USE OF COMPUTATIONAL MODELLING IN SPECIFICATION SETTING AND ESTABLISHING CONTROL STRATEGY

Presented by Thomas O'Connor, Scientist at FDA and Sean Bermingham, Head of Formulated Products at PSE Ltd

The proportion of scientific evidence supporting medical product regulatory applications derived from modeling and simulation studies is expected to continue to grow into the future. In the Quality by Design framework, mathematical models can and have to be utilized at every stage of product development and manufacturing. Thus, the regulatory assessment of product quality models is not unprecedented but the frequency, types of models, and applications are evolving. This evolution is being driven in part by the adoption of advanced manufacturing such as continuous pharmaceutical manufacturing.

The ICH Quality Implementation Working Group points to consider document categorizes models based on the model’s contribution in assuring the quality of the product. Models utilized as part of the control strategy are typically categorized as either high or medium impact depending on the role of the model. Minimal guidance though is provided on model validation. A recent standard (ASME V&V 40) outlines a process for making risk-informed determinations as to whether a model is credible for decision-making for a specified context of use. The presentation will discuss how the framework could be used to develop model validation plans and support regulatory assessment using case studies from both drug substance and drug product manufacturing.