Patient-Centric Drug Product Quality Specifications: a Convergence of Clinical and Nonclinical Considerations

A special panel session at the 2024 NCS Conference in Wiesbaden, Germany, brought together experts to explore the evolving landscape of patient-centric drug product development and specifications. Traditional specifications often rely on manufacturing variability and phase 3 clinical trial data. However, patient-centric specifications shift the focus toward direct clinical relevance, establishing customer-driven acceptance criteria. Discussions covered innovative approaches to defining patient-centric specifications, leveraging prior knowledge, biopharmaceutics, formulation science, regulatory input, and statistical methodologies. The session also highlighted efficient QbD studies, enabling the linkage of Critical Process Parameters (CPPs) and Critical Material Attributes (CMAs) to Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC) Critical Quality Attributes (CQAs). While these approaches hold great promise, challenges remain such as cross-disciplinary collaboration, data integration, and the development of robust databases to inform future drug and biologicals development. As industry experience grows, these efforts will pave the way for continuous improvement in nonclinical-clinical linkage designs, enhancing patient outcomes.