PDA EU00144 Freeze-Drying in Practice Training Course

Osterode am Harz, Germany
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Program Highlights

This training course will offer hands-on exercises on freeze-drying machinery throughout the five training days.

Note: In response to considerable demand, all participants will now be given access to electronic course notes, which may be printed once for use during the course approximately 1 – 2 weeks in advance. Hard copies of course notes will no longer be provided to participants.

Freeze-drying also termed lyophilization or sublimation drying is a gentle drying technique. It has been widely used in the pharmaceutical industry for many decades to improve the stability of both drug substances and drug products.

Biopharmaceuticals require an especially gentle manufacturing process due to their complex and thermosensitive molecular structure. In this regard, freeze-drying represents the method of choice for improving the storage stability of biopharmaceuticals, which may be insufficient in liquid formulation. While at present approximately 50% of these products are freeze-dried, a further increase in this percentage is to be expected in the coming years.

A freeze-drying process is divided into three stages: the freezing step, primary drying, and secondary drying. The freezer dryers necessary for this are complex, computer-controlled systems. The main components are a vacuum chamber with a vacuum pump and ports for attaching the product as well as the cooled condenser, where a deposit of the subliming steam from the product occurs on its surfaces. Automated cleaning and sterilization units complete the range of functions. Production freeze-dryers are integrated into process lines and equipped with automatic loading and unloading systems to satisfy both aseptic requirements and higher product throughput while at the same time decreasing error rates.

Who Should Attend

This training course is generated for operators of pharmaceutical freeze-drying systems. It particularly addresses employees in the areas of:

  • Development
  • Production
  • Technology
  • Qualification/Validation
  • Quality Assurance who are responsible for the planning, purchasing, operation, usage, and qualification/validation of freeze drying systems.
Learning Objectives

You will be thoroughly familiar with the freeze-drying process. The structure and operating principle of freeze-dryers are introduced, and the interaction of the different functional groups is explained. Moreover, guidance for developing a freeze-drying recipe is provided.

Emphasis is placed on technical support, calibration of the most important sensors, qualification of the system, and preventative maintenance. You will learn how to identify and remedy the most frequently occurring system malfunctions. Understanding the maintenance plan rounds off your skills in servicing a freeze-drying system.

Cleaning and sterilization requirements are discussed intensively, and their technical application will be demonstrated on the freeze-dryer. Technical concepts are introduced for automatic loading and unloading.

Interactive training elements, exercises, and experiments in the laboratory and production areas constitute a large part of the course. After you have been familiarized with the theoretical background, you will carry out a freeze-drying process to completion under the guidance of experienced experts. The results are examined, and potential errors and their avoidance are discussed thoroughly. You will obtain insight into the procedures for cleaning and sterilization and will also carry out these processes yourself.

The practical character of the meeting is furthermore supported by the fact that you may pose questions from your everyday work, which will then be discussed collectively. You will receive advice from the experts and could exchange it with the other course participants.

Event Location
Training Facility: Martin Christ Gefriertrocknungsanlagen GmbH
An der Unteren Söse 50, Osterode am Harz, Germany 37520 Get Directions

Contact

Program Inquiries
Sabine Hartmann
Exhibition/Sponsorship Inquiries
Christopher Haertig
Training Course Inquiries
training-europe@pda.org
Registration Customer Care

Standard Registration

Member Price

€ 3.990

Non-Member

€ 3.990

See Qualifying Criteria for Member Types.

ALL PRICES IN EURO (EUR), EXCLUDING VAT.

WAYS TO REGISTER: 1. Online Registration   2. registration-europe@pda.org

PDA MEMBERS: Please remember to log in before registering If you come from a Governmental or Health Authority Institution or from an Academic Organization, please contact registration-europe@pda.org before registering.

If you need to apply for a visa to enter the event country, PDA Europe must be informed of this fact at least 4 weeks before the start of the event.

Day 1

Monday, 08 September 2025

09:00
Reception and Welcome Coffee

09:30
INTRODUCTION
Collection and clustering of the questions and expectations contributed by the participants

10:00
THEORY 1 – INTRODUCTION TO FREEZE DRYING PROCESSES

  • Why lyophilization?
  • History and development
  • Examples in daily life and the pharmaceutical industry
  • The freeze-drying process
  • Freeze-drying equipment
  • Pros and cons of lyophilization 

12:00
THEORY 2a – BASIC PRINCIPLES OF FREEZE DRYING PROCESSES

  • Physical understanding
  • Critical process parameters
  • Development and composition of a (biological) formulation
13:00
Lunch Break
13:45
THEORY 2b – DEVELOPMENT OF A LYOPHILIZATION CYCLE: PRACTICAL ADVICE
  • How to approach it? What are the most important parameters?
  • How do you choose them for the different phases?
  • Development of cycles for practical work

15:30
THEORY 3 –ANALYTICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF LYOPHILIZES 

  • Product attributes for designing lyophilization cycles

o Differential scanning calorimetry
o Freeze-drying microscopy 

  • Solid state characterization after lyophilization

o Residual moisture (LOD, Karl Fischer, NIR, FMS)
o Thermodynamic / Solid state (X-ray powder diffraction)
o Specific surface area (BET)
o Cake appearance at different levels (Vis. Inspec., SEM, µ-CT)
o Reconstitution

17:15
End of Traning Course Day 1 & Transfer to the Recommended Hotel
18:40
Transfer from the Recommended Hotel to Networking Event
19:00
Networking Dinner sponsored by Martin Christ 

21:15
Transfer to the Recommended Hotel

Day 2

Tuesday, 09 September 2025

8:30
Transfer from the Recommended Hotel to Martin Christ Facility

9:00
Recapitulation and Summary of Day 1

9:15
PRACTICE 1 - PREPARATION OF SOLUTION

  • Compounding of formulations
    • Calculation of composition
    • Compounding

9:45
PRACTICE 1 - PREPARATION OF SOLUTION

  • Compounding
  • Filling
  • Stoppering

Freezing experiment with distilled water under a vacuum to develop a general understanding of the critical temperature

10:30
PRACTICE 2 - PROGRAMMING

Programming the freeze-dryer with the programs developed in Theory 3

11:30
PRACTICE 3 - FREEZING BEHAVIOR

  • Loading of the shelves
  • Positioning of the thermocouples
  • Start of the lyophilization program

13:00
Lunch Break

13:45
THEORY 4 - PROCESS ENGINEERING TOOLS

  • PT Sensors
  • Pressure and Vacuum Sensors
  • Vacuum Sensors
  • Conductivity Sensors
  • Mass Spectrometer Theory
  • Camera systems
  • Alternatives Sensors
15:00
Coffee Break

15:15
THEORY 5 - LYOPHILISATOR

  • Construction of freeze dryers
  • Systems of freeze dryers
  • Different types of freeze dryers
  • Existing lines of freeze dryers
  • Parameters of freeze dryers

16:00
THEORY 6 - LYO QUALIFICATION

  • Explanation of the sequence DQ-RA-IQ-OQ-PQ
  • Measures for maintaining the qualified state

16:45
PRACTICE 4 - A GLANCE AT FREEZE DRYERS

  • Discussion of the current status of the process
  • What is evident/what is not yet evident

17:30
End of Training Course Day 2 & Transfer from Martin Christ Facility to the Recommended Hotel

Day 3

Wednesday, 10 September 2025

8:30
Transfer from the recommended hotel to Martin Christ facility

09:00
PRACTICE 5 - A GLANZE AT THE FREEZE-DRYERS

  • Discussion of the current status of the process in the freeze dryer
  • Recapitulation of key learnings from Day 2

9:30
PRACTICE 6 - TOUR OF THE PRODUCTION ROOMS OF MARTIN CHRIST [Coffee Break included]

  • Introduction to the different size classes of freeze dryers
  • Introduction to the functional modules of the freeze dryer
  • Visualization of the basic analogy of the functional modules across the size classes
  • Explanation of the step-by-step production process for freeze dryers

11:30
GUEST PRESENTATION - NATURAL REFRIGERATNS

12:15
PRACTICE 7 - INTRODUCTION TO THE GENERAL ORDER OF EVENTS IN OPERATION

  • Brief explanation of all workstations
  • Explanation and instruction on the logistics

12:30
PRACTICE 8: WORKSTATION OPERATION SEQUENCE 1

  • Calibration of pressure sensor/vacuum sensor
  • Calibration of temperature sensor
  • Shelf temperature mapping
  • Roughness measurement
13:00
Lunch Break

13:45
CONTINUATION PRACTICE 8: WORKSTATION OPERATION SEQUENCE 2

15:00
Coffee Break

15:15
CONTINUATION PRACTICE 8: WORKSTATION OPERATION SEQUENCE 3

16:30
PRACTICE 9 - A GLANCE AT THE FREEZE-DRYER

  • Discussion of the current status of the process in the freeze-dryer

17:00
End of Training Course Day 3 & Transfer from Martin Christ facility to the Recommended Hotel

Day 4

Thursday, 11 September 2025

8:30
Transfer from the recommended hotel to Martin Christ facility

9:00
Recapitulation of key learnings from Day 3

9:15
THEORY 7 - MAINTENANCE AND FAULT CORRECTION

  • Introduction to the most frequently occurring faults
    • Diagnosis
    • Most probable causes
    • Correction
  • Introduction to a preventative maintenance concept
  • Presentation of examples of defective components with an explanation of the causes

10:15
THEORY 8 - CLEANING & STERILISATION

  • CIP/SIP systems
  • Acceptance of CIP / SIP systems
  • Cleaning validation
  • Sterilization qualification
  • Turnaround process
  • In-process testing during Lyophilization
11:00
Coffee Break

11:15
Mass Spectrometry Practice - If Available

12:15
Guest Presentation to be Announced

13:00
Lunch Break

13:45
Guest Presentation to be Announced

14:30
THEORY 9 – THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FREEZING STEP

  • Controlled nucleation technology overview and annealing

15:30
Coffee Break

15:45
PRACTICE 10 - A GLANCE AT THE FREEZE DRYER

  • Discussion of the current status of the process in the freeze-dryer
  • Visual control – examples

16:30
Guest Presentation to be Announced

17:15
End of Traning Course Day 4 & Transfer to the Recommended Hotel
18:40
Transfer from the Recommended Hotel to Networking Event
19:00
Networking Dinner sponsored by PDA Europe

21:30
Transfer to the Recommended Hotel

Day 5

Friday, 12 September 2024

8:30
Transfer from the recommended hotel to Martin Christ facility

9:00
PRACTICE 11

  • Unloading the freeze dryer
  • Evaluation of the process chart
  • Determination of reconstitution time
  • Visual Inspection
  • Assessment of the different results

10:00
Q&A and Conclusions

11:00
End of Training Course
Agenda is subject to change.

Featured Trainers

  • Julian Lenger, PhD

    Bayer

    Read Bio

  • Sascha Pfeiffer

    Pharmbiocon

    Read Bio

PLEASE READ  PDA is not affiliated or contracted with any outside hotel contracting company. If someone other than PDA or the PDA chosen hotel contacts you suggesting that they represent any PDA event, they do not. It is PDA's recommendation that you book your hotel directly through the official PDA chosen hotel that is listed on our web site.

Training Facility: Martin Christ Gefriertrocknungsanlagen GmbH

An der Unteren Söse 50
Osterode am Harz, Germany 37520, Germany

Hotel Nearby

PDA Europe recommends the reservation at the following hotel.
A transfer during the event from and to this hotel is guaranteed.

The general terms of business are valid at the hotel.

HOTEL SAUERBREY ****
Friedrich-Ebert-Str. 129
37520 Osterode am Harz / Lerbach
Tel.: +49/ (0)5522-5093-0
Fax: +49/ (0)5522-5093-50
Email: info@hotel-sauerbrey.de
www.hotel-sauerbrey.de
Price per Room and Night: Upon Request

Distance to the venue: 7. 5 km (11min by the car)

The hotel offers a wellness facility including sauna and pool area.

How to Get Here
By Air Nearest Airport: Hannover Airport - HAJ 109 km, 70 min by car Airport Phone: +49 511 9770
By Car Martin Christ Gefriertrocknungsanlagen GmbH is located at An der Unteren Söse 50, Osterode am Harz, Germany.
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