A consortium-driven framework to guide the implementation of ICH M7 Option 4 control strategies

Computational Strategies for Assessing Adverse Outcome Pathways: Hepatic Steatosis as a Case Study

The evolving landscape of chemical risk assessment is increasingly focused on developing tiered, mechanistically driven approaches that avoid the use of animal experiments. In this context, adverse outcome pathways have gained importance for evaluating various types of chemical-induced toxicity. Using hepatic steatosis as a case study, this review explores the use of diverse computational techniques, such as structure-activity relationship models, quantitative structure-activity relationship models, read-across methods, omics data analysis, and structure-based approaches to fill data gaps within adverse outcome pathway networks. Emphasizing the regulatory acceptance of each technique, we examine how these methodologies can be integrated to provide a comprehensive understanding of chemical toxicity. This review highlights the transformative impact of in silico techniques in toxicology, proposing guidelines for their application in evidence gathering for developing and filling data gaps in adverse outcome pathway networks. These guidelines can be applied to other cases, advancing the field of toxicological risk assessment.

Retrospective application of ICH M7 to anti-hypertensive drugs in Brazil: Risk assessment of potentially mutagenic impurities

Potentially mutagenic impurities are likely to be formed in any drug substance, since their synthesis requires reactive intermediates which may also react with DNA. The ICH M7 guideline, which defines how to risk assess and control mutagenic impurities, was first published in 2014 and is not to be applied retrospectively; however, some impurities have been found above the permitted limits in drug products which were already on the market. This study assessed the implications of applying ICH M7 retrospectively to anti-hypertensive drugs marketed in Brazil by performing a risk assessment and establishing control strategies. The manufacturing processes of 15 drug substances were evaluated and 262 impurities were identified, from which 21% were classified as potentially mutagenic. Most of the impurities were identified below ICH M7 acceptable limits, except for impurities described in a pharmacopoeial monograph. Compendial specifications are defined based on scientific evidence and play an important role in setting quality and safety standards for pharmaceuticals, however there are opportunities for further alignment with ICH guidelines, aiming for a holistic assessment of the impurities profile to ensure the safety of medicines.

Genotoxic Impurities in Critical Analysis of Product Development: Recent Advancements, Patents, and Current Challenges

The current review intends to regulate and accurately evaluate genotoxic contaminants in drug substance and drug product method and formulation process development, validation, and degradation pathways. The Quality by Design (QbD) principles can be applied to the systematic evaluation and control of impurities enabled by the development of modern analytical techniques, including the performance of risk assessment, the screening of Critical Process Parameters (CPPs), and the identification of the most influential variables in the optimization of the evaluation and control methods. Current difficulties in removing genotoxic contaminants and the procedures for doing so have been outlined in this review, along with the steps necessary to acquire optimum techniques and the most acceptable formulations. In addition to this, division, characterization, assessment, quantification, and formation of genotoxic impurities sources and control strategy for genotoxic impurities, handling of nitrosamine assay content of drug products in different industrial methodologies and their chemometric prospects and associated recent patents are also explored.

Chemistry Manufacturing and Controls Development, Industry Reflections on Manufacture, and Supply of Pandemic Therapies and Vaccines

This publication provides some industry reflections on experiences from the Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) development and manufacture and supply of vaccines and therapies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It integrates these experiences with the outcomes from the collaborative work between industry and regulators in recent years on innovative science- and risk-based CMC strategies to the development of new, high-quality products for unmet medical needs. The challenges for rapid development are discussed and various approaches to facilitate accelerated development and global supply are collated for consideration. Relevant regulatory aspects are reviewed, including the role of Emergency Use/Conditional Marketing Authorizations, the dialogue between sponsors and agencies to facilitate early decision-making and alignment, and the value of improving reliance/collaborative assessment and increased collaboration between regulatory authorities to reduce differences in global regulatory requirements. Five areas are highlighted for particular consideration in the implementation of strategies for the quality-related aspects of accelerated development and supply: (1) the substantial need to advance reliance or collaborative assessment; (2) the need for early decision making and streamlined engagement between industry and regulatory authorities on CMC matters; (3) the need to further facilitate 'post-approval' changes; (4) fully exploiting prior and platform knowledge; and (5) review and potential revision of legal frameworks. The recommendations in this publication are intended to contribute to the discussion on approaches that can result in earlier and greater access to high-quality pandemic vaccines and therapies for patients worldwide but could also be useful in general for innovative medicines addressing unmet medical needs.

Use of Lhasa Limited Products for the In Silico Prediction of Drug Toxicity

Lhasa Limited have had a role in the in silico prediction of drug and other chemical toxicity for over 30 years. This role has always been multifaceted, both as a provider of predictive software such as Derek Nexus, and as an honest broker for the sharing of proprietary chemical and toxicity data. A changing regulatory environment and the drive for the Replacement, Reduction and Refinement (the 3Rs) of animal testing have led both to increased acceptance of in silico predictions and a desire for the sharing of data to reduce duplicate testing. The combination of these factors has led to Lhasa Limited providing a suite of products and coordinating numerous data-sharing consortia that do indeed facilitate a significant reduction in the testing burden that companies would otherwise be laboring under. Many of these products and consortia can be organized into workflows for specific regulatory use cases, and it is these that will be used to frame the narrative in this chapter.

Managing emerging mutagenicity risks: Late stage mutagenic impurity control within the atovaquone second generation synthesis

The mutagenic-impurity control strategy for a second generation manufacturing route to the non-mutagenic antipneumocystic agent atovaquone (2-((1R,4R)-4-(4-chlorophenyl)cyclohexyl)-3-hydroxynaphthalene-1,4-dione) 1 is described. Preliminary assessment highlighted multiple materials of concern which were largely discharged either through returning a negative bacterial mutagenicity assay or through confidence that the impurity would be purged during the downstream processing from when it was first introduced. Additional genotoxicity testing highlighted two materials of concern where initial assessment suggested that testing for these impurities at trace levels within the drug substance would be required. Following a thorough review of process purging detail, spiking and purging experimentation, and an understanding of the process parameters to which they were exposed an ICH M7 Option 4 approach could be justified for their control. The development of two 1H NMR spectroscopy methods for measurement of these impurities is also described as well as a proposed summary table for describing the underlying rationale for ICH M7 control rationales to regulators. This manuscript demonstrates that process purging of potential mutagenic impurities can be realised even when they are introduced in the later stages of a process and highlights the importance of scientific understanding rather than relying on a stage-counting approach.