2.1.8 Stability commitment
When the available long-term stability data on primary batches do not cover
the proposed re-test period granted at the time of approval, a commitment
should be made to continue the stability studies post-approval in order to
fi rmly establish the re-test period or shelf-life.
Where the submission includes long-term stability data on the number of
production batches specifi ed in section 2.1.3 covering the proposed re-test
period, a post-approval commitment is considered unnecessary. Otherwise
one of the following commitments should be made:
• If the submission includes data from stability studies on the number of
production batches specifi ed in section 2.1.3, a commitment should be
made to continue these studies through the proposed re-test period.
• If the submission includes data from stability studies on fewer than the
number of production batches specifi ed in section 2.1.3, a commitment
should be made to continue these studies through the proposed re-test
period and to place additional production batches, to a total of at least
three, in long-term stability studies through the proposed re-test period.
• If the submission does not include stability data on production batches,
a commitment should be made to place the fi rst two or three production
batches (see section 2.1.3) on long-term stability studies through the
proposed re-test period.