Recommendations on qPCR/ddPCR assay validation by GCC.

Gene therapy, cell therapy and vaccine research have led to an increased use of qPCR/ddPCR in bioanalytical laboratories. CROs are progressively undertaking the development and validation of qPCR and ddPCR assays. Currently, however, there is limited regulatory guidance for the use of qPCR and a complete lack of any regulatory guidelines for the use of the newer ddPCR to support regulated bioanalysis. Hence, the Global CRO Council in Bioanalysis (GCC) has issued this White Paper to provide; 1) a consensus on the different validation parameters required to support qPCR/ddPCR assays; 2) a harmonized approach to their validation and 3) a consistent development of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for all the bioanalytical laboratories using these techniques.

Recommendations on ELISpot assay validation by the GCC.

Gene therapy, cell therapy and vaccine research have led to an increased need to perform cellular immunity testing in a regulated environment to ensure the safety and efficacy of these treatments. The most common method for the measurement of cellular immunity has been Enzyme-Linked Immunospot assays. However, there is a lack of regulatory guidance available discussing the recommendations for developing and validating these types of assays. Hence, the Global CRO Council has issued this white paper to provide a consensus on the different validation parameters required to support Enzyme-Linked Immunospot assays and a harmonized and consistent approach to Enzyme-Linked Immunospot validation among contract research organizations.

Recommendations for the content and management of Certificates of Analysis for reference standards from the GCC for bioanalysis.

The 13th Global CRO Council (GCC) closed forum for bioanalysis was held in New Orleans, LA, USA on 5 April 2019. This GCC meeting was organized to discuss the contents of the 2019 ICH M10 Bioanalytical Method Validation Draft Guideline published in February 2019 and consolidate the feedback of the GCC members. While ICH M10 will cover requirements for reference standards, one of the biggest challenges facing the CRO community is the lack of consistency and completeness of Certificates of Analysis for reference standards used in regulated bioanalysis. Similar challenges exist with critical reagents (e.g., capture and detection antibodies) used for assays supporting biologics. The recommendations provided in this publication are the minimum requirements for the content that GCC members believe should be included in Certificates of Analysis for reference standards obtained from commercial vendors, sponsors and compendial suppliers, for use in regulated bioanalytical studies. In addition, recommendations for internal standards, metabolites and critical reagents are discussed.

GCC Consolidated Feedback to ICH on the 2019 ICH M10 Bioanalytical Method Validation Draft Guideline.

The 13th GCC Closed Forum for Bioanalysis was held in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA on April 5th, 2019. This GCC meeting was organized to discuss the contents of the 2019 ICH M10 Bioanalytical Method Validation Draft Guideline published in February 2019 and consolidate the feedback of the GCC members. In attendance were 63 senior-level participants from eight countries representing 44 bioanalytical CRO companies/sites. This event represented a unique opportunity for CRO bioanalytical experts to share their opinions and concerns regarding the ICH M10 Bioanalytical Method Validation Draft Guideline and to build unified comments to be provided to the ICH.

12th GCC Closed Forum: critical reagents; oligonucleotides; CoA; method transfer; HRMS; flow cytometry; regulatory findings; stability and immunogenicity.

The 12th GCC Closed Forum was held in Philadelphia, PA, USA, on 9 April 2018. Representatives from international bioanalytical Contract Research Organizations were in attendance in order to discuss scientific and regulatory issues specific to bioanalysis. The issues discussed at the meeting included: critical reagents; oligonucleotides; certificates of analysis; method transfer; high resolution mass spectrometry; flow cytometry; recent regulatory findings and case studies involving stability and nonclinical immunogenicity. Conclusions and consensus from discussions of these topics are included in this article.

Recommendations for classification of commercial LBA kits for biomarkers in drug development from the GCC for bioanalysis.

Over the last decade, the use of biomarker data has become integral to drug development. Biomarkers are not only utilized for internal decision-making by sponsors; they are increasingly utilized to make critical decisions for drug safety and efficacy. As the regulatory agencies are routinely making decisions based on biomarker data, there has been significant scrutiny on the validation of biomarker methods. Contract research organizations regularly use commercially available immunoassay kits to validate biomarker methods. However, adaptation of such kits in a regulated environment presents significant challenges and was one of the key topics discussed during the 12th Global Contract Research Organization Council for Bioanalysis (GCC) meeting. This White Paper reports the GCC members' opinion on the challenges facing the industry and the GCC recommendations on the classification of commercial kits that can be a win-win for commercial kit vendors and end users.

9th GCC closed forum: CAPA in regulated bioanalysis; method robustness, biosimilars, preclinical method validation, endogenous biomarkers, whole blood stability, regulatory audit experiences and electronic laboratory notebooks.

The 9th GCCClosed Forum was held just prior to the 2015 Workshop on Recent Issues in Bioanalysis (WRIB) in Miami, FL, USA on 13 April 2015. In attendance were 58 senior-level participants, from eight countries, representing 38 CRO companies offering bioanalytical services. The objective of this meeting was for CRO bioanalytical representatives to meet and discuss scientific and regulatory issues specific to bioanalysis. The issues selected at this year's closed forum include CAPA, biosimilars, preclinical method validation, endogenous biomarkers, whole blood stability, and ELNs. A summary of the industry's best practices and the conclusions from the discussion of these topics is included in this meeting report.

Validation and life-cycle management of a quantitative ligand-binding assay for the measurement of Nulojix(®), a CTLA-4-Fc fusion protein, in renal and liver transplant patients.

BACKGROUND: Nulojix(®) is a fusion protein composed of the Fc portion of a human IgG1 linked to the extracellular modified domain of CTLA-4. Nulojix differs from another Bristol Myers Squibb product, Orencia(®) by two amino acids and was approved by the FDA on 15 June 2011 for the prophylaxis of organ rejection in adult patients receiving kidney transplant. RESULTS: A sandwich ELISA utilizing two monoclonal antibodies against CTLA-4 was employed for Nulojix quantification and pharmacokinetic analysis. At least 17 analysts have qualified on the assay and contributed to reportable results over the last 7 years. In-study accuracy and precision demonstrate suitable performance: %bias within -4 to 4%, %CV ≤13% and total error within 6-15%. Incurred sample reanalysis was completed in applicable disease-state populations. The assay was automated and validated in additional clinical matrices (ascites and urine) and Nulojix quantification was validated in the presence of clinically relevant co-administered compounds. In 2011, the biotinylation procedure was modified meriting a regression change (quadratic to 4-parameter logistic) and associated partial validation. CONCLUSION: This long-term pharmacokinetic program provides a good example of the dynamic clinical environment and adaptation requirements of ligand-binding assays.