Out-of-Specification Result
Any unexplained deviation or the failure of a pharmaceutical ingredient, drug substance, or drug product batch to meet any of its regulatory-release and shelf-life specifications. (TR88)
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Continuous Improvement
Ongoing activities to evaluate and positively change products, processes, and the quality system to increase effectiveness. (TR88)
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Cross-Functional Team
An investigatory team, comprising representatives including QCU microbiologists, manufacturing, engineering, and maintenance personnel, and other appropriate SMEs, with the purpose of conducting a manufacturing investigation. (TR88)
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Impact Analysis
Determination of how a product failure may extend an investigation “to other batches of the same drug product and other drug products that may have been associated with the specific failure or discrepancy” (10). (TR88)
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Area
Measured surface area of a flat projection of a particle.(TR85)
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Nondestructive
A method in which a passing sample can subsequently be utilized in additional analytical methods or processed to a final product. (TR86)
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Critical Process (CP)
A process that impacts a critical quality attribute of the intermediate, drug substance or drug product being manufactured and therefore should have established critical process parameters that can be monitored or controlled to ensure that the process produces the desired quality.
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Visible Particle Range
Particulate matter sized above the visible particle 70% probability of detection threshold are considered in the visible range, typically >100-150 μm. (TR79)
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Test Sets
A group of defect standards combined with good or blank units used to evaluate the probability of detection in visual inspection or testing system performance. Test sets can be used for inspector training, validation of automated systems, or other special studies as needed. (TR79)
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Tyndall Lighting
Collimated lighting at right angle to the viewing direction, typically against a black or dark background, which is useful during manual visual inspection to detect fine dispersions of small particulate that scatter the light making them more detectable. (TR79)
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Sub-Visible Particle Range
Particulate matter sized below the visible particle 70% probability of detection threshold are considered in the sub-visible range, typically <100- 150 μm. (TR79)
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Particulate Matter
Particulate matter consists of mobile, randomly-sourced, extraneous substances, other than gas bubbles, that cannot be quantitated by chemical analysis due to the small amount of material that it represents and its heterogeneous composition. (TR79)
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Container Closure Integrity (CCI)
The ability of a package to prevent product loss, to block microorganism ingress, and to limit entry of detrimental gases or other substances, thus ensuring that the product meets all necessary safety and quality standards.(TR76)
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Nest (Tub Nest)
Rigid plastic support placed into a tub to keep syringes upright with sufficient separation to allow for easy manipulation by manual or automated fill-line systems. (TR73)
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Needle-Safety Device
A safety feature or mechanism that effectively reduces the risk of an exposure incident (e.g., accidental needlestick). (TR73)
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Needle Shield (Needle Cover)
Rigid or flexible polymeric substance used to seal and protect the needle. (TR73)
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Needle (Cannula)
A thin, hollow, metal tube commonly used with a syringe to inject substances into the body. (TR73)
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Magnetic Capture Hybridization (MCH)
A purification method based on sequence-specific hybridization of labeled nucleic acid probes with targeted regions of test article nucleic acids, followed by magnetic bead capture. (TR50)
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Leachable
A chemical component that migrates from a contact surface into a drug product or process fluid during storage or normal use conditions. The term leachable is often erroneously used to describe an extractable. (TR14) (TR26) Leachables are organic and inorganic chemical entities that migrate from a packaging/delivery system, packaging component, or packaging material of construction into an associated drug product under normal conditions of storage and use or during accelerated drug product stability studies. Leachables are typically a subset of extractables or are derived from extractables. (TR54-4) Chemical substances that are leached, from product-contact or non-product-contact materials, under typical process conditions and detected in final dosage. Leachables may be a subset of extractables, and can include their reaction or breakdown products. (TR66) Organic or inorganic chemical entity that migrates from pharmaceutical container closure system components into a drug product formulation. (TR73)
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In-Use
In the hands of the end user who can be the health professional or the patient. In-Use refers to the time period where product is in the custody of the end user or health care professional. (TR53)
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Human Factors
A science discipline that examines human psychological, social, physical, and biological characteristics to evaluate the design, operation, or use of products or systems for optimizing human performance, health, safety, and/or habitability. [Synonym: Ergonomics] (TR62)(TR80)
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Hold-Up Volume (Residual Volume, Nonexpellable Volume, Dead Volume)
Amount of fluid remaining in the syringe when the plunger has reached the end of travel within the barrel. (TR73)
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Formative Usability Evaluation
Observed actual or simulated use of early prototypes to help reliably identify product conceptspecific, use-related hazards that may have been missed by other methods. (TR73)
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Extractable
A chemical component that is removed from a material by application of an artificial or exaggerated force (e.g., solvent, temperature, time). The term extractable is often erroneously used to describe a leachable. (TR14) (TR15) (TR26) (TR41) (TR45) Chemical substances that can be extracted from components of material process fluid contact surfaces by exertion of an exaggerated force (e.g., organic solvent, extreme elevated temperature, ionic strength, pH, contact time, etc.) Extractables may represent most but not all of the potential leachables that may be seen in process fluids. (TR66) Extractables are organic and inorganic chemical entities that can be released from a pharmaceutical packaging/delivery system, packaging component, or packaging material of construction under laboratory conditions. (TR54-4) Organic or inorganic chemical entity that is forced out of container closure system materials and components under laboratory experimental conditions. (TR73)
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Elastomer
Thermoplastic material formulation (that may or may not contain rubber/natural latex) derived from elastic polymer; often used interchangeably with the term “rubber.” (TR73)
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Concentration Polarization
A phenomenon in which the concentration of retained solutes increases in the region adjacent to the membrane surface due to limitations in particle transport back into the bulk solution. (TR15)
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Contextual Inquiry
Ethnographic research method used to observe and analyze behaviors in actual end-use contexts (actual environments and use scenarios). (TR73)
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Colloid
A mixture with properties between those of a solution and a fine suspension. (TR45)
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Biomethylation
The enzyme chlorophenol o-methyltransferase responsible for fungal methylation has been isolated in cell-free extracts. Biomethylation, in this context, may be seen as a detoxification mechanism, although it plays a role in the production of mycotoxins by secondary metabolism. Slightly xerophilic fungi frequently associated halophenol biomethylation include Trichoderma longibrachiatum, Trichoderma virgatum, Aspergillus sydowii, and Penicillium islandicum. (TR55)
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Backstop (Finger Plate or Thumb Plate)
Feature that enhances the area to hold the syringe and is usually designed to avoid accidental removal of the plunger from the back. By design, it may also serve as a flange extender to facilitate holding of the syringe during injection. (TR 73)
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Attribute
A physical, chemical, or microbiological property or characteristic of an input or output material. (TR60)
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Aseptic Processing Area (APA)
Controlled environment, consisting of several zones, in which the air supply, facility, materials, equipment and personnel are regulated to control microbial and particulate contamination to acceptable levels. (TR22) (TR28) (TR62) (TR70)
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Attributes (Quality Attribute)
A molecular or product characteristic that is selected for its ability to indicate the quality of the product. Collectively, the quality attributes define identity, purity, potency and stability of the product, and safety with respect to adventitious agents. Specifications measure a selected subset of the quality attributes. (TR60)
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Antimicrobial Chemical Agent
Substance used to destroy or suppress the growth of microorganisms, whether bacteria, fungi, or viruses, on inanimate objects and surfaces. (TR70)
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Area Disinfection
Disinfection of floors, walls, ceilings, and other surfaces. (TR70)
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AOAC International (Association Official Analytical Communities)
Serves communities of the analytical sciences by providing the tools and processes necessary to develop voluntary consensus standards or technical standards through stakeholder consensus and working groups in which the fit-for-purpose and method performance criteria are established and fully documented. (TR55)
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Aseptic Processing Simulation (APS)
A means for establishing the capability of an aseptic process as performed using a growth medium. (TR22) (TR62)
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Attributes (Process Performance Attribute)
An output variable or outcome that cannot be directly controlled, but is an indicator that the process performed as expected.(Synonym - Process Performance Parameter) (TR60)
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Anisotropic (Asymmetric) Membrane
A membrane in which the pore size and structure differ from one face to the other. These membranes are usually considered “directional” because of the difference in flow characteristics, depending on which surface of the membrane faces the feed stream. (TR15)
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Aseptic Processing
Handling sterile materials in a controlled environment, in which the air supply, facility, materials, equipment and personnel are regulated to control microbial and particulate contamination to acceptable levels. (TR28) (TR62) (TR69) Handling of sterile product, containers, and/ or devices in a controlled environment in which the air supply, materials, equipment, and personnel are regulated to maintain (product) sterility. (TR13)
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Airlock
A room that controls the airflow between two rooms of different classification. (TR 70)
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Air Removal Test
A test used to evaluate air removal and steam penetration in an empty sterilizer that is used for porous/hard goods load sterilization (e.g., Bowie-Dick Test, DART, Lantor Cube, Browns’ Test). (TR01) (TR 48)
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Aggregation
Clumping of proteins, viruses, or bacteria that may arise from several mechanisms and may be classified in numerous ways, including soluble/insoluble, covalent/noncovalent, reversible/irreversible, and native/denatured. (TR47)
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Adverse Trend
A series of alert-level or action-level excursions that indicates the system or areas are not in control and have the potential to affect the product quality. (TR 70)
An increase in the frequency of alert- and action-level excursions or repeated recovery of low levels of microorganisms below the alert level during microbial monitoring or of pharmaceutical ingredient or finished product failure that is indicative of a loss of process control. (TR88)
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Adverse Event (AE) Report
An AE report is a communication to the U.S. FDA of an undesirable sign or symptom associated with use of a drug as required and detailed by 21 CFR 314.80. These reports are logged into the U.S. FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS). Drug manufacturers are required to report adverse event information to FDA. These reports may also may be voluntarily submitted to the FDA directly by healthcare professionals or the general public at Med Watch. The reports are reviewed, safety issues are monitored, and data are periodically analyzed and assessed by the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). (TR55)
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Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) Equivalent to Drug Substance for large molecules
Any substance or mixture of substances intended to be used in the manufacture of a drug (medicinal) product and that, when used in the production of drug, becomes an active ingredient of the drug product. Such substances are intended to furnish pharmacological activity or other direct effect in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease or to affect the structure and function of the body. (TR60)
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Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) Starting Material
A raw material, intermediate, or an API that is used in the production of an API and that is incorporated as a significant structural fragment into the structure of the API. An API Starting Material can be an article of commerce, a material purchased from one or more suppliers under contract or commercial agreement, or produced in-house. API Starting Materials normally have defined chemical properties and structures. (TR60)
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Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) or (Drug substance)
Any substance or mixture of substances intended to be used in the manufacture of a drug (medicinal) product and when used in the production of a drug, becomes an active ingredient of the drug product (also called “drug substance”). (TR29) Any substance or mixture of substances intended to be used in the manufacture of a drug (medicinal) product and that, when used in the production of a drug, becomes an active ingredient in the drug product. Such substances are intended to furnish pharmacological activity or other direct effect in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease or to affect the structure and function of the body. (TR54-3) Any substance or mixture of substances intended to be used in the compounding of a drug preparation, thereby becoming the active ingredient in that preparation and furnishing pharmacological activity or other direct effect in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in humans and animals or affecting the structure and function of the body. (TR63)
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Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API)
Synonym: Drug Substance. (TR14) (TR42) A substance or mixture of substances that, when delivered in a finished drug product, directly affects the structure or function of the body. (TR54-4) Any substance or mixture of substance intended to be used in the manufacture of a drug (medicinal) product and that, when used in the production of a drug, becomes an active ingredient of the drug product. Such substances are intended to furnish pharmacological activity or other direct effect in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease or to affect the structure and function of the body. Note: also known as Drug Substance. (TR29) (TR56) (TR41) (TR54-3) (TR60) Any substance or mixture of substances intended to be used in the compounding of a drug preparation, thereby becoming the active ingredient in that preparation and furnishing pharmacological activity o other direct effect in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in humans and animals or affecting the structure and function of the body. (TR63) (TR70) Any substance or mixture of substances intended to be used in the manufacture of a drug product, and that when used in the production of a drug, becomes an active ingredient in the drug product. Such substances are intended to furnish pharmacological activity or other direct effect in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease, or to affect the structure and function of the body. (TR74)
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Action Plan
A written plan consisting of elements to be accomplished to achieve a specific result. The plan describes responsibility for each element and a target date for completion. (TR22)
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