Pharmaceutical Quality & Laboratory Compliance Consulting
Precision in the lab.
Discipline in the quality system.
I bring twenty-plus years in analytical chemistry, quality control, and quality systems leadership across Fortune 500 pharmaceutical and biotechnology organizations. Independent consulting for U.S. pharmaceutical, biotech, and life-sciences organizations strengthening quality systems, analytical methods, and laboratory compliance.
Based in St. Charles, Illinois · Serving pharmaceutical, biotech, and life-sciences organizations across the United States
A career built on the analytical bench, in the QC lab, and at the head of the quality function.
I've spent more than two decades inside the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry — first as an analytical scientist developing and validating the methods that determine whether a product meets specification, and later as the manager and director accountable for the quality systems that govern entire manufacturing and laboratory operations.
My career began at Eli Lilly, where I spent fifteen years developing and transferring analytical methods across global manufacturing sites. From there, my responsibilities widened into quality control leadership at Baxter Healthcare, Pfizer, and Coldstream Laboratories; QC management at Adello Biologics; manufacturing-site quality at Johnson & Johnson; and, as Director of Quality at Indiana Botanic Gardens, full accountability for a commercial quality program. More recently, my work has extended into the systems and standards side of quality — a GLIMS qualification program at Bausch + Lomb, an ISO IDMP regulatory-data implementation for Takeda, and my current role supporting monograph and reference-standard development at the United States Pharmacopeia.
That combination — hands-on analytical method expertise, quality-system ownership, and structured project management (I hold the PMP and PMI Agile Certified Practitioner credentials and am a PMI member) — is what I bring to consulting engagements. Along the way I've also interacted directly with the FDA on submission responses and inspection matters, and responded to FDA Form 483 observations and deficiency letters — an understanding of quality problems from the bench to the boardroom, and from the lab floor to the inspector's desk.
- M.S., Analytical ChemistryNortheastern Illinois University1992 — 1994
- M.Sc., ChemistryAligarh Muslim University1984 — 1986
- B.Sc., Chemistry, Physics, BiologyOsmania University1981 — 1984
- Post Graduate Diploma, Computer ProgrammingSetwin Institute of Management and Computer Sciences1987
- Project Management Professional (PMP)®Project Management Institute, 2024View Certificate ↗
- PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)®Project Management Institute, 2023View Certificate ↗
- Member, Project Management Institute (PMI)®Project Management InstituteView Certificate ↗
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (LSSGB)Management & Information Technology Solutions, 2019
- American Chemical Society
- Pharmaceutical Chemists Association
Six areas of practice, drawn from two decades on the bench and in the quality office.
Each area reflects verified professional experience — nothing here is a service offered without the background to support it.
Quality Management Systems
Establishing, assessing, and strengthening the quality systems that govern pharmaceutical and biotech operations.
- QMS structure and program development
- Quality-system assessment and gap identification
- Root cause analysis for process and laboratory failures
- Process and system optimization for GxP compliance
- Quality attribute and specification programs
- Cross-functional quality leadership
Consulting engagements built around client outcomes, not internal capability lists.
Each service can scale from a focused review to a multi-month engagement, depending on scope.
Quality Management System Strengthening
When a quality system isn't consistently followed or is creating friction rather than control, I assess how it actually functions — not just how it's documented — and identify the root causes behind recurring failures.
- Quality-system structural assessment & root cause analysis
- Quality attribute and specification review
- Recommendations prioritized by risk and effort
A quality system your organization can actually run on, not just point to.
Discuss This ServiceGMP Audits & Inspection Readiness
Ahead of a regulatory inspection, customer audit, or due-diligence review, I conduct on-site gap assessments and GMP/vendor audits, and help draft your response when findings need to be addressed — including direct experience responding to FDA Form 483 observations and deficiency letters.
- Gap assessment and pre-inspection audits
- GMP, vendor/supplier, and data integrity audits
- FDA Form 483 and deficiency-letter response support
Walk into an inspection or audit knowing where you stand — and what's already fixed.
Discuss This ServiceAnalytical Method Development, Validation & Transfer
I develop and validate analytical methods across chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques, and manage the transfer process so results stay consistent from site to site.
- Method development (HPLC, UPLC, GC, LC-MS, and related techniques)
- Method validation and transfer protocols
- Stability testing program design
Methods that produce reliable, defensible data — wherever they're run.
Discuss This ServiceLaboratory Control & Data Integrity Assessment
When laboratory operations — microbiology, stability, or electronic data systems — need stronger control, I help establish those functions and review lab data for data-integrity risk.
- Laboratory control, microbiology & stability function establishment
- Electronic and paper laboratory data review
- Productivity enhancement using Six Sigma principles
Laboratory data your quality and regulatory teams can stand behind.
Discuss This ServiceFacility, Equipment & Laboratory Qualification
When new instrumentation, a facility change, or a LIMS implementation puts your qualification program under review, I build and review IQ/OQ/PQ programs across plant, equipment, and laboratory scope.
- Plant/facility and equipment qualification (IQ/OQ/PQ)
- Calibration program assessment
- LIMS/GLIMS and process qualification support
A qualification program that satisfies both operational needs and regulatory expectations.
Discuss This ServiceRaw Material & Vendor Qualification Support
I apply compendial standards (USP, EP, BP, FCC, JP) to raw material testing and release programs, and help structure vendor, CMO, and CRO oversight.
- Raw material testing and release program design
- Compendial method review
- Vendor/supplier and CMO/CRO qualification criteria
Incoming material quality you can rely on, with less rework downstream.
Discuss This ServiceQuality & Compliance Project Management
For system implementations, remediation efforts, or multi-site rollouts, I manage quality and regulatory-compliance projects end to end, applying Agile project-management discipline throughout.
- Project planning and governance
- Cross-functional stakeholder coordination
- Progress reporting and risk tracking
Initiatives that stay on schedule, on scope, and accountable to leadership.
Discuss This ServiceQuality & Laboratory Capability Training
I deliver training grounded in real bench, laboratory, and quality-leadership experience — not a generic compliance course — tailored to your organization's methods and staff.
- cGMP, quality systems & documentation practice training
- Change control, deviation, CAPA & investigation training
- Customized sessions for QC/QA and operations staff
A team that understands not just the procedure, but the reasoning behind it.
Discuss This ServiceRecognize the challenge, find the engagement that addresses it.
A structural quality-system assessment identifies where process, ownership, or documentation is creating friction — and what to fix first.
Quality Management System StrengtheningA pre-inspection gap assessment and mock audit identify open findings before an inspector or customer does.
GMP Audits & Inspection ReadinessMethod transfer planning, validation oversight, and troubleshooting keep results consistent when a method changes hands.
Analytical Method Development, Validation & TransferA laboratory and electronic-data review identifies data-integrity risk across your QC and manufacturing records.
Laboratory Control & Data Integrity AssessmentIQ/OQ/PQ protocol development, calibration-program assessment, and LIMS qualification support bring documentation up to standard.
Facility, Equipment & Laboratory QualificationCompendial-standard testing programs and vendor/CMO qualification structure reduce risk before material ever reaches manufacturing.
Raw Material & Vendor Qualification SupportStructured, Agile-informed project management keeps cross-functional quality initiatives on schedule and accountable.
Quality & Compliance Project ManagementTraining built on real analytical, laboratory, and quality-leadership experience gives staff practical understanding, not just procedure.
Quality & Laboratory Capability TrainingA structured process, adapted to the scope of each engagement.
Understand
I start by understanding your organization, laboratory or manufacturing environment, product type, and the specific quality or compliance challenge at hand.
Assess
I review documentation, methods, systems, and processes directly — my assessment is grounded in how work actually happens, not just how it's written down.
Prioritize
I identify the gaps and risks that matter most, and sequence recommendations by impact and feasibility.
Implement
I support execution — method validation, documentation, qualification protocols, or system remediation — as a hands-on partner, not a report author.
Sustain
I build internal capability through training and clear procedures so improvements hold after the engagement ends.
Grounded in U.S. Pharmaceutical Practice
Two decades of my work has been inside FDA-regulated manufacturing and laboratory environments — U.S. pharmacopeial standards, cGMP-governed operations, and instrument qualification discipline.
- cGMP-regulated manufacturing & laboratory environments
- U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) compendial standards
- FDA inspection support & Form 483 response
- GMP audits & inspection readiness
- Data integrity & electronic records review
- Instrument, facility & LIMS qualification (IQ/OQ/PQ)
- Analytical method validation & transfer
- Raw material & vendor qualification programs
- Quality-system structure & documentation
My experience reflects work within FDA-regulated organizations and does not represent employment by, endorsement from, or affiliation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or the U.S. Pharmacopeia beyond the roles described in Professional Experience.
My primary focus is U.S. pharmaceutical quality and compliance, but direct project experience with international regulatory frameworks brings additional context to cross-border quality work.
I managed an ISO IDMP implementation for Takeda aligned with EMA guidelines and SPOR data management, supporting regulatory-data standards across pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical-device product lines.
I evaluated product gaps against the EU Medical Device Directive (MDD) and managed remediation planning toward the newly introduced EU MDR regulations.
I've applied compendial standards from the U.S., European, British, and Japanese pharmacopeias, and the Food Chemicals Codex, to raw material testing and release programs.
Curated career history, from the analytical bench to quality leadership.
Selected roles that establish the depth of experience behind each consulting engagement.
Senior Donations Engagement Manager
— United States Pharmacopeia (USP)I engage the global biopharmaceutical market on the value of working with USP to develop monograph standards for drug substances and products, managing 72+ pharma and biopharma accounts through the donations and reference-standard development process.
Rockville, Maryland
GLIMS Implementation Project Manager
— Bausch + Lomb PharmaceuticalsI led implementation of laboratory instrumentation and its connectivity to the Global Laboratory Information Management System (GLIMS), including validation documentation, change control, and site-separation project management.
Tampa, Florida
IDMP Implementation Business Project Manager
— Takeda PharmaceuticalsI managed implementation of ISO IDMP regulatory-data standards for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical-device product lines, aligned with EMA guidelines and SPOR management, using the VEEVA Vault RIM system.
Boston, Massachusetts
Director, Quality Assurance & Quality Control
— Indiana Botanic Gardens / Topical Pharmaceuticals, Inc.I held complete responsibility for the site's quality management systems with a direct report of 28 employees, interacting directly with the FDA on submission responses and information requests.
Hobart, Indiana
Project Manager, Medication Delivery Business Unit
— Baxter Healthcare CorporationI led full life-cycle management of an MDD-to-EU-MDR remediation project across 487 product lines, covering design and construction, labelling, clinical evaluation reports, and quality management systems.
Round Lake, Illinois
Manufacturing / Quality Manager, Project Manager
— Johnson & Johnson — Global Source Quality / WuXi TherapiesI managed contract manufacturing site projects for quality, manufacturing, and supply chain, co-audited sites, and led remediation planning and Quality Systems implementation.
Skillman, New Jersey
What an engagement looks like, in practice.
These are illustrative examples of the kind of engagement this expertise supports — not descriptions of specific past clients. Verified case studies will be added as they become available, with client consent.
- Challenge
- A contract manufacturer preparing for an upcoming FDA inspection needed an independent, experienced review of its quality system before the visit.
- Assessment
- An on-site gap assessment covering documentation practices, deviation handling, and laboratory operations against current cGMP expectations.
- Action
- Findings were prioritized by inspection risk, with a remediation plan sequenced against the inspection timeline.
- Outcome
- The site entered its inspection with a documented, prioritized list of closed and in-progress items, rather than open-ended uncertainty.
- Challenge
- A laboratory needed to transfer an HPLC-based analytical method to a new site without losing consistency in results.
- Assessment
- Review of the existing validation package, instrumentation differences, and analyst training gaps between the sending and receiving laboratories.
- Action
- A method transfer protocol was developed and executed, with side-by-side comparative testing to confirm equivalence.
- Outcome
- The receiving laboratory demonstrated method performance consistent with the originating site, supporting continued product release.
- Challenge
- A quality organization wanted assurance that its electronic laboratory data met current data-integrity expectations.
- Assessment
- Review of audit trails, user access controls, and raw data retention practices across key laboratory systems.
- Action
- Gaps were documented and translated into a corrective action plan covering system configuration and staff practices.
- Outcome
- The organization gained a clear, documented picture of its data-integrity posture and a sequenced path to close the gaps identified.
Building Quality & Laboratory Capabilities
Training grounded in direct bench, laboratory, and quality-leadership experience — not a generic compliance module. Programs are customized to your organization's products, systems, and staff.
Request Corporate TrainingQuality Assurance & Compliance
- cGMP (separate tracks for API and formulation)
- Data integrity management
- Good documentation practices
- How to face regulatory and customer audits
- Change control management
- Deviation management
- Investigation techniques using quality tools
- Effective CAPA management
- Quality risk management
- Role of the quality unit
- Validation fundamentals
- Hold time & stability study management
- Complaint, return & recall management
Quality Control Laboratory
- Good laboratory practices
- Elemental impurities
- Analytical method validation & verification
- OOS (out-of-specification) investigation
- Environmental monitoring
Operations
- Warehouse management systems
- Process validation & optimization
People Development
- Train-the-trainer programs
- Role of the supervisor
- Learning from FDA warning letters
- 5S workplace organization
- SWOT analysis for quality planning
Differentiators drawn directly from two decades of verified pharmaceutical experience.
Bench-to-boardroom experience
My career began at the analytical bench and grew into quality-system and program leadership — I understand compliance problems from where they originate.
Fortune 500 pharmaceutical depth
I've worked directly inside Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Baxter Healthcare, and Johnson & Johnson, across both human pharmaceutical and animal-health operations.
Deep instrumentation expertise
I bring hands-on fluency across HPLC, UPLC, GC, LC-MS, GC-MS, IR, NMR, Karl Fischer, TOC, and dissolution testing — not a delegated, theoretical understanding.
Certified project leadership
I hold the PMP and PMI Agile Certified Practitioner credentials and am a PMI member, applying that discipline to cross-functional regulatory and quality-systems initiatives.
Direct FDA correspondence experience
I've interacted directly with the FDA on submission responses and inspection matters, and responded to FDA Form 483 observations and deficiency letters.
Global regulatory exposure
I bring direct project experience with EMA/ISO IDMP and EU MDR remediation, alongside deep grounding in U.S. compendial and cGMP practice.
Facing a quality or compliance challenge?
Let’s discuss your quality-system, analytical method, laboratory compliance, qualification, or training requirements.
Discuss My Requirements
Share a few details about your organization and the challenge you’re facing. Every inquiry is reviewed personally.
- info@gmpquic.com
- Phone
- (312) 685-0786
- linkedin.com/in/mhnkhan
- Location
- St. Charles, Illinois