Pharmaceutical quality by design in academic nanomedicine research: stifling innovation or creativity through constraint?

Pharmaceutical quality by design (QbD) is a systematic approach to drug development that begins with predefined objectives and emphasises product and process understanding and control based on sound science and quality risk management. First and foremost, QbD is an experimental design philosophy, which emphasises the value of thorough intellectual planning prior to the commencement of laboratory studies. Academic researchers whose ambitions lie in translational science may benefit from the lessons learned by the pharmaceutical industry following implementation of QbD into their development philosophy. However, because of the very interdisciplinary nature of academic nanomedicine research, it is likely that very few investigators are aware of QbD and how aspects of it may be judiciously implemented in an academic research setting. This review provides an introduction to the main elements of QbD and gives examples of case studies where QbD has been applied to nanomedicine research.