text on process valdation

Guideline on General Principles of Process Validation

I. PURPOSE

This guideline outlines general principles that FDA considers to be acceptable elements of process validation for the preparation of human and animal drug products and medical devices.

II. SCOPE

This guideline is issued under Section 10.90 (21 CFR 10.90) and is applicable to the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. It states principles and practices of general applicability that are not legal requirements but are acceptable to the FDA. A person may rely upon this guideline with the assurance of its acceptability to FDA, or may follow different procedures. When different procedures are used, a person may, but is not required to, discuss the matter in advance with FDA to prevent the expenditure of money and effort on activities that may later be determined to be unacceptable. In short, this guideline lists principles and practices which are acceptable to the FDA for the process validation of drug products and medical devices; it does not list the principles and practices that must, in all instances, be used to comply with law.

This guideline may be amended from time to time. Interested persons are invited to submit comments on this document and any subsequent revisions. Written comments should be submitted to the Dockets Management Branch (HFA-305), Food and Drug Administration, Room 4-62, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857. Received comments may be seen in that office between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

III. INTRODUCTION

Process validation is a requirement of the Current Good Manufacturing Practices Regulations for Finished Pharmaceuticals, 21 CFR Parts 210 and 211, and of the Good Manufacturing Practice Regulations for Medical Devices, 21 CFR Part 820, and therefore, is applicable to the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Several firms have asked FDA for specific guidance on what FDA expects firms to do to assure compliance with the requirements for process validation. This guideline discusses process validation elements and concepts that are considered by FDA as acceptable parts of a validation program.The constituents of validation

presented in this document are not intended to be all-inclusive. FDA recognizes that, because of the great variety of medical products (drug products and medical devices), processes and manufacturing facilities, it is not possible to state in one document all of the specific validation elements that are applicable. Several broad concepts, however, have general applicability which manufacturers can use successfully as a guide in validating a manufacturing process. Although the particular requirements of process validation will vary according to such factors as the nature of the medical product (e.g., sterile vs non-sterile) and the complexity of the process, the broad concepts stated in this document have general applicability and provide an acceptable framework for building a comprehensive approach to process validation.