Multiproduct Resin Reuse for Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing: Methodology and Acceptance Criteria

Abstract

Chromatography resins used for purifying biopharmaceuticals are typically dedicated to a single product. For GMP facilities that make a limited amount of any particular product, this can result in the resin being used for a fraction of its useful life. A proposed methodology for extending resin reuse to multiple products is described. With this methodology, resin and column performance, cleaning effectiveness and product carryover are continually monitored to ensure that product quality is not impacted by multiproduct resin reuse (MRR). Resin and column performance is evaluated in terms of (a) system suitability parameters such as peak-shape and transition, and HETP data; (b) key operating parameters such as flow rate, inlet pressure, and pressure drop across the column; and (c) process performance parameters such as impurity profiles, product quality and yield. Historical data are used to establish process capability limits (PCLs) for these parameters. Operation within the PCLs provides assurance that column integrity and binding capacity of the resin are not impacted by MRR. Product carryover, defined as the carryover of the previously processed product (A) in a dose of the subsequently processed product (B) (COA→B), should be acceptable from a predictive safety standpoint. A methodology for determining COA→B from first principles and setting acceptance limits for cleaning validation is described. Cleaning effectiveness is evaluated by performing a blank elution run after inter-campaign cleaning and prior to product changeover. The acceptance limits for product carryover (COA→B) are more stringent for MRR than for single product resin reuse. Thus the inter-campaign cleaning process should be robust enough to consistently meet the more stringent acceptance limits for MRR. Additionally, the analytical methods should be sensitive enough to adequately quantify the concentration of the previously processed product (A) and its degradants in the eluent. General considerations for designing small-scale chromatographic studies for process development are also described. These studies typically include process cycling runs with multiple products followed by viral clearance studies with a panel of model viruses. The small-scale studies can be used to optimize cleaning parameters, predict resin performance and product quality, and estimate the number of multiproduct purification cycles that can be run without impacting product quality. The proposed methodology is intended to be broadly applicable; however, it is acknowledged that alternative approaches may be more appropriate for specific scenarios.