EMA Requirements On Nitrosamines

The EMA has been active in investigating the origin and prevalence of these contaminants in human medicines. Both the EMA and the FDA have established limits for nitrosamines in these medications. In this article, we look at the most recent EMA publication in this area, which imposes requirements on manufacturing authorization holders (MAHs) that many firms may have missed. Question 7 (below) provides a quick overview of the associated deadlines.

The EMA published Information on nitrosamines for marketing authorization holders on Sept. 19, 2019. On Oct. 9, 2019, the EMA published Questions and answers on “Information on nitrosamines for marketing authorization holders.” The two publications should be read together. These include important requirements for MAHs and the firms that manufacture API and dosage forms for them. The first publication requires MAHs to:

• Perform a risk assessment of their products containing chemically synthesized APIs in a risk-based manner to determine whether nitrosamines are present. Note that these assessments are not limited to only the sartan or ranitidine products where the contaminant has been found but are intended for products that include chemically synthesized APIs. The risk assessment does not need to be submitted to the regulatory authorities, but it would be prudent to assume that it may be requested during GXP inspections. This risk assessment is to be completed within six months of the Sept. 19, 2019 publication date. It is prudent to work with suppliers of APIs and, where appropriate, suppliers of raw materials.
• Second, if nitrosamines are identified, these results should be confirmed using qualified and validated analytical methods and results should be reported to health authorities. The confirmatory testing and changes that will be made in the manufacturing process are to be submitted within three years of the Sept. 19, 2019 publication. As above, the confirmatory testing and manufacturing changes are to be prioritized in a risk-based manner.
• As mentioned above, when nitrosamines are identified, changes are to be made in the manufacturing process and MAHs should apply for the appropriate variation to support this change(s).

The Questions and Answers document identified above lists 12 questions to assist MAHs in addressing these requirements. We will address each of the 12 questions and answers. Before starting with the questions, it may be prudent to develop a protocol to guide this effort and provide consistency and justification for all actions, particularly because this effort will likely require coordination with other sites and firms. Corporate GMP audit groups might consider including assessment of this activity in their audits for the next few years.

1. Are all products to be reviewed? Yes, all products that contain chemically synthesized APIs are to be reviewed. Generics and over-the-counter (OTC) products are included in this requirement. Many, many products are included among this group, so firms should prioritize in their evaluation and confirmatory testing.
2. What factors should be considered in prioritizing the risk evaluation? Prioritization of the risk assessments should be guided by the principles described in ICHQ9 guideline on quality risk management. Attributes that may guide the prioritization include, but are not limited to, known vulnerabilities in the synthetic processes, daily dose of the product administered to patients, and length of treatment. The concern with the sartans included consideration of their use as a long-term treatment for elevated blood pressure and related chronic conditions.
3. How should risk evaluation be implemented? MAHs should partner with the API manufacturer and dosage form manufacturer to perform the risk assessment. The participants in the evaluation should consider:
4. Does the API synthesis process suggest a potential risk of nitrosamine formation? Features that should be assessed include, but are not limited to, starting materials, solvents, and catalysts, along with known or potential degradation products and impurities.
5. Are “recovered materials,” such as solvents, used in the manufacturing process? This has been one source implicated in the contamination of the sartans. Detail is provided in the FDA warning letter to Lantech Pharmaceuticals Limited.
6. Can nitrosamines be formed during the shelf life of the product?
7. How should tests be conducted by MAHs and manufacturers? The starting point for method development and validation can begin with the information available on the EDQM website. Firms should be aware that other nitrosamines may be formed beyond those that have been identified, so appropriately sensitive analytical methods must be developed, validated, and implemented.
8. When should MAHs report to competent authorities? Initial risk assessments should be completed within six months and their completion should be reported to the health authorities, although submission of the assessments is not required. If nitrosamines are identified, then product must be subject to confirmation testing. If this testing confirms the presence of nitrosamines, the firm should notify the authorities. The firm should also determine the risk to patients and consider mitigating practices.
9. What limits will apply for nitrosamines detected in any products? The EMA admits this is a work in progress and final nitrosamine levels for sartan and non-sartan products are being developed. Toxicology considerations should be part of the assessment and considered when determining the type of remediation in the manufacturing process. Interim limits from the EMA may be found here.
10. What are the deadlines for the evaluation? Risk evaluations should be conducted within six months of Sept. 19, 2019. Where confirmatory testing is necessary, it should be submitted within three years. The proposed manufacturing changes should also be submitted within three years. This should all be tempered by any finding that suggests an immediate public health risk, which should be reported immediately.
11. What changes would be required to Marketing Authorizations? If nitrosamines are determined to be present, the MAH should identify remediation and seek input from the health authorities on the type of variation that should be submitted. The potential changes can be in the control strategy, the manufacturing process, or the drug substance specifications. Additional detail may be found in the Q&A document.
12. What are the responsibilities of MAHs for APIs with CEPs or ASMFs? All parties must work together, but the MAHs must ensure the risk assessments are conducted with the appropriate level of rigor and detail.
13. What about regulatory requirements in other regions? Authorities in the EMA have been coordinating with their international partners, including the U.S., Canada, Japan, Switzerland, and others to ensure that nitrosamine levels are reduced in medicinal products. Further, the partners are working to align their requirements.
14. How will regulators ensure ongoing dialogue with industry? The EMA is planning to conduct a workshop on this topic before the end of 2019 and will invite industry and trade associations when a date has been identified.
15. What are the currently identified root causes for presence of nitrosamines? The answer to this question provides eight possible sources of nitrosamine contamination in human medicinal products. Briefly, these include, but are not limited to, the following, which is taken directly from the Q&A document:

• “Use of sodium nitrite (NaNO2), or other nitro-sating agents, in the presence of secondary, tertiary amines or quaternary ammonium salts within the same or different process steps (if carryover can occur).
• Use of sodium nitrite (NaNO2), or other nitrosating agents, in combination with reagents, solvents and catalysts, which are susceptible to degradation to secondary or tertiary amines, within the same or different process steps (if carryover can occur).
• Use of Nitrosoamines contaminated raw materials in the API manufacturing process (e.g., solvents, reagents, and catalysts).
• Use of recovered materials (e.g., solvents, reagents and catalysts), including recovery outsourced to third parties who are not aware of the content of the materials they are processing and routine recovery processes carried out in non-dedicated equipment.
• Use of contaminated starting materials and intermediates supplied by vendors that use processes or raw materials which may allow nitrosamine formation.
• Cross-contaminations due to different processes run on the same line and due to operator-related errors such as inadequate phase separations.
• Degradation processes of starting materials, intermediates, and drug substances, including those induced by inherent reactivity in combination with carryover of sodium nitrite (NaNO2), or other nitrosating agents. This could potentially occur also during finished product formulation or storage.
• Use of certain packaging materials. Nitrosamine contamination has been observed by one MAH in a finished product stored in blister. The MAH has hypothesized that the lidding foil containing nitrocellulose printing primer may react with amines in printing ink to generate nitrosamines, which would be transferred to the product under certain packaging process conditions.”

The new EMA expectations on potential nitrosamine contamination. Those that manufacture the APIs and finished dosage forms that are already identified with nitrosamine contamination are aware of the agencies’ concerns and have likely already started risk assessments. The deadline for completion of the risk assessments is six months from the publication date of Sept. 19, 2019