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Manufacturing of Biodrugs

Need for Harmonization in Regulatory Standards

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Abstract

Biodrugs (biologics) are much more complex than chemically synthesized drugs because of their structural heterogeneity and interactions within a given biologic system. The manufacturing process in the biodrug industry varies with each type of molecule and is far more elaborate and stringent due to the use of living organisms and complex substrates. Product purity and altered structural characteristics leading to potential immunogenicity have often been of concern when establishing quality and safety in the use of biodrugs. Regulatory compliance in manufacturing and commercialization of biodrugs involves quality control, quality assurance, and batch documentation. Many factors such as host cell development, cell bank establishment, cell culture, protein production, purification, analysis, formulation, storage, and handling are critical for ensuring the purity, activity, and safety of the finished product. Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for biodrugs has been developed in certain regions such as the EU, US, and Japan. Due to differences in manufacturing methods and systems, product-specific GMP guidelines are evolving. In general, there are variations in GMP guidelines between countries, which lead to difficulty for the manufacturers in conforming to different standards, thus entailing delays in the commercialization of biodrugs. There is a need to develop a unified regulatory guideline for biodrug manufacturing across various countries, which would be helpful in the marketing of products and trade. This review deals with the comparative framework and analysis of GMP regulation of biodrugs.

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Acknowledgments

No sources of funding were used to assist in the preparation of this review. The authors have no conflicts of interest that are directly relevant to the content of this review.

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  1. Rajiv Gandhi School of Intellectual Property Law, IIT Kharagpur, Kharagpur, 721302, West Bengal, India

    Niharika Sahoo &  Padmavati Manchikanti

  2. School of Medical Science and Technology, IIT Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, India

    Koel Choudhury

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  1. Niharika Sahoo
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Correspondence to Padmavati Manchikanti.

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Sahoo, N., Choudhury, K. & Manchikanti, P. Manufacturing of Biodrugs. BioDrugs 23, 217–229 (2009). https://doi.org/10.2165/11317110-000000000-00000

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