Annual product reviews are conducted annually to assess the quality of drug products and determine if any changes need to be made to product specifications, manufacturing processes, or quality control procedures. The review evaluates analytical data, inspection results, batch failures, complaints, recalls, deviations, stability monitoring results, and corrective actions to verify process consistency and identify quality trends over time. The goal is to continually improve product quality and manufacturing processes.

1. ANNUAL PRODUCT
REVIEWS
Submitted By,
Syed Shakeeb Ahmed
1st M. Pharm
Dept of Quality Assurance
JSSCP, Mysuru
Submitted To,
Dr. Gowrav M.P
Lecturer
Dept of Pharmaceutics
JSSCP, Mysuru
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2. Annual product review is an evaluation conducted annually to assess the quality
standard of each drug product with the view to verify the consistency of existing
process and to check the appropriateness of current specifications and to highlight
any tends in order to determine the need to change any drug product specifications or
the manufacturing processes or control procedures. Annual product review is done for
the products which are manufactured in U. S. market.
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What is APR ?

3. Objectives:
To assess drug product performance annually and to determine need for any
change in drug product specification and or manufacturing process and control
procedures.
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4. Importance of APR:
■ It verifies the consistency of the existing manufacturing processes.
■ It determines the quality and process defects of the products
■ It determines the defects and possible improvements of the methods and process.
■ It reviews the quality of the raw material and packaging material which is used for the
product
■ Mainly it indicates the quality of material.
■ To determine the consistency of the quality of the product the in-process parameters
and the finished product results are reviewed.
■ Quantity of the final product is reviewed by trending the yield of every batch
■ The determination of the Corrective and preventive actions and their impact on product
quality are also reviewed.
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5. Basic Contents of Annual Product Quality Review:
 A review of starting materials including packaging materials used in the product,
especially those from new sources.
 A review of critical in-process controls and finished product results.
 A review of all batches that failed to meet established specification(s) and their
investigation.
 A review of all significant deviations or nonconformances, their related investigations,
and the effectiveness of resultant corrective and preventative actions taken.
 A review of all changes carried out to the processes or analytical methods.
 A review of Marketing Authorisation variations submitted/granted/ refused, including
those for third country (export only) dossiers.
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6.  A review of the results of the stability monitoring programme and any adverse
trends.
 A review of all quality-related returns, complaints and recalls and the
investigations performed at the time.
 A review of adequacy of any other previous product process or equipment
corrective actions.
 For new marketing authorisations and variations to marketing authorisations, a
review of postmarketing commitments.
 The qualification status of relevant equipment and utilities, e.g. HVAC, water,
compressed gases, etc.
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7.  Control sample review of the product.
 Batches taken for reprocessing/reworking, if any.
 Different pack size of the product offered in the market.
 If any experiment is conducted to improve yield or quality of product in
consultation with R&D
 Purified water & environmental monitoring
 Status of Technical agreement
 Status of process & Cleaning validation
 Adverse Drug Events
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8. Why are APR’s required?
GMP Requirements for APRs are found in in 21 CFR 211.180(e) and includes:
■ Written procedure
■ Review of every batch (or representative) to determine the need for
■ changes in specifications or manufacturing or control procedures
■ Review of complaints
■ Review of recalls
■ Review of returned or salvaged products
■ Review of investigations
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9. Benefits:
■ Assess needed changes in product specifications.
■ Assess needed changes in manufacturing or control procedures.
■ Determine if validation or revalidation is needed.
■ Identify product improvement or cost reduction opportunities.
■ Confirm change control systems.
■ Provide a preparation tool for FDA inspections.
■ Communicate product and process status to management
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10. ANALYTICAL AND INSPECTION DATA:
Finished product & in process analytical data of relevant critical parameters as
mentioned below, but not limited to, shall be evaluated for all the batches.
1. Tablets:
■ Water Content / Moisture Content
■ Dissolution/Dissolution Profile
■ Hardness
■ Disintegration Test
■ Impurities/Related Substances
■ Residual Solvent
■ Assay
■ Total Microbial Count.
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11. 2. capsules:
■ Water Content / Moisture Content
■ Dissolution
■ DT
■ Impurities / Related Substances
■ Assay.
3. Pellets:
■ Water Content / Moisture Content
■ Drug Release in Acid Phase
■ Drug Release in Buffer Phase
■ Assay
■ Impurities/Related Substances
■ Dissolution
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12. 4. Soft Gel Capsules :
■ Water Content / Moisture Content
■ LOD of shell
■ DT
■ Impurities / Related Substances
■ Assay
■ Total Microbial Count.
5. Powder :-
■ Water Content
■ Assay
■ Impurities/Related Substances.
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6. Gel :
■ pH
■ Density
■ Assay
■ Impurities/Related Substances
■ Viscosity
■ Total Microbial Count.
7. Ointment/Cream :
■ pH
■ Assay
■ Impurities/Related Substances
■ Total Microbial Count.

14. 8. Liquid :
■ pH
■ wt. /ml or Specific Gravity
■ Viscosity
■ Assay
■ Impurities/Related Substances
■ Total Microbial Count.
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15. 9. Injectables :
■ pH
■ wt./ml or Specific Gravity
■ Viscosity
■ Assay
■ Impurities/Related Substances
■ Particulate matter
■ Colour
■ Sodium Chloride content (if any)
■ Bacterial Antitoxin Test.
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16. Critical process parameters:
Critical process parameters during granulation stage: For tablets
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Sl no. Parameters
1 Mixing • Impeller speed
• Chopper speed
2 Drying • Duration of drying
• Inlet temp
• Outlet temp
• LOD
3 Hardness
4 Thickness
5 Disintegration time
6 Individual weight and average weight

17. Critical Process parameters during Coating Stage:
■ Inlet temperature
■ Outlet temperature
■ Atomisation pressure
■ Spray gun distance
■ Pan RPM
■ Weight buildup per tablet
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Review of Yield
■ For each batch compile the percentage yield obtained at all critical stages and
total percentage yield of the batch.
■ Statistical graphs for Analytical data, Inspection data and Yield shall be prepared.
Market complaints & related investigations
■ In this section if any market complaints are came during this review period and
related investigation to be mentioned
All rejected batches / product failures & related investigations.
■ In this section if any market complaints are came during this review period and
related investigation to be mentioned

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All deviations, incidents, OOS and change control
■ Summary of all deviations, Incidents and OOS during the time frame of the APR
■ Summary of all change controls during the time frame of the APR.
Results of the stability monitoring program.
■ The APR also covers all stability parameters of all batches on stability, which
represents the manufactured batches for distribution.
■ These data is trended, reviewed and compared from previous years APRs to
assure that no negative trend has developed and the expiry period is still
appropriate
Product recall and related information
■ Any Batches withdrawn or recalled or regulatory alerts made for the marketed
product during the time frame of the APR are listed along with the reason for the
withdrawal or recall.

20. ■ Summary of Returned goods and salvaged goods, if any.
■ Summary of Control sample of the product.
■ Summary of different pack size of the product.
■ If any experiment is conducted to improve yield or quality of product in
consultation with R&D
■ Purified water & environmental monitoring
■ Status of Technical agreement
■ Status of process & Cleaning validation
■ Adverse Drug Events
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21. FDA Inspections: Expectations for Annual Product
Reviews
■ Develop a comprehensive SOP – the SOP should be comprehensive and specific.
■ Follow the SOP – failure to follow the SOP will almost always result in
■ concerns from investigators.
■ Include all required and “expected” elements in the APR.
■ Identify and implement corrective or improvement actions – the routine
assignment of corrective or improvement actions signals that you take the process
seriously, and as originally intended by the authors of the GMP regulations.
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22. ■ Follow-up on actions – a system to assure that actions occurred and were effective
is essential.
■ Assure that the quality unit reviews and approves the APR – most firms require QA
approval on APRs.
■ Involve management in the process – the higher the level of involvement and
interest in the process, the more APRs can be used as a tool for process control
and product improvement.
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Thank you