Expert Insights On Fill/Finish

91. Prefilled Syringes: Best Practices For Using X-Ray Analysis To Assess Container Closure Integrity 8/18/2021

    The process of assessing integrity of the filled syringe is generally more complex than the process of assessing glass vials due to the presence of more sealing areas. This article looks at the broad requirement, together with a recent innovation for integrity testing based on X-rays.

92. B. Cepacia: A Case Study For Determining Objectionableness In Drug Manufacturing 8/9/2021

    After introducing the subject of colonization and opportunistic pathogenicity in part 1 of this 2-part series, the authors return to discussing B. cepacia in more depth in this article.

93. Objectionableness: How To Know If A Microorganism Poses A Risk In Your Drug Product 8/6/2021

    It is important to consider at the beginning of an exploration of species “objectionableness” in microbiological analysis that this idea is unique to our specific corner of the world. If you search for a definition of objectionable organisms in a microbiology reference text, you are unlikely to find one. This article, as part 1 in a 2-part series, meets that need.

94. EMA Publishes Guideline On Quality Documentation For Medicinal Products 8/2/2021

    This new EMA guideline will become effective on January 1, 2022. It describes the information that should be presented in the quality part of a marketing authorization dossier for a medicinal product when it is used with a medical device and/or as part of a medical device. Medicinal products are similar to "combination products" referred to by the US FDA.

95. PIC/S Annex Update: What Is Your ATMP Control Strategy? 6/30/2021

    Recently, the Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme (PIC/S) revised Annex 2 of its GMP guide addressing the manufacturing of advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs). While this guide is not an FDA or EMA guidance, it represents the consensus thoughts of a group that those regulators participate in. 

96. A Better Approach To Aseptic Process Simulation For Lyophilized Products 5/9/2021

    Proposed 2020 revisions to EU Annex 11 with respect to aseptic process simulation (APS) for lyophilized products have prompted extensive discussions on best practices for process simulation of the lyophilization unit operation. This article serves to address these expectations and present a risk-based, holistic best practice approach.

97. Not Your Grandma's Aseptic Filling Line: Letting Go Of Tunnels, Washers, And Other Aseptic Vestiges 3/8/2019

    We often work with organizations adding capacity, transferring new products, and adding existing products from other sites into their “preferred” plants. In each case, the receiving site is focused on schedule and budget. These competing targets often distract personnel from embracing newer technologies, bypassing lower-cost options and faster implementation. 

98. Overcoming The Unique Filling Challenges Of Autologous Therapies 2/5/2019

    Autologous (patient-derived) therapies represent unique challenges to processing. One-patient, single-batch is a radical change from the scale our industry is accustomed to. At this level the filling is more analogous to limited Phase 1 clinical trial materials or even preclinical applications. The logistics and required compliance of manufacturing these personalized therapies is drastically different and presents a combinatorial explosive problem. One aspect of this process where traditional methods fall apart is filling of these therapies.