The Role of CMC Statisticians: Co-Practitioners of the Scientific Method

Chemistry, manufacturing, and control (CMC) statisticians play a key role in the development and lifecycle management of pharmaceutical and biological products, working with their non-statistician partners to manage product quality. Information used to make quality decisions comes from studies, where success is facilitated through adherence to the scientific method. This is carried out in four steps: (1) an objective, (2) design, (3) conduct, and (4) analysis. Careful consideration of each step helps to ensure that a study conclusion and associated decision is correct. This can be a development decision related to the validity of an assay or a quality decision like conformance to specifications. Importantly, all decisions are made with risk. Conventional statistical risks such as Type 1 and Type 2 errors can be coupled with associated impacts to manage patient value as well as development and commercial costs. The CMC statistician brings focus on managing risk across the steps of the scientific method, leading to optimal product development and robust supply of life saving drugs and biologicals.