive documents typically include Standard Operating
Procedures (SOPs), methods, study plans or protocols.
• They are critical for ensuring data quality and integrity as well as
overall repeatability of the research work.
• Descriptive documents include batch records, reports and forms.
• All laboratory activities should be documented to contain
sufficient detail to allow replication of the original work.
• Ensure traceability by identifying raw data, calculations,
identification numbers for samples, reagents, reference
standards, etc.
• Non-conforming results should be clearly identified and fully
explained in the primary record.
• Deviations should be investigated explaining their impacts on the
study.
Best Quality Practices for Biomedical Research in Drug Development
Documentation
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13. Documentation
• Research institutions should establish procedures for the
control of prescriptive and descriptive documents.
• Procedures should include a formal review and approval.
• Only the most recent approved documents are available for
staff use.
• The research institution should establish and maintain a
change control process.
• Documents should be stored in a secure and suitable
environment that provides confidentiality and prevention from
loss, deterioration and destruction.
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14. Technical Requirements
• Personnel
• Facility and Infrastructure
• Test Equipment
• Equipment Design
• Calibration
• Test Methods
• Method Validation
• Sampling and Chain of Custody
• Materials
• Test Articles, Control Articles, and Test Systems
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15. Personnel
• Training is critical to develop and maintain competence.
• All personnel should be made aware of the importance of
training and its impact on the quality objectives.
• Training should be carried out by personnel with appropriate
skills, qualifications and experience.
• Records are typically kept to document the qualifications of the
personnel used as trainers.
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16. Facility and Infrastructure
• Buildings and workspace
• Utilities, such as controlled temperature storage facilities, purified
water, steam, and compressed air, bottled gases
• Storage areas for the test and/or control article
• Computer and communications networking
• Equipment to ensure the safety of staff and the integrity of test
systems and reference standards
• Premises designed and equipped to afford maximum protection
against the entry of insects or other animals
• Limited or restricted access to prevent the entry of unauthorized
people
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17. Test Equipment
• Designed, located and maintained to suit its intended purpose.
• Constructed so that surfaces should not be reactive, additive, or
absorptive so as to affect the test method or test results.
• Designed so that it can be easily and thoroughly cleaned.
• Repair and maintenance operations should not negatively affect
test results.
• Installed in such a way as to reduce the likelihood of
contamination.
• Defective equipment should, if possible, be removed from active
use.
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18. Equipment Design
Best Quality Practices for Biomedical Research in Drug Development
• Equipment shall be suitably located to facilitate operations for its
intended use and for its cleaning and maintenance.
• Equipment shall be of adequate size and constructed so that surfaces
that contact components, in-process materials, or drug products
shall not be reactive, additive, or absorptive so as to alter the safety,
identity, strength, quality, or purity of the drug product beyond the
official or other established requirements.
• Substances required for operation, such as lubricants or coolants,
shall not come into contact with components, drug product
containers, closures, in-process materials, or drug products.
• Repair and maintenance should not negatively affect test results.
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19. Calibration
Best Quality Practices for Biomedical Research in Drug Development
• Calibrated, verification through time of use, suitability checks, or
both at specific intervals and/or prior to use against measurement
standards traceable to international or national measurement
standards.
• Labeling of units calibration status and date of recalibration.
• Safeguarded from adjustments that may invalidate the measurement
results.
• Protected from damage and deterioration during handling,
maintenance, and storage.
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20. Test Methods
• Methods to perform scientific work should be documented to allow for
reproducibility.
• They should be clear and easy to understand.
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21. Method Validation
• Validation of methods used is critical for the integrity and authenticity
of study results.
• Wherever possible, published and generally accepted standard methods
should be used.
• Research institutions should confirm and document first that it can
properly and reliably operate these standard methods before using
them.
• Internally developed methods may also be used if they are appropriate
for the intended use, and that documented evidence shows that it meets
the appropriate levels of precision, accuracy, repeatability and
robustness.
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22. Sampling and Chain of Custody
Best Quality Practices for Biomedical Research in Drug Development
• Adequate and correct sampling is critical for ensuring that the
sample taken is a true representative of the whole.
• The research institution should therefore have a sampling plan and
procedures for collecting samples of substances, materials, or
products for subsequent testing.
• Utilization of sampling (AQL) plans such as ANSI Z1.4
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23. Materials
• Handling, storage and quality of materials used in the conduct of
biomedical research can affect the outcome.
• The identity and purity of the material received must meet
method specifications.
• Manufacturer identifier (such as lot or batch numbers)
• In-house labeling is used to provide traceability
• Materials are stored under the appropriate conditions
• Usage of the materials is tracked
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24. Test Articles, Control Articles, and Test Systems
• The purity, concentration, and stability of test articles and
control articles (where used) can greatly affect the outcome and
repeatability of a study or an experiment.
• The purity, concentration, stability and storage of test articles
and control articles should be specified and evaluated and
documented periodically following standard operating
procedures.
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25. Legal and Ethical Considerations
• Protection of intellectual property
• Vendor selection and qualification
• Research institutions may outsource a portion of their
research activities to a third party. The subcontracted
work may be subject to the research institution’s
quality system.
All personnel involved in biomedical research activities
are to act in an ethical manner free from research
misconduct, US FDA 42 CFR Part 93
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27. Contributors and Affiliation
George Bernstein MAI Consulting
Rick Calabrese Sartorius-Stedim North America Inc.
Keith Conerly Sodexo
Li-Chung Huang ImClone Systems
Alice Krumenaker CorePharma,
Richard Lombardi Forest Research Institute
June Morita Consultant
Juli Moticka Regeneron
Ülo Palm Forest Research Institute
Michele Pruett MLP GXP Solutions LLC
Sandra R. Storli Abbott
John Surak Clemson University and Consultant
Mark Trotter Trotter Biotech Solutions
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28. Looking Ahead...
• When is the next milestone?
• What are the expected deliverables?
• Known risks and issues
• What is the timeline for these issues?
• What are the immediate next steps?
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29. Purchase a Copy of the Technical Report
● If you would like to purchase a copy of the Technical Report,
please visit the ASQ website under the Quality Press section:
http://asq.org/quality-press/
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30. Join the Committee
• If you would like to find out more information about the standard or
to join the committee, please contact:
Rick Calabrese at rick.calabrese@sartorius.com
or
Alice Krumenaker at a.krumenaker@gmail.com
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