Chemistry, Manufacturing and Control Development CMC

The drug should be administered at three levels by the route proposed for humans. The high dose level should be set so as to have relevance in humans. For drugs that display significant toxic effects, this may be related to the maximally tolerated dose in the toxicity tests, for example, the dose causing less than 10% deviation in body weight versus controls. If there is little evidence of toxicity it may be more appropriate to base the dose level on a multiple (usually 25-fold) of the maximum therapeutic dosage recommended in humans. 

In addition to the safety studies, extensive investigations must be undertaken to establish the quality of the drug substance and product(s) during the pre-clinical phase. These will usually commence with drug discovery, where the initial characterisation of 

Analytical methods and specifications must be established and validated so as to define and control the quality and purity of the raw materials, intermediates and the finished product. For many standard chemical raw materials, the development of specifications will not be necessary as they are already published in US and European pharmacopoeia (for example, standards for water, organic solvents and various excipients). The ultimate objective of these activities is to be able to manufacture the drugs required for clinical trials in accordance with good manufacturing practice (GMP). 

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