Speakers

Dr Cornelia Nopitsch-Mai

Dr Cornelia Nopitsch-Mai

formerly Quality Assessor

Dr Thomas Uhlich

Dr Thomas Uhlich

Bayer

Dr Josef Hofer

Dr Josef Hofer

exdra

Dr Ulli Backofen

Dr Ulli Backofen

Boehringer Ingelheim

Dr. Thomas Fürst

Dr. Thomas Fürst

Boehringer Ingelheim

Dr. Bettina Pahlen

Dr. Bettina Pahlen

Quality x Pharma Consulting

Please also see the course “Stability Testing for Drug Substances and Drug Products” on 04/05 November 2026, which will take place directly after this course. Click here to book both training Courses and save € 400.


Target Group

  • Personnel and specialists from QA, QC and Regulatory Affairs departments in the API and pharmaceutical industry
  • Personnel from contract development and manufacturing organisations
  • Representatives of EU inspectorates and regulatory authorities

Objectives

In the development of new pharmaceutical products, it is a great challenge to establish meaningful and reasonable specifications, which are scientifically sound and appropriate for APIs (chemical and biological drug substances), excipients and drug products.
 
This course covers all aspects of specifications for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs = Drug Substances), biological substances and pharmaceutical drug products from an analytical and a registration perspective.
 
In the workshops the participants will elaborate specifications
  • for drug substance and drug product based on different case studies,
  • specifications of biotechnological drug substances / drug products – general part
  • specifications of biotechnological drug substances / drug products – related to the impurity profiles
These example specifications will be useful “take home messages” which will help the participants to define or to evaluate specifications in their daily work.


Programme

Basic Principles for Setting of Release and Shelf-Life Specifications
  • Some basic statistics: Distribution and Variation
  • Variation and specifications
  • Changes over time and shelf-life specification
  • Process Capability
  • Control strategy
  • QbD or not to be
Current Regulatory Requirements for Setting Specifications (ICH Q6A)
  • Regulatory overview
  • Impact of pharmacopoeial provisions
  • Setting specifications for active substances and finished products
  • Justification of specifications
  • Changes/variations
  • Introduction to the requirements of risk assessment with focus on setting specifications for heavy metals
  • How authorities will proceed in respect of submitting the required documentation for approved marketed products
Specifications of Biopharmaceuticals
  • Overview of regulatory requirements
  • Critical Quality attributes and Control Strategy
  • Differences between NCEs and NBEs
  • Considerations for Drug Substance and Drug Product
  • Specifications during early and late stage development
  • Acceptance criteria at release and for shelf life
Organic Impurities and Degradation Products with Special Emphasis on Genotoxic Impurities
  • What do the guidelines tell us?
  • Impurity identification and profiling
  • Impurity tracking
  • Toxicological qualification
  • Genotoxic impurities
  • Control of genotoxic impurities
Setting Specifications throughout Drug Development
  • Specifications throughout development
  • Specifications in Pharmacopoeias
  • Stability of the manufacturing process
  • Specifications for comparator products
Setting Specifications in the CTD
  • Total Control Strategy and Regulatory Background
  • Drug Substances, Excipients and Drug Products
  • Packaging materials
  • Which information should be included in the CTD
  • Typical questions from authorities and answers
Specifications for Specific Drug Products – What is the Difference to Standard Formulations
  • Specific aspects required for special drug products, e.g.
  • Gastro-intestinal therapeutic systems (GITS) or osmotic-controlled release oral delivery systems (OROS)
  • Transdermal Patches
  • Orally inhaled and nasal drug products (OINDPs)
Parallel Session A (Lectures and Workshops)

CHEMICAL APIs
Group I: APIs Manufactured by Chemical Synthesis

Lecture and Workshop
Rational Development and Justification of API Specfications
  • In this workshop participants will elaborate specifications comprising typical tests for APIs:
  • Assay, organic impurities and degradation products, water, residual solvents, heavy metals, particle size distribution, polymorphs, genotoxic impurities etc.
BIOLOGICALS
Group II: Drug Substances/Drug Products Manufactured by Biotechnological Processes – Part 1

Lecture and Workshop
Setting Specifications in early Biopharmaceutical Drug Development (with a special focus on Monoclonal Antibodies)
  • General overview of manufacturing processes for biopharmaceuticals and process Control
  • Analytical testing scope for biopharmaceuticals
  • How to set specifications: principles to consider and justification
  • Group Work
Parallel Session B (Lectures and Workshops)

DRUG PRODUCTS
Group I: Drug Products Containing APIs (manufactured by chemical synthesis)

Lecture and Workshop
Rational Development and Justification of Drug Products Specifications
  • In this workshop participants will elaborate specifications comprising typical tests for different types of drug products, e.g. assay, purity, content uniformity, dissolution, fill volume, endotoxines, sterility etc.
BIOLOGICALS
Group II: Drug Substances/Drug Products Manufactured by Biotechnological Processes – Part 2

Lecture and Workshop
Impurities in Biological Drug Substances and Drug Products (with a special focus on Monoclonal Antibodies)
  • Impurities from chemical synthesis versus biotechnological process
  • Definition of impurities and their classification: productrelated impurities, process-related impurities, contaminants and identification of possible degradation products
  • How to deal with impurities in biological drug substances and drug products
  • Analytical techniques and other aspects


Further Information

Venue
Barceló Sants Hotel
Plaça dels Països Catalans, s/n
08014 Barcelona
Spain
+34 (93) 503 53 00
sants@barcelo.com
 
Accommodation
CONCEPT HEIDELBERG has reserved a limited number of rooms. You will receive a room reservation form/POG when you have registered for the course. Reservation should be made directly with the hotel. Early reservation is recommended.
 
Fees (per delegate, plus VAT)
Non-ECA Members € 2,090
ECA Members € 1,890
APIC Members € 1,990
EU GMP Inspectorates € 1,045
The conference fee is payable in advance after receipt of invoice and includes dinner on the first day, lunch on both days and all refreshments. VAT is reclaimable.
 
Presentations/Certificate
The presentations for this event will be available for you to download and print before and after the event. Please note that no printed materials will be handed out on site and that there will not be any opportunity to print the presentations on site. After the event, you will automatically receive your certificate of participation.
 
Conference language
The official conference language will be English.
 
Contacts
Questions regarding content:
Dr Markus Funk, +49 (0)6221 84 44 40, funk@concept-heidelberg.de
Questions regarding organisation:
Ms Marion Grimm, +49 (0)6221 84 44 18, grimm@concept-heidelberg.de


Date & Time

Tue, 03 Nov 2026, 09:00-18:00 h
(Registration and coffee 08:30-09:00 h)
Wed, 04 Nov 2026, 08:30-14:00 h
(Lunch from 13:00-14:00 h)

Costs

ECA-Member*: € 1890,-
Non ECA Member*: € 2090,-
EU/GMP Inspectorates*: € 1045,-
APIC Member Discount*: € 1990,-

(All prices excl. VAT). Important notes on sales tax.

* also payable by credit card
American Express Visa Mastercard

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Recording/ Additional dates on-site
not available
Recording/ Additional dates on-site
not available
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This course is part of the GMP Certification Programme "ECA Certified Quality Control Manager"

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