Analysis of Silicone Oil in Prefilled Syringes and Biopharmaceutical Drug Products Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

Characterizing Oligomeric Hydroxyl Silicon Oils by MALDI-TOF MS With the Pyridine-Modified Matrix

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF) is a powerful technique for analysis of various polymers, but it is still very difficult to characterize silicone oil due to its poor ionization efficiency. In this work, oligomeric hydroxyl silicone oils were successfully characterized by MALDI-TOF, by using pyridine-modified 2,5-dihydroxylbenzoic acid (DHB) as the matrix. Furthermore, the mixed crystal of DHB and hydroxyl silicone oil was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy disperse spectroscopy (EDS), and the analytical results verified that modification with pyridine could remarkably improve the solubility of hydroxyl silicone oil in DHB, leading to the enhancement of its ionization efficiency in MALDI. The analysis of the MS spectra of a series of hydroxyl silicone oils indicated that they tended to be ionized by the attachment with Na⁺, and the average molecular weight and the degree of polymerization were measured for several oligomeric hydroxyl silicon oils.

Observation and Mitigation of Leachables from Non-Product Contact Materials in Electromechanical Delivery Devices for Biotechnology Products

Battery-powered drug delivery devices are widely used as primary containers for storing and delivering therapeutic protein products to improve patient compliance and quality of life. Compared to conventional delivery approaches such as pre-filled syringes, battery-powered devices are more complex in design requiring new materials/components for proper functionality, which could cause potential product safety and quality concerns from the extractable and leachables (E&L) of the new materials/components. In this study, E&L assessments were performed on a battery-powered delivery device during the development and qualification of the device, where novel compound 2‑hydroxy-2-methylpropiophenone (HMPP) and related compounds were observed in both E&L. The source of the HMPP and related compounds was identified to be the nonproduct contact device batteries, in which HMPP photo-initiator was used as a curing agent in the battery sealant to prevent leakage of the battery electrolytes. Toxicology assessment was performed, which showed the levels of HMPP observed in the device lots were acceptable relative to the permitted daily exposure. A drug product HMPP spike study was also performed, where no product impact was observed. Based on these assessments, an action threshold and specification limits could be established as a control strategy, if needed, to mitigate the potential risks associate with the observed leachables. As a full resolution, seven battery candidates from different suppliers were screened and one new battery was successfully qualified for the delivery devices. Overall, the holistic E&L approach was fully successful in the development and qualification of the battery-powered devices for biotherapeutic products delivery ensuring product quality and patient safety. Non-product contact materials are commonly rated as low or no risk and typically considered as out of scope of E&L activities for delivery systems following industry benchmark and regulatory agency guidance. This case study is novel as it brings into attention the materials that might not normally be in consideration during the development process. It is highly recommended to understand materials in the context of intended use on a case-by-case basis and not to generalize to ensure successful development and qualification.

A Holistic Approach of Extractables and Leachables Assessment of Rubber Stoppered Glass Vial Systems for Biotechnology Products

Rubber stoppered glass vial systems are widely used as primary containers for storing and delivering therapeutic protein products to patients. Addressing concerns and regulatory expectations related to the risk to biologic drug product quality and patient safety from rubber stoppered glass vial systems requires implementation of an extractable and leachable evaluation program based on material understanding, risk assessment, literature review, and a comprehensive scientifically sound analytical testing methodology. The extractable and leachable study design consisted of twelve drug products filled in twelve different size glass vials capped with laminated and nonlaminated rubber stoppers made from three different rubber formulations. Design of the model solvents was successful as they had little to no analytical interference and mimicked the formulation conditions and generated representative extractables capable of predicting leachables. The extraction conditions of time and temperature were appropriate as not to degrade the test materials or the extractable compounds, and yet generated significant quantities for identification of the extractable compounds with confidence. The extractables testing results were capable of predicting the leachable profiles of the twelve drug products. In each case, the leachable profile was a subset of the extractable profile. The organic and elemental impurities of the leachable profiles of drug products were the end-to-end verification of the quality of the glass vials, rubber stoppers and drug product lifecycles. Overall, the holistic approach was fully successful in the qualification of different vial systems as primary containers and delivery systems for different biotherapeutic products to ensure product quality and patient safety.