Pharma & Life Sciences · Quality & Compliance

Method Development
Built to Last.

Science- and risk-based method development across analytical, cleaning, microbiological and manufacturing process disciplines — designed for regulatory robustness, operational reliability and long-term lifecycle management under ICH Q14, Q2(R2), FDA 21 CFR Part 211 and EU GMP.

ICH Q14
2024 lifecycle framework — Analytical Target Profile (ATP) and Method Operable Design Region (MODR) underpinning every method we develop
4 Disciplines
analytical, cleaning, microbiological and manufacturing process method development within a single integrated programme
GxP Ready
full documentation packages aligned to FDA, MHRA and EMA expectations — audit-ready from day one
The Challenge

Methods that fail
when it matters most.

Pharmaceutical and regulated manufacturers depend on their analytical, cleaning and process methods to release product, demonstrate process control and satisfy regulatory scrutiny. Yet methods are frequently developed reactively — optimised for initial approval rather than long-term operational robustness — and the consequences emerge at the worst possible moments: OOS results, failed batch releases, regulatory findings and costly revalidation exercises.

The 2024 adoption of ICH Q14 — alongside the revised ICH Q2(R2) — formalises what leading manufacturers have long recognised: method development is not a one-time event. It is the foundation of the analytical lifecycle. Methods must be designed with a defined Analytical Target Profile (ATP), developed within a Method Operable Design Region (MODR), and built to remain fit for purpose through post-approval change management without unnecessary revalidation burden.

Optimal brings an asset management perspective to method development: treating every method as a critical analytical asset whose reliability, fitness for purpose and lifecycle cost must be actively managed. The result is methods that pass regulatory review, perform consistently in production and transfer cleanly across sites and instruments.

Scope of Service

Four disciplines.
One integrated programme.

Optimal delivers method development across the full range of disciplines required in regulated pharmaceutical, chemical and biotech manufacturing environments.

Analytical Method Development
Development of quantitative and qualitative analytical methods for API assay, impurity profiling, dissolution, identification and stability-indicating characterisation. Techniques span HPLC, UPLC, GC, GC-MS, LC-MS, UV/Vis spectroscopy, NIR, Raman, ICP-MS and ion chromatography. Methods are developed against a defined Analytical Target Profile (ATP) in accordance with ICH Q14, with systematic robustness screening using Design of Experiments (DoE) to define the Method Operable Design Region (MODR) — enabling post-approval flexibility under ICH Q12.
ICH Q14 ICH Q2(R2) HPLC / UPLC GC / GC-MS NIR / Raman ATP & MODR
Cleaning Method Development
Development of validated cleaning methods and associated analytical procedures for equipment cleaning verification in multi-product pharmaceutical manufacturing. Includes selection and development of swab and rinse sampling procedures, TOC and HPLC-based residue detection methods, and establishment of health-based exposure limits (HBELs) and acceptable daily exposures (ADEs) per EMA guideline EMA/CHMP/CVMP/SWP/463311/2016. Methods are designed for worst-case cleaning scenarios and campaign scheduling with the operational lifecycle of your manufacturing assets in mind.
HBEL / ADE TOC Methods Swab & Rinse EU GMP Annex 15 Multi-product
Microbiological & Sterility Testing Method Development
Development and validation of microbiological methods for bioburden determination, sterility testing, endotoxin quantification and environmental monitoring programmes in aseptic and non-sterile manufacturing environments. Includes method suitability testing per Ph. Eur. 2.6.1, 2.6.12, 2.6.13, 2.6.14 and FDA Bacteriostasis/Fungistasis requirements, rapid microbiology method (RMM) development and qualification, and organism identification method development aligned to FDA Guidance on Sterile Drug Products Produced by Aseptic Processing.
Ph. Eur. 2.6.x Sterility Testing Endotoxin / LAL RMM Qualification Environmental Monitoring
Manufacturing Process Method Development
Development of manufacturing process methods and in-process control (IPC) strategies for solid dose, liquid, semi-solid and sterile dosage forms. Incorporates Quality by Design (QbD) principles per ICH Q8(R2) to define the design space, identify critical process parameters (CPPs) and critical quality attributes (CQAs), and establish control strategies that reduce process variability and support process validation. Includes development of Process Analytical Technology (PAT) methods for real-time release testing (RTRT) per ICH Q8 and FDA PAT guidance.
ICH Q8(R2) QbD / Design Space CPP / CQA PAT / RTRT 21 CFR Part 211
The ICH Q14 Lifecycle Approach

From development
to post-approval
change management.

ICH Q14 (effective June 2024) establishes the analytical procedure lifecycle as the governing framework for method development. Optimal structures every engagement around this lifecycle, creating methods that are not just initially valid but operationally durable.

The Optimal Asset Management Lens
Most pharmaceutical consultancies treat method development as a compliance activity. Optimal treats your analytical methods as critical operational assets — with reliability requirements, failure modes, lifecycle costs and performance KPIs. We apply the same disciplined engineering thinking we bring to physical asset management to deliver methods that perform consistently, transfer cleanly and adapt to change without unnecessary revalidation burden. The output is not just a validated method. It is an analytical asset designed to serve your business for the lifetime of the product.
01
Analytical Target Profile (ATP) Definition
Define the purpose, performance requirements and acceptance criteria for the method before development begins. The ATP establishes the fitness-for-purpose criteria against which development decisions are made and validation is ultimately assessed — creating regulatory clarity and reducing scope creep.
02
Science- & Risk-Based Development
Systematic method screening and optimisation using Design of Experiments (DoE) to understand the relationship between method parameters and performance. Risk assessment per ICH Q9 identifies critical method parameters (CMPs) and informs the robustness testing programme. Prior knowledge and platform methods are leveraged to reduce development timelines.
03
Method Operable Design Region (MODR)
Establish the proven acceptable ranges for each critical method parameter within which the method consistently meets ATP criteria. The MODR provides the scientific justification for post-approval method changes without full revalidation — reducing regulatory submission burden and increasing operational agility.
04
Validation & Transfer Readiness
Hand-off to validation with a fully documented development history, system suitability criteria, method description and qualification data package. Methods developed within the MODR framework transfer cleanly across instruments, analysts and sites with clearly defined comparability acceptance criteria.
05
Lifecycle & Change Management
Ongoing support through the method lifecycle — managing analytical procedure changes, revalidation scoping, compendial method updates and post-approval variation submissions. MODR-based methods minimise the regulatory impact of manufacturing and process changes, preserving the method's commercial value over the product lifecycle.
Regulatory Alignment

Built for the
regulators you face.

Every method Optimal develops is aligned to the regulatory frameworks applicable to your market — from initial development through to post-approval lifecycle management.

ICH Q14 & Q2(R2)
2024 lifecycle framework for analytical procedure development and validation. Introduces ATP, MODR and enhanced approach for post-approval change management. Legally effective June 2024 across FDA, EMA and MHRA regulated markets.
FDA 21 CFR Part 211
US Current Good Manufacturing Practice for finished pharmaceuticals. Governs laboratory controls, testing and release, and method suitability requirements for commercial drug products and APIs. Supplemented by FDA Process Validation Guidance (2011) and ICH Q7.
EU GMP / EudraLex Vol. 4
European GMP framework including Annex 15 (Qualification & Validation), Annex 11 (Computerised Systems) and CHMP guidelines on cleaning validation. Applicable to manufacturers supplying EU/EEA markets and those operating under MHRA GB GMP authorisation post-Brexit.
MHRA (UK GMP)
UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency requirements, operating independently from EMA post-Brexit. MHRA has adopted ICH Q14 and Q2(R2) guidance and continues to align with EU GMP Annex 15 for validation activities. Optimal operates across both MHRA and EMA regulated environments.
Ph. Eur. / USP Compendial
European Pharmacopoeia and United States Pharmacopeia compendial method requirements, including general chapter requirements for microbiology (Ph. Eur. 2.6.x, USP <61>, <62>, <71>), analytical procedures (USP <1225>, <1226>) and endotoxin testing (USP <85>).
ICH Q8(R2), Q9 & Q10
Quality by Design, Quality Risk Management and Pharmaceutical Quality System guidelines that underpin Optimal's development philosophy. Process method development programmes are structured around design space, risk assessment and quality system integration from the outset.
Deliverables

What you receive
at project close.

Method Development Report
Full documented development history including ATP, screening data, DoE studies, MODR definition, system suitability criteria, reagent specifications and final method description. Formatted for regulatory submission and internal QMS integration.
Validation-Ready Method Package
Draft validation protocol pre-populated with development data, method performance criteria drawn directly from the ATP, and a traceability matrix linking validation parameters to ATP requirements. Reduces validation execution time and eliminates post-hoc justification.
Risk Assessment & CMP Register
ICH Q9-compliant risk assessment identifying critical method parameters (CMPs), their acceptable ranges within the MODR, and the control strategy recommended to maintain method performance in routine operation.
Transfer & Comparability Protocol
Site transfer or instrument comparability protocol with predefined acceptance criteria. Enables clean method transfer to receiving sites, alternative instruments or contract laboratories without triggering full revalidation, provided performance remains within the MODR.
Regulatory Submission Package
ICH M4Q(R1)-structured CMC section narrative for inclusion in CTD submissions. Regulatory technical writing support for analytical procedures sections of IND, IMPD, NDA, MAA and post-approval variation filings.
Lifecycle Management Plan
Post-approval method change management strategy aligned to ICH Q14 and Q12, defining the regulatory pathway for anticipated future changes, revalidation triggers, and continuous verification programme requirements through commercial lifecycle.
Related Services

Services that work alongside
method development.

Qualification & Validation
Equipment qualification (IQ/OQ/PQ), process validation (PPQ), cleaning validation, computerised system validation (CSV/GAMP 5) and analytical method validation (AMV) — the natural downstream programme following method development. Optimal provides an integrated development-to-validation pathway.
Learn more
QMS Gap Assessment
Systematic assessment of your Quality Management System against ISO 9001, GxP and GMP requirements. Frequently identifies gaps in method development governance, change control procedures and analytical lifecycle management that feed directly into a structured remediation programme.
Learn more
Computerised System Validation (CSV)
GAMP 5-aligned validation of LIMS, chromatography data systems (CDS), ERP and quality management software used in analytical laboratories. Data integrity and system validation requirements for analytical systems are increasingly prominent in MHRA and FDA inspections.
Learn more

Ready to build methods that hold up?

Optimal's method development programmes are structured around your regulatory context, product type and operational environment — whether you are developing methods for a new product, addressing regulatory findings, preparing for site transfer or planning a post-approval variation. Contact us to discuss scope and approach.

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