QbD for pediatric oral lyophilisates development: risk assessment followed by screening and optimization.

OBJECTIVE: This study proposed the development of oral lyophilisates with respect to pediatric medicine development guidelines, by applying risk management strategies and DoE as an integrated QbD approach.
METHODS: Product critical quality attributes were overviewed by generating Ishikawa diagrams for risk assessment purposes, considering process, formulation and methodology related parameters. Failure Mode Effect Analysis was applied to highlight critical formulation and process parameters with an increased probability of occurrence and with a high impact on the product performance. To investigate the effect of qualitative and quantitative formulation variables D-optimal designs were used for screening and optimization purposes.
RESULTS: Process parameters related to suspension preparation and lyophilization were classified as significant factors, and were controlled by implementing risk mitigation strategies. Both quantitative and qualitative formulation variables introduced in the experimental design influenced the product's disintegration time, mechanical resistance and dissolution properties selected as CQAs. The optimum formulation selected through Design Space presented ultra-fast disintegration time (5 seconds), a good dissolution rate (above 90%) combined with a high mechanical resistance (above 600 g load).
CONCLUSIONS: Combining FMEA and DoE allowed the science based development of a product with respect to the defined quality target profile by providing better insights on the relevant parameters throughout development process. The utility of risk management tools in pharmaceutical development was demonstrated.