An in-silico approach towards multivariate acceptable ranges in biopharmaceutical manufacturing

Multivariate interactions between process parameters can heavily impact product quality and process performance in biopharmaceutical manufacturing processes. Thus, multivariate interactions should be identified and appropriately controlled. This article describes an in-silico approach to establish multivariate acceptable ranges; these ranges help to illustrate the combined impact of multiple input variables on product quality and process performance. Additionally, this article includes a case study for a monoclonal antibody polishing application. Proven acceptable ranges are set by changing only one input parameter at a time while keeping all others constant to understand the impact of process variability on product quality or process performance, but the impact of synergistic variables are not evaluated. Within multivariate acceptable ranges, any combination of input parameters of a unit operation yields the desired product quality and process performance. The layered approach applied in this article is based on risk assessment and statistical models to leverage prior knowledge and existing data. The risk assessment is specific for a manufacturing facility but is applicable to multiple products manufactured in the same facility. No additional wet-lab experiments are required for building the statistical models when development and process characterization are executed using a design of experiments approach, compared to a univariate evaluation of data. The established multivariate acceptable range justifies revised normal operating ranges to ensure process control. Further, the determination of multivariate acceptable ranges adds to overall process knowledge, ultimately supporting the implementation of a more effective control strategy.