2026 - Bioassay Method Transfer Strategies to Reduce Variability

Bioassay variability can pose significant challenges due to laboratory conditions, instrumentation, analytical software, cell culture performance and reagent sourcing. These inconsistencies can impact assay reproducibility, data integrity and regulatory compliance, ultimately affecting product quality and potency assessments. This webinar will highlight phase-appropriate strategies that balance flexibility in early development with the rigour required for late-phase validation, ensuring method consistency.
Recent guidance from regulators emphasizes bioassays and potency assurance strategies, underscoring the robustness of these assays and their ability to be moved across multiple locations throughout product development.
The method transfer involves relocating a bioanalytical procedure from one laboratory environment, often a development or research lab, to another, such as a quality control lab, a contract research organization or back to the innovator’s lab. The FDA and EMA emphasize documentation, robust comparability studies and risk-based approaches to method validation. The aim is to ensure the method performs consistently across sites to maintain product quality, potency and comparability throughout the product lifecycle. This emphasizes the development of robust processes and a strong understanding of their critical attributes.
Key strategies for mitigating variability include:
Reproducibility and Robustness: Demonstrate the assay yields compatible results across laboratories
Documentation: Thorough records of the method, the assay performance and modifications
Risk Assessment: Identifying critical assay parameters and implementing controls and procedures to mitigate risk
Critical Attributes: Often identified through acceptance criteria but may include technique, reagents and details
Phase Appropriate Considerations: The rigor of assay transfer and validation typically escalates as a product moves from early-phase clinical development toward commercialization
The featured speakers will discuss key objectives and considerations of early-, mid- and late-phase assay transfers and will compare FDA and EMA guidance for assays transferred to and from CMC testing laboratories (ICH Q2(R2), USP <1224> and EU GMP Chapter 6). Case studies will highlight the challenges and present solutions to illustrate how proactive planning, detailed transfer plans and adherence to regulatory guidelines can ensure assay performance remains consistent across laboratories.
Register for this webinar to learn how bioassay method transfer strategies support reliable assay performance and minimize variability.
Keywords: Analytical Development, Analytical Testing, Antibody Drug Conjugates, Assay Development, Bioassays, CDMO/CMO, CMC, Commercial Manufacturing, Commercialization/HEOR/Market Access, CRO, Drug Development, Drug Manufacturing, Potency Assay, Process Development, Quality, Quality Assurance, Regulatory, Regulatory Compliance