PBBM-SAEM modeling in bioequivalence
2026 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (professional degree), 20 credits / 30 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
Traditional bioequivalence (BE) assessment relies primarily on Non-Compartmental Analysis (NCA), which cannot differentiate physiological variability from product variability. Building upon an emerging framework that integrates Physiologically Based Biopharmaceutics Modeling (PBBM) with population estimation methods, this project evaluates the potential of combining PBBM with the Stochastic Approximation Expectation Maximization (SAEM) algorithm to explore alternatives in BE assessment. Utilizing desvenlafaxine as a case study, the project aims to deconvolute participant-specific physiological variability from actual formulation-specific variability to provide an enhanced analysis of drug product performance. The methodology comprised three distinct stages: developing and validating a whole-body PBPK model for desvenlafaxine, integrating this model with the saemix algorithm to establish a population framework; and executing model-based bioequivalence (MBBE) simulations under various variability scenarios. The PBPK model successfully described the pharmacokinetics of desvenlafaxine. Findings further demonstrate that the integration of PBBM and SAEM is feasible for population-level estimations, though refining structural strategies for inter-occasion variability (IOV) remains necessary to fully optimize the approach. MBBE simulations demonstrated that combined physiological and formulation-specific variability increased the predicted Type II error from 0.7% to 4.7% for an inherently bioequivalent product. Conversely, for a non-bioequivalent drug product, combined variability decreased the predicted Type I error to 4.7%, compared to 6.0% under isolated formulation-specific variability. Ultimately, this work provides a preliminary evaluation of model-informed methodologies that aim to offer deeper mechanistic insights into variability origins, potentially supporting more robust regulatory decisions for mass-produced drug products following further refinement.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2026.
Series
UPTEC K, ISSN 1650-8297 ; 26039
Keywords [en]
Pharmacometrics, PBBM, Physiologically Based Biopharmaceutics Modeling, PBPK, Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling, SAEM estimation, MBBE, Model-Based Bioequivalence, bioequivalence, desvenlafaxine
National Category
Pharmaceutical Sciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-594241OAI: oai:DiVA.org:uu-594241DiVA, id: diva2:2086190
External cooperation
Pharmetheus AB
Educational program
Master Programme in Chemical Engineering
Presentation
2026-06-18, 13:48 (English)
Supervisors
Examiners
2026-08-052026-07-132026-08-05Bibliographically approved