New Processes for Freeze-Drying in Dual-Chamber Systems

Part I: Significant reduction of lyophilization process times by using novel matrix based scaffolds

To improve the long-term stability of drugs with limited stability (e.g., biologicals such as monoclonal antibodies, antibody drug conjugates or peptides), some pharmaceuticals endure a lengthy and cost-intensive process called lyophilization. While the shelf life of lyophilized drugs may be prolonged compared to their liquid form, the drawbacks come in the form of intensified manufacturing, preparation, and dosing efforts. The use of glass vials as the primary container unit for lyophilized products hinders their complication-free, fast and flexible use, as they require a skilled healthcare professional and an aseptic environment in which to prepare them. The feasibility of substituting glass vials with novel container designs offering the complete transfer of the lyophilizate cake into modern administration devices, while reducing the economic footprint of the lyophilization process, was investigated. The lyophilization process of a monoclonal antibody solution was studied by assessing primary drying conditions, homogeneity of the drying process, and critical quality attributes after successful lyophilization. The creation of novel container designs utilized vacuum-forming to generate confined containers with removable bottoms and rapid prototyping, including subtractive and additive manufacturing methods, to generate porous 3D structures for drug housing. The novel container designs generated lyophilizates twice as fast and achieved a threefold faster reconstitution compared to their vial counterparts, without adaptation of the processing conditions. We conclude that the use of intermediate process containers offers significant relief for healthcare professionals in terms of reduced probability of handling errors, while drug manufacturers benefit from the accelerated processing times, increased batch homogeneity, and sustainability.

Recommended Best Practices for Lyophilization Validation 2021 Part II: Process Qualification and Continued Process Verification

This work describes the lyophilization process validation and consists of two parts. Part one (Part I: Process Design and Modeling) focuses on the process design and is described in the previous paper, while the current paper is devoted to process qualification and continued process verification. The goal of the study is to show the cutting edge of lyophilization validation based on the integrated community-based opinion and the industrial perspective. This study presents best practices for batch size determination and includes the effect of batch size on drying time, process parameters selection strategies, and batch size overage to compensate for losses during production. It also includes sampling strategies to demonstrate batch uniformity as well as the use of statistical models to ensure adequate sampling. Based on the LyoHUB member organizations survey, the best practices in determining the number of PPQ runs are developed including the bracketing approach with minimum and maximum loads. Standard practice around CQA and CPP selection is outlined and shows the advantages of using control charts and run charts for process trending and quality control. The case studies demonstrating the validation strategy for monoclonal antibody and the impact of the loading process on the lyophilization cycle and product quality as well as the special case of lyophilization for dual-chamber cartridge system are chosen to illustrate the process validation. The standard practices in the validation of the lyophilization process, special lyophilization processes, and their impact on the validation strategy are discussed.

Prefilled dual chamber devices (DCDs) - Promising high-quality and convenient drug delivery system

Prefilled dual chamber devices (DCDs) are combination products containing freeze-dried drug and diluent in two separate chambers of the device. DCDs provide high stability and convenience to patients and doctors, thus significantly improving product quality, patient compliance and market competitiveness. DCDs should also provide seal integrity, sterility and compatibility with biopharmaceuticals and avoid leachability and needle stick injuries. DCDs are promising alternatives to traditional containers or devices for biopharmaceuticals. The regulatory and medical practice to choose plastic DCDs as better alternatives over well-established glass syringes will be addressed here. The impact and major issues during processing, manufacturing, and storage of DCDs are also highlighted. Further discussion clears its business potential, composition, stability testing, and quality standard requirements to deal with market competition. It also covers major role of extractables and leachables in storage stability of the product.

Novel technology for storage and distribution of live vaccines and other biological medicines at ambient temperature

A novel, thin-film platform that preserves live viruses, bacteria, antibodies, and enzymes without refrigeration for extended periods of time is described. Studies with recombinant adenovirus in an optimized formulation that supports recovery of live virus through 16 freeze-thaw cycles revealed that production of an amorphous solid with a glass transition above room temperature and nitrogen-hydrogen bonding between virus and film components are critical determinants of stability. Administration of live influenza virus in the optimized film by the sublingual and buccal routes induced antibody-mediated immune responses as good as or better than those achieved by intramuscular injection. This work introduces the possibility of improving global access to a variety of medicines by offering a technology capable of reducing costs of production, distribution, and supply chain maintenance.