Course overview
In this two-day training, the history of vaccines and adverse events will be discussed, information will be presented about various vaccine types and production platforms, raw material, production, quality control, quality assurance, storage, and distribution processes in a GMP-compliant vaccine facility will be explained to the participants with examples and real-time scenarios.
With the advent of vaccine development, life expectancy has increased and the quality of life has improved visibly. Vaccinology continues to advance and mature impressively, both in developing new and improved vaccines and in administering vaccines to prevent disease. Some vaccines used today were developed in the 1940s and 1950s and have remained virtually unchanged. This situation is not surprising for experts who can read the pharmaceutical industry and the ecosystem dynamics that develop around it well. Just like small molecule chemical drugs, to maximise the life cycle of a vaccine, the most important prerequisite is that the raw materials, components, and consumables are in the same composition and consistency from the beginning.
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic highlighted the importance of vaccines to control the consequences of COVID-19. Most of these GMP facilities are in the EU, USA, China, and European countries. To facilitate the access of these types of products to the rest of the world, the expansion of production capacities and installation of new GMP production plants is essential.
To optimise vaccine production processes and develop efficient and effective processes, it is necessary to continuously supply quality raw materials from reliable suppliers that have been audited and approved by internationally recognised, certified, competent, and experienced GMP auditors.
Compliance with cGMP requires setting up a quality system (QS), which will vary in complexity according to the size of the company. However, there are some basic principles to be followed in terms of design, manufacture, validation, quality control, packaging, labelling, and storage. As it is known, the use of living organisms in the vaccine manufacturing process brings safety requirements to the fore. This situation points to a more complex structure outside of traditional drug production.
One of the most obvious risks in vaccine production is undoubtedly cross-contamination. In such a risky environment, the importance of ensuring the cleanliness and safety of the area, equipment, and personnel and cleaning and disinfection increases. GMP compliance and safety requirements brought about by the use of negative and positive pressure rooms are some of the challenges of vaccine production. Although innovative approaches such as mRNA technology seem to minimise some risks, there is still a lot to be done.
This course will provide an excellent opportunity to become fully briefed on the GMP principles in vaccine manufacture and enable participants to discuss the techniques with an expert in this field.
CPD Hours: 12
Course Content
- Day 1
- History of vaccines
- Vaccine types and manufacturing platforms
- Viral vector vaccines & GMP
- Subunit vaccines & GMP
- mRNA vaccines & GMP
- Vaccine components
- Group exercise - health authority inspection citations about vaccine manufacturers
- Traditional platforms for protein-based vaccines
- Day 2
- Upstream processing essentials
- Downstream processing essentials
- Stability of vaccines
- Lyophilisation of vaccines
- Group exercise - how to select a final container for a vaccine?
- Quality control of vaccines
- Manufacturing constraints of vaccines
- How to design a vaccine facility
Speakers
Mustafa Edik
Mustafa Edik is a leading pharmaceutical, biotechnoloy, medical device quality and GXP expert with over 28 years of hands-on leadership in GMP, GDP, GCP, GLP, and broader GxP compliance across the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries.
As Turkey's first IRCA-certificated Lead Auditor for GMP and Pharmaceutical Quality Management Systems (PQMS), he brings unmatched credibility and depth to audits, compliance strategies, and regulatory readiness. Holding a BSc in Chemistry, and a BSc (Hons) in Biopharmaceutical Sciences & Engineering from Atlantic Technological University (Ireland), and an Executive MBA, Mustafa combines strong scientific foundations with strategic business acumen.
His career highlights include senior roles at Bayer Türkiye, where he progressed from Quality Control Lab Supervisor to Deputy QA Manager, and GMP Lead Auditor to Global GMP Lead Auditor, managing complex quality operations and audits in a multinational environment. He has personally led more than 4,200 hours of GxP audits across over 200 facilities worldwide.
Today, as Founder and Lead Consultant at Quality Academia Eğitim & Danışmanlık, Mustafa delivers high-impact consulting, training, and project management services to local and global clients. His expertise spans across:
- GMP/GDP audits and supplier qualification
- Validation, qualification, and quality risk management (ICH Q9)
- Root cause analysis, CAPA, OOS/OOT, change control, and data integrity
- Sterile/non-sterile manufacturing, process improvement, and cost-of-quality optimisation
- Clinical trials (GCP & ICH E6), pharmacovigilance, and third-party manufacturing
- Regulatory alignment with FDA, EMA, PIC/S, MHRA, TGA, TMMDA, WHO, and ICH standards
Mustafa has trained over 9,000 professionals in GxP topics and designed certified auditor programs for Turkish authorities including Turkish MOH and Ministry of Agriculture and Foresty. He served as Principal GMP Consultant & Auditor at the Turkish Atomic Energy Authority, supporting successful TMMDA GMP approvals for 5 radiopharmaceutical products. As the first Turkish consultant selected by the Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers Network (DCVMN), he has led teams of 100+ engineers, auditors, and quality specialists while managing dozens of international projects.
A prolific author, Mustafa's works include:
- “Sorularla GMP Dokümantasyonu” - a practical guide to GMP documentation
- “GMP Audits in Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Industries” (Taylor & Francis / CRC Press, June 2024) - a comprehensive reference on effective GMP auditing practices
Recognised internationally for his practical, risk-based approach and knowledge transfer focus, Mustafa Edik is dedicated to elevating pharmaceutical quality standards, helping companies achieve compliance excellence, reduce risks, and drive operational efficiency.
