Navigating ICH Q2(R2) compliance in analytical method validation: A gap analysis toolkit to streamline risk assessment and change management

The International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) officially adopted Q2(R2) and Q14 as harmonized guidelines on November 1, 2023. Updated guidance for validating analytical methods is provided in Q2(R2), while Q14 introduces, for the first time, comprehensive guidance on the development of analytical methods. Multiple regulatory authorities have officially incorporated Q2(R2) and Q14, and many others are in the process. However, a detailed list of differences between Q2(R1) and Q2(R2) has yet to be made available. The toolkit presented here is designed to streamline risk assessment and change management efforts for updating systems based on long-established Q2(R1) guidance; 56 specific omissions, expansions, and additions are identified, and a process for navigating these changes is proposed. Suggestions for improving Q2(R2) and related chapters (including Q7, Good Manufacturing Practice Guidance for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Guidance for Industry) are also discussed. Given the close relationship between analytical method development and validation, many aspects of Q14 are included in Q2(R2) and are therefore described here.