Stability testing guidelines in major drug producing countries like the European Community, Japan, and the United States are generally consistent in basic principles but formal requirements vary between jurisdictions. Harmonizing these guidelines could establish standards acceptable to many countries by building on shared principles and addressing differences. The proposed harmonized guidelines would cover 83% of the global drug market and be adopted by other regions like Canada and Australia. Stability testing during drug development generates comprehensive results over multiple stages to establish reliable information on product stability.
Stability testing guidelines in major drug producing countries like the European Community, Japan, and the United States are generally consistent in basic principles but formal requirements vary between jurisdictions. Harmonizing these guidelines could establish standards acceptable to many countries by building on shared principles and addressing differences. The proposed harmonized guidelines would cover 83% of the global drug market and be adopted by other regions like Canada and Australia. Stability testing during drug development generates comprehensive results over multiple stages to establish reliable information on product stability.
Stability testing guidelines in major drug producing countries like the European Community, Japan, and the United States are generally consistent in basic principles but formal requirements vary between jurisdictions. Harmonizing these guidelines could establish standards acceptable to many countries by building on shared principles and addressing differences. The proposed harmonized guidelines would cover 83% of the global drug market and be adopted by other regions like Canada and Australia. Stability testing during drug development generates comprehensive results over multiple stages to establish reliable information on product stability.
extended. As a result, the stability information is based on all of
the results obtained during development. Nearly all of the countries where drugs are produced have their own guidelines. Stability testing guidelines in the European Community (EC), Japan, and the United States show no significant differences in the basic principles listed below. Stability testing during drug development Selection of batches and samples Test criteria Analytical methods Specifications Storage conditions Test intervals Storage period Number of stability batches Packing materials Evaluation of data However, formal requirements do vary. It would be very desirable to elaborate on the basic principles and demonstrate the importance of formal differences. On the basis of the discussions of these differences, harmonized guidelines can be developed that are acceptable to a large number of countries. The aim of these guidelines is to present state-of-the-art stability testing, including the latest official requirements in the EC, Japan, and the United States, and to indicate future prospects in stability testing. The harmonized guidelines in these three areas will cover 83% of the world market for drug products. These guidelines will be adopted by Canada and Australia, and a number of other countries are sure to follow. Stability Testing During Drug Development Comprehensive and reliable stability information is based on a large number of individual results generated during development of a drug product. The individual stages during development should , , , . ,,. * .,,. .-,,... .. _. v. . L .,.- _.., >..,.. I X_. ,_ ~ .._, ,..,,...I,,....,. .... . . , . , . . , .. ,. j,.i