2. Lynda Paleshnuik 2 | | January 2011
Overview
What are SUPAC documents
Key SUPAC documents for quality assessment (FPPs)
Basic uses of SUPAC documents
Introduction to SUPAC IR guidance
► Main document
► Equipment addendum
Examples
3. Quality Assessment
Manufacturing sciences
Pharmaceutical engineering/pharmaceutical technology
(production methods and systems, facilities, equipment,
etc.)
Pharmaceutical sciences
Chemistry (organic, inorganic, physical, biochemical, analytical
(e.g. methodology, validation, spectral analysis))
Pharmaceutical chemistry (study of drug design)
Pharmaceutics (study of drug formulation)
Pharmacognosy (study of drugs of natural origin)
Other fields: Math/statistics, microbiology, GMP
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4. What are SUPAC documents
A series of documents issued by US FDA (CDER) to help
applicants with post-approval changes
Documents are categorized into IR, MR and SS (FPPs)
Various types of changes are described:
►Components and composition
► Manufacturing (equipment, process)
► Batch size
► Manufacturing site changes
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5. SUPAC documents for quality assessment
SUPAC IR (immediate release)
SUPAC MR (modified release)
SUPAC IR/MR equipment addendum
SUPAC IR Q&A
SS: Nonsterile semi-solids + equipment addendum
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6. SUPAC documents
Some premises before using SUPAC as supporting documents:
Treat as supportive documents only
► to understand the significance of changes
► to assist in decision-making
Not official documents for PQP.
Should not be considered definitive.
Nothing substitutes for critical thinking. (Guidelines address
simplified situations.)
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7. Basic uses of SUPAC documents
Determining the importance of various changes:
SU: scale-up during original dossier assessment
Note that this is not SU during development.
Consider changes made after the biobatch
► Components and composition
► Manufacturing (equipment, process)
► Batch size
► Manufacturing site changes
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8. Basic uses of SUPAC documents
PAC: post-PQ/post-approval, i.e. Variations
Comparing the PQ’d/approved product to a changed product.
In addition:
This guideline can be used to determine whether strengths of a
product can be considered proportional, if they are not strictly
proportional (i.e. small changes in excipients between
strengths).
This allows for a decision as to whether in-vivo studies on only
a single strength may be sufficient (proportional strength
biowaiver).
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9. Introduction to SUPAC IR guidance
Immediate Release Solid Oral Dosage Forms
Scale-Up and Postapproval Changes: Chemistry,
Manufacturing, and Controls, In Vitro Dissolution
Testing, and In Vivo Bioequivalence Documentation
(1995)
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10. Introduction to SUPAC IR guidance
► Prepared by SUPAC expert working group (CDER)
► Result of:
◘ scale-up workshop by American Assoc of Pharmaceutical
Scientists/USP convention/FDA
◘ research from universities of Maryland, Michigan an
Uppsala
◘ International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineering
(equipment addenda)
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11. Introduction to SUPAC IR guidance
SUPAC guidelines define:
1. Levels of change
2. Recommended chemistry, manufacturing and controls
(CMC) for each level of change
3. In-vitro and/or in-vivo requirements for each level of
change
4. Required documentation to support the change
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12. Introduction to SUPAC IR
Two key areas:
► Changes to components and composition
► Changes to manufacturing (equipment, process)
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14. Components and composition
Levels of change: likelihood of impact on formulation quality
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and performance
Level 1: unlikely to have detectable impact
Level 2: could have significant impact
Level 3: likely to have significant impact
15. Components and composition
Level 1 changes: quantitative only (except IR: colour,
flavour, ink; MR: + preservative).
Level 2 changes: quantitative > Level 1, plus any
change in excipient grade (MR: + change in excipient
specifications).
Level 3 changes: quantitative > Level 2, plus addition
or deletion of an excipient (except for a colour, flavour,
ink).
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16. Composition – Level 1 Changes
Level 1 changes
Addition or deletion of a colour or flavour, or change in an ink
excipient (or preservative (MR))
Changes less than the following table level 1 column (expressed
as percentage of the total formulation):
[Note that total additive effect should not exceed 5% of total
target FPP weight.]
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17. Composition – Level 2 Changes
Level 2 changes
Changes greater than level 1 but less than the following table
(level 2 column).
Changes in the technical grade of an excipient e.g. Avicel
PH102 vs Avicel PH200
BEWARE TRADE NAME CHANGES – some are actually
qualitative changes, not just grade changes
[Note that total additive effect should not exceed 10%of total
target FPP weight.]
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18. Lynda Paleshnuik 18 | | January 2011
Excipients - Note
Know your excipients:
Description
Grades (when provided)
Use in the formulation (e.g. MCC change stated to be
diluent change, when formulation uses it as binder)
20. Composition – Level 1/2 Changes
Excipient % Excipient
Lubricant L1 L2
Calcium (Ca) or
Magnesium (Mg) Stearate ±0.25 ±0.5
Other ±1 ±2
Glidant
Talc ±1 ±2
Other ±0.1 ±0.2
Film Coat ±1 ±2
TOTAL ADDITIVE EFFECT 5% 10%
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21. Composition – Level 3 Changes
Any change beyond level 2 OR:
Any level 2 change for a BCS class 4 (low solubility
and low permeability) or narrow therapeutic drug
Drugs not meeting the level 2 dissolution testing
For both level 2 and level 3 changes, the therapeutic
range, solubility and permeability are factors to
consider.
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22. Recommended documentation – level 1
Stability testing: one batch on long-term stability data
reported in annual report.
Supportive dissolution data: none
Supportive in-vivo bioequivalence testing: none
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23. Recommended documentation – level 2
Requirements for level 2 include stability testing,
dissolution testing and possibly an in-vivo study
(depending on the results of dissolution testing).
IR guideline: the dissolution testing required depends
on the BCS class of the API.
MR guideline: the dissolution testing depends on the
type of release of the FPP.
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26. Recommended documentation – level 3
Requirements for level 3 include stability testing,
dissolution testing and an in-vivo study.
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27. Formulation changes - Example
Antimalarial product with formulation changes between
the biolot and the proposed production lots
Lactose 4.05% (anh or monohydrate?)
Magnesium stearate 0.49%
Talc 1.94%
Colloidal silicon dioxide (SiO2) 1.62%
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28. Formulation changes - Example
Applicant states: “quantitative changes were only at the
lubrication stage”
Assessors consider excipients as follows:
Lactose 4.05% - filler - within level 1
Magnesium stearate 0.49% - lubricant – within level 2
Talc 1.94% - glidant – within level 2
Colloidal SiO2 – lubricant - 1.62% - within level 2
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29. Composition – Level 1/2 Changes
Excipient % Excipient
Lubricant L1 L2
Calcium (Ca) or
Magnesium (Mg) Stearate ±0.25 ±0.5
Other ±1 ±2
Glidant
Talc ±1 ±2
Other ±0.1 ±0.2
Film Coat ±1 ±2
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30. Formulation changes - Example
The API in the product was low solubility, therefore in
addition to the above, the number of changes should be
troubling, and three changes are level 2.
The lubricant magnesium stearate is hydrophobic and
known to have a potential significant effect on
dissolution (even used as control release agent in some
formulations) and it is at the border of level 2, in
addition to the changes in both glidants.
Lynda Paleshnuik 30 | | January 2011
31. SUPAC and Composition - Summary
SUPAC does:
► discuss relative changes in formulation
► discuss supporting data to support a change
► give an idea of how to consider various changes
by looking at the change coupled with the API
characteristics
SUPAC does not:
► substitute for critical thinking (e.g. formulation
changes for modified release products)
Lynda Paleshnuik 31 | | January 2011
33. Manufacturing – Process Changes
Level 1: changes to parameters (e.g. mixing times,
operating speeds) within application/validation ranges
Level 2: changes to parameters (e.g. mixing times,
operating speeds) outside application/validation ranges
Level 3: change in the type of process, such as from
granulation technique to direct compression of dry
powder
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34. Manufacturing – Process Changes
Recommended documentation:
Level 1: one batch on long-term stability data reported in
annual report.
Level 2: stability, dissolution
Level 3: stability, dissolution, and BE study
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35. Manufacturing – Equipment Changes
Equipment is categorized according to
Class: operating principle
Subclass: design characterization
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36. Equipment categorization
SUPAC equipment addenda:
◘ aid for considering equipment changes
◘ provides information on equipment categorized
according to class (operating principle) and
subclass (design characteristics)
◘ gives concise descriptions in context of other
classes/subclasses
Lynda Paleshnuik 36 | | January 2011
37. Manufacturing – Equipment Changes
Divided by unit operation:
Blending and mixing
Drying
Particle size reduction/separation
Granulation
Unit dosing (tabletting, encapsulating, powder filling)
Coating and printing
Soft gelatin capsule encapsulation
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39. Equipment categorization example
Class (operating principles) diffusion/tumble mixers:
Particles are reoriented in relation to one another when
they are placed in random motion and interparticular
friction is reduced as the result of bed expansion
(usually within a rotating container);
Subclasses (design characteristics) for diffusion mixers
are distinguished by geometric shape/positioning of axis
of rotation.
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41. Equipment categorization
Example: Gemco slant cone blender
Unit operation: blending and mixing
Class: diffusion (tumble) mixer
Subclass: slant cone blender
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42. Manufacturing – Equipment Changes
Level 1: 1) change from non-automated or non-mechanical
equipment to automated or mechanical
equipment to move ingredients; and 2) change to
alternate equipment of the same design and operating
principles of the same or of a different capacity.
Level 2: change to equipment of different design and
different operating principles
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43. Manufacturing – Equipment Changes
“Applicants should carefully consider and evaluate on a
case-by-case basis changes in equipment that are in the
same class, but different subclass. In many situations,
this type of change in equipment would be considered
similar. For example, within the Blending and Mixing
section, under the Diffusion Mixers Class, a change
from a V-blender (sub-class) to a Bin tumbler
(subclass) represents a change within a class and
between sub-classes.”
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44. Manufacturing – Equipment Changes
Recommended documentation:
Level 1: one batch on long term stability
Level 2: stability, dissolution
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45. Equipment change - Example
Biobatch:
Stokes tablet press and ribbon blender
Proposed production:
Gerteis roller compactor and Gallay in‑bin blender
Granulation:
same class (dry granulation), different subclass
Blending:
different class (convection vs diffusion)
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46. Equipment change - Example
The equipment used to manufacture the bioequivalence batch is
not considered representative of the equipment proposed for
commercial manufacture. In order to establish that the
equipment/process differences do not have an effect on the
quality of the proposed full-scale tablets, the manufacture of
one lot of at least pilot size using a Gallay In‑Bin blender and
Gerteis Roller Compactor is required in order to gain approval.
Executed batch records, comparative dissolution studies in
0.5% sodium lauryl sulfate and two additional media, and a
certificate of analysis are required in order to meet this
requirement. Data should be compared to that generated from
the lot used in biostudies.
Lynda Paleshnuik 46 | | January 2011
47. Equipment change - Example
As no batches have been manufactured using the proposed
commercial equipment, in order to obtain approval, you may
provide blank master manufacturing documentation which
proposes the use of equipment as used to manufacture the lot
used for bioequivalence studies (i.e. Stokes tablet press and
ribbon blender). A process validation protocol specific for
these manufacturing documents should be provided. You are
also requested to provide a commitment to submit a Variation
containing information on executed batches should you wish to
use the Gallay In-Bin Blender and Gerteis Roller Compactor in
the future.
Lynda Paleshnuik 47 | | January 2011
48. Equipment addendum – Semi-solids
Equipment categorization differs from that for IR products:
Unit operations:
Particle size reduction/separation
Mixing: low/high shear convection, roller (mill), static mixers
(vs IR/MR: diffusion, convection, pneumatic)
Emulsification (dispersion of one liquid phase into another)
Deaeration
Transfer
Packaging: holding, transfer, filling and sealing
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50. SUPAC limitations – Formulation/Manufacturing
SUPAC:
► has not been updated (1995/97 for main guides,
1998/99 for equipment addenda)
► does not discuss multiple changes
► does not directly cover same class, different
subclass for equipment
► does not cover modified equipment
► must be used in conjunction with other
references, e.g. excipient handbook
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51. Lynda Paleshnuik 51 | | January 2011
Conclusion
For new (to you) and unique situations:
Consult!
● Those with related experience
● Senior assessors
● BE assessors
52. Lynda Paleshnuik 52 | | January 2011
Availability
Go to: www.fda.gov
► Drugs
► Guidance, Compliance & Regulatory Information
OR directly:
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatory
Information/Guidances/default.htm