Cheryl Scott, Nadine Ritter, Author at BioProcess InternationalBioProcess International

Stability Testing: Monitoring Biological Product Quality Over Time

Many physical and chemical factors can affect the quality, safety, and efficacy of biopharmaceutical products, particularly after long-term storage in a container–closure system that can be subject to variations in temperature and light, as well as agitation with shipping and handling. Proteins are inherently complex physiochemically, from their primary amino acid sequences to their higher-order structures, and they require specific conditions to maintain their integrity and functionality. Advanced biological therapies can be even more complicated and particular about their environments.…

Emerging Strategies for Drug Product Comparability and Process Validation: Part 1 — Analytical Tools and Drug Product Comparability

by Zahra Shahrokh, Andrew Weiskopf, Yves Aubin, David Allen, Natalya Ananyeva, Julia O'Neill, Nadine Ritter, Siddharth J. Advant, PhD and Howard Anderson

Process validation is a key part of the development and manufacture of all approved drug products, but its completion can be a daunting task. At a two-day CASSS CMC Strategy Forum held in July 2016 in Gaithersburg, MD, speakers and attendees addressed the many technical, practical, and regulatory facets of drug product process validation and comparability. In part 1 of this report, we summarize the key discussion points of the first day, which focused on analytics and comparability. Session One:…

Bioassay Evolution: Finding Best Practices for Biopharmaceutical Quality Systems

by Cheryl Scott, Laureen Little, Nadine Ritter and Michael Sadick

Bioassays help drug developers determine the biological activity (potency) of their products, which has been a biopharmaceutical critical quality attribute (CQA) since long before that concept had a name. Because of their complex nature, bioassays are among of the most challenging experiments to perform reliably with dependably accurate results. Consistent assay performance requires a controlled environment and qualified reagents; skilled analysts who understand cell physiology, regulatory requirements, and the latest techniques; and assay protocols that are intelligently developed, characterized, and…

Strategies for Successful Sample Transfer

by Maribel Rios, S. Anne Montgomery and Nadine Ritter

Nadine Ritter is president and senior analytical advisor of Global Biotech Experts, LLC and a long-time member of BioProcess International’s editorial advisory board. At a recent CASSS North American CMC Strategy Forum called “Methods on the Move: Addressing Method Transfer Challenges,” she discussed the biopharmaceutical industry’s logistical challenges of analytical test samples for drug substances and products. At the conference, BPI’s editor in chief Anne Montgomery met with her to discuss some key points of this topic. Logistics Challenges Montgomery:…

Science, Risks, and Regulations: Current Perspectives on Host Cell Protein Analysis and Control

by Zahra Shahrokh, Dieter Schmalzing, Rashmi Rawat, Victoria Sluzky, Kowid Ho, Jorg Engelbergs, John Bishop, Erika Friedl, Bruce Meiklejohn and Nadine Ritter

State-of-the-art analytics guide process development by providing companies with thorough understanding, effective removal, suitable control, and comparability assessment after process changes of host cell proteins (HCPs) in recombinant biotechnology products. An array of analytical techniques and approaches can be used to establish control strategies for host cell proteins. Techniques used for HCP characterization and comparability include two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis with a range of stains, 2D immunoblotting, 2D high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), 2D difference gel electrophoresis (DIGE), and increasingly mass…

CMC Strategy Forum Special Focus Series: Part 2 Product-Related Impurities, An Overview

by Cheryl Scott, Siddharth J. Advant, Yves Aubin, John Bishop, Barry Cherney, Anthony Mire-Sluis, JR Dobbins, Julia Edwards, Sarah Kennett, Joseph Kutza, PhD, Timothy Schofield, Kimberly May, Stefanie Pluschkell, Nadine Ritter, Reb Russell, Oscar Salas-Solano, PhD, Dieter Schmalzing, Zahra Shahrokh, Jeffrey Staecker and Andrew Weiskopf

Introduction by Cheryl Scott The CMC Strategy Forums focus on relevant chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC) issues throughout the life cycle of a therapeutic and thereby foster collaborative technical and regulatory interaction. Forum chairs share information with regulatory agencies to help them merge good scientific and regulatory practices. Outcomes of forum meetings are published in BioProcess International and on the CASSS website. This process is meant to help ensure that biopharmaceutical products manufactured with advancing technologies in a regulated environment…

Bridging Analytical Methods for Release and Stability Testing: Technical, Quality and Regulatory Considerations

by Nadine Ritter, Reb Russell, Timothy Schofield, Laurie Graham, Paul Dillon, Frank Maggio, Lokesh Bhattacharyya, Dieter Schmalzing, Wei-Meng Zhou, Kenneth Miller and Harry Yang

To monitor the control and consistency of products derived from biological systems, a broad array of analytical methods are used for biopharmaceutical release and stability testing. These methods include both classical and state-of-the-art technologies as well as new technologies as they emerge over time.During the life cycle of a product, several reasons can arise for making changes in existing analytical methods: e.g., improved sensitivity, specificity, or accuracy; increased operational robustness; streamlined workflows; shortened testing times; and lowered cost of testing.…

Expanded Change Protocols: Benefits, Cost Considerations, and Regulatory Views

by Nadine Ritter, Julia Edwards, Stefanie Pluschkell, Suzanne Stella, Rebekah Logan, Chana Fuchs, Wassim Nashabeh and Rohin Mahtre

The US FDA Office of Biotechnology Products’ quality by design (QbD) pilot program defines an expanded change protocol (eCP) as a particular type of comparability protocol that will “describe the quality by design, risk- based approach linking attributes and processes to product performance safety, and efficacy” (1). Sponsors have explored a wide range of potential applications for eCPs (e.g., movement within or beyond an established design space, site transfers, and additional process modifications supported by either a QbD or traditional…

Reference Standards for Therapeutic Proteins: Current Regulatory and Scientific Best Practices

by Anthony Mire- Sluis, Nadine Ritter, Barry Cherney, Dieter Schmalzing and Markus Blumel

Sponsors developing and manufacturing protein therapeutic products use a variety of analytical tests (e.g., cell-based potency and chromatographic assays) to assess quality attributes of their active ingredients and drug products. Those tests are used to assess product quality in a number of activities, including characterization, comparability, lot release, and confirmation product quality and stability. Reference standards play a critical role in calibrating and confirming the suitability of such tests and in helping analysts to draw scientifically sound conclusions from data…

Biosimilar Products

by Anthony Ridgway, PhD, Nadine Ritter, Martin Schiestl, PhD and Thomas Schreitmuller, PhD

The Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) Strategy Forum held on 22 January 2012 in San Francisco, CA, focused on selected scientific and regulatory aspects in the development of biosimilar products. Such products are an increasingly important area of interest for both the biopharmaceutical industry and its regulatory agencies. Biosimilars are highly complex, so scientists have been unable to demonstrate identity to a level typically possible for small molecules. Consequently, specific scientific and regulatory approaches are required to ensure the high…

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Author Archives: Nadine Ritter