1
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Zarei M, Jonveaux J, Razvi A, Jahn M. Integrated strategy for deep profiling of host cell proteins in downstream processing of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies: Novel approach to isolate and digest host cell proteins. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2024; 201:114369. [PMID: 38885909 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2024.114369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Host cell proteins (HCPs) are process-related impurities generated during the production of biopharmaceuticals, which may contaminate the final product unless they are efficiently removed. Due to their potential impact on product safety, quality and efficacy, regulatory authorities require removal of HCPs during processing down to trace amounts in final manufactured biopharmaceuticals. The current standard method for detecting HCPs is enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which should reveal the total amount of HCPs. A necessary orthogonal technique to get more granular information on HCPs is obtained by application of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) techniques that permit identification and quantification of individual HCPs. However, differences in sample preparation methods and MS acquisition techniques have led to discrepancies in detected HCPs between studies, which may compromise product safety, quality and efficacy. To address this issue, we have developed a novel and reproducible workflow for isolation, digestion, and mass spectrometry detection of HCPs that is applicable to downstream process characterization of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). This article describes a rapid and efficient workflow for the isolation, digestion and identification of HCPs. For the first time, Fc-receptor (FcγRIIIa) affinity chromatography is employed to isolate the HCP fraction from the mAb. Next, the HCPs are precipitated with acetone and digested using a newly developed "single-pot" method that improves digestion performance and prevents sample loss of problematic low-abundant HCPs. The new HCP isolation method outperforms protein A affinity chromatography for monitoring problematic HCPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mostafa Zarei
- Lonza AG, Drug Product Services, Hochbergerstrasse 60G, CH-4057 Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Jérôme Jonveaux
- Lonza AG, Drug Product Services, Hochbergerstrasse 60G, CH-4057 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Abbas Razvi
- Lonza AG, Drug Product Services, Hochbergerstrasse 60G, CH-4057 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Michael Jahn
- Lonza AG, Drug Product Services, Hochbergerstrasse 60G, CH-4057 Basel, Switzerland
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2
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Maier M, Schneider S, Weiss L, Fischer S, Lakatos D, Studts J, Franzreb M. Tailoring polishing steps for effective removal of polysorbate-degrading host cell proteins in antibody purification. Biotechnol Bioeng 2024. [PMID: 38853584 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Ensuring the quality and safety of biopharmaceutical products requires the effective separation of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) from host cell proteins (HCPs). A major challenge in this field is the enzymatic hydrolysis of polysorbates (PS) in drug products. This study addresses this issue by investigating the removal of polysorbate-degrading HCPs during the polishing steps of downstream purification, an area where knowledge about individual HCP behavior is still limited. We investigated the separation of different mAb formats from four individual polysorbate degrading hydrolases (CES1F, CES2C, LPLA2, and PAF-AH) using cation exchange (CEX) and mixed-mode chromatography (MMC) polishing steps. Our research identified a key challenge: The similar elution behavior of mAbs and HCPs during chromatographic separation. To investigate this phenomenon, we performed high-throughput binding screenings for recombinant polysorbate degrading hydrolases and representative mAb candidates on CEX and MMC chromatography resins. We then employed a three-step strategy that also served as a scale-up process, optimizing separation conditions and leading to the successful removal of specific HCPs while maintaining high mAb recovery rates (>96%). This strategy involved the use of surface response models and miniature columns for screening, followed by validation on larger columns using a chromatography system. Our results highlight the critical role of the inherent properties of mAbs for successful separation from HCPs. These results underscore the need to tailor the purification process to leverage the slight differences in binding behavior and elution profiles between mAbs and specific HCPs. This approach lays the foundation for developing more effective strategies for overcoming the challenge of enzymatic polysorbate degradation, paving the way for improved quality and safety in biopharmaceutical products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Maier
- Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
- Institute of Functional Interfaces, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Stefan Schneider
- Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
- Institute of Applied Biotechnology, University of Applied Sciences Biberach, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Linus Weiss
- Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
- Institute of Applied Biotechnology, University of Applied Sciences Biberach, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Simon Fischer
- Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Daniel Lakatos
- Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Joey Studts
- Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Matthias Franzreb
- Institute of Functional Interfaces, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
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3
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Aryal B, Lehtimaki M, Rao VA. Stress-mediated polysorbate 20 degradation and its potential impact on therapeutic proteins. Pharm Res 2024; 41:1217-1232. [PMID: 38740663 PMCID: PMC11196320 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-024-03700-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Polysorbates are the most commonly used surfactants in formulations to stabilize therapeutic proteins against interfacial stresses. Polysorbates can undergo oxidative or enzyme-mediated hydrolytic degradation to produce free fatty acids (FFAs) and subvisible particles in formulations. To determine which product related variables contribute to PS20 degradation, we investigated the effects of storage temperature, formulation, pH, presence of hydrolytic enzymes, and specific fatty acid composition on different grades of PS20 in relation to their PS20 degradation profile and consequently the quality of protein drug products. METHODS Bevacizumab and T-DM1 were reformulated in the freshly prepared therapeutic protein formulations containing either compendial PS20 or non-compendial PS20 with high % lauric acid and spiked with exogenous esterase or lipase. The release of FFAs and formation of particles were monitored at 4°C and 37°C. Protein quality was assessed for secondary structures, purity, and biological activity. RESULTS Hydrolytic release of FFAs and formation of subvisible particles were found to be dependent on grades of PS20, types of enzymes used, incubation temperature, and pH. Esterase- or lipase-mediated degradation of PS20 and formation of subvisible particles in drug formulation showed no significant impact on the biological activity and stability of therapeutic proteins against degradation or aggregation. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that degradation of PS20 and formation of FFA particles depend on the fatty acid composition of PS20, types of hydrolytic enzymes, pH, and temperature. The presence of FFA subvisible particles showed no significant impact on the purity and biological activity of the therapeutic proteins under the tested conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baikuntha Aryal
- Laboratory of Applied Biochemistry, Division of Biotechnology Research and Review III, Office of Biotechnology Products, Office of Pharmaceutical Quality, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administrations, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, USA
| | - Mari Lehtimaki
- Laboratory of Applied Biochemistry, Division of Biotechnology Research and Review III, Office of Biotechnology Products, Office of Pharmaceutical Quality, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administrations, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, USA
| | - V Ashutosh Rao
- Laboratory of Applied Biochemistry, Division of Biotechnology Research and Review III, Office of Biotechnology Products, Office of Pharmaceutical Quality, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administrations, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, USA.
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4
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Šprager E, Möller J, Lin Y, Reisinger V, Bratkovič T, Lunder M, Vašl J, Krajnc A. Identification of Acyl-Protein Thioesterase-1 as a Polysorbate-Degrading Host Cell Protein in a Monoclonal Antibody Formulation Using Activity-Based Protein Profiling. J Pharm Sci 2024:S0022-3549(24)00185-0. [PMID: 38772451 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2024.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
Polysorbate (PS) degradation in monoclonal antibody (mAb) formulations poses a significant challenge in the biopharmaceutical industry. PS maintains protein stability during drug product's shelf life but is vulnerable to breakdown by low-abundance residual host cell proteins (HCPs), particularly hydrolytic enzymes such as lipases and esterases. In this study, we used activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) coupled with mass spectrometry to identify acyl-protein thioesterase-1 (APT-1) as a polysorbate-degrading HCP in one case of mAb formulation with stability problems. We validated the role of APT1 by matching the polysorbate degradation fingerprint in the mAb formulation with that of a recombinant APT1 protein. Furthermore, we found an agreement between APT1 levels and PS degradation rates in the mAb formulation, and we successfully halted PS degradation using APT1-specific inhibitors ML348 and ML211. APT1 was found to co-purify with a specific mAb via hitchhiking mechanism. Our work provides a streamlined approach to identifying critical HCPs in PS degradation, supporting quality-by-design principles in pharmaceutical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ernest Šprager
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Novartis Technical Research & Development, Biologics Technical Development Mengeš, Novartis Pharmaceutical Manufacturing LLC, Slovenia
| | - Jens Möller
- Novartis Technical Research & Development, Analytical Characterization, Novartis Pharmaceutical Manufacturing GmbH, Kundl, Austria
| | - Yuhsien Lin
- Novartis Technical Research & Development, Analytical Characterization, Novartis Pharmaceutical Manufacturing GmbH, Kundl, Austria
| | - Veronika Reisinger
- Novartis Technical Research & Development, Analytical Characterization, Novartis Pharmaceutical Manufacturing GmbH, Kundl, Austria
| | - Tomaž Bratkovič
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Mojca Lunder
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Jožica Vašl
- Novartis Technical Research & Development, Biologics Technical Development Mengeš, Novartis Pharmaceutical Manufacturing LLC, Slovenia
| | - Aleksander Krajnc
- Novartis Technical Research & Development, Biologics Technical Development Mengeš, Novartis Pharmaceutical Manufacturing LLC, Slovenia.
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5
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Naik HM, Cai X, Ladiwala P, Reddy JV, Betenbaugh MJ, Antoniewicz MR. Elucidating uptake and metabolic fate of dipeptides in CHO cell cultures using 13C labeling experiments and kinetic modeling. Metab Eng 2024; 83:12-23. [PMID: 38460784 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2024.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
The rapidly growing market of biologics including monoclonal antibodies has stimulated the need to improve biomanufacturing processes including mammalian host systems such as Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells. Cell culture media formulations continue to be enhanced to enable intensified cell culture processes and optimize cell culture performance. Amino acids, major components of cell culture media, are consumed in large amounts by CHO cells. Due to their low solubility and poor stability, certain amino acids including tyrosine, leucine, and phenylalanine can pose major challenges leading to suboptimal bioprocess performance. Dipeptides have the potential to replace amino acids in culture media. However, very little is known about the cleavage, uptake, and utilization kinetics of dipeptides in CHO cell cultures. In this study, replacing amino acids, including leucine and tyrosine by their respective dipeptides including but not limited to Ala-Leu and Gly-Tyr, supported similar cell growth, antibody production, and lactate profiles. Using 13C labeling techniques and spent media studies, dipeptides were shown to undergo both intracellular and extracellular cleavage in cultures. Extracellular cleavage increased with the culture duration, indicating cleavage by host cell proteins that are likely secreted and accumulate in cell culture over time. A kinetic model was built and for the first time, integrated with 13C labeling experiments to estimate dipeptide utilization rates, in CHO cell cultures. Dipeptides with alanine at the N-terminus had a higher utilization rate than dipeptides with alanine at the C-terminus and dipeptides with glycine instead of alanine at N-terminus. Simultaneous supplementation of more than one dipeptide in culture led to reduction in individual dipeptide utilization rates indicating that dipeptides compete for the same cleavage enzymes, transporters, or both. Dipeptide utilization rates in culture and cleavage rates in cell-free experiments appeared to follow Michaelis-Menten kinetics, reaching a maximum at higher dipeptide concentrations. Dipeptide utilization behavior was found to be similar in cell-free and cell culture environments, paving the way for future testing approaches for dipeptides in cell-free environments prior to use in large-scale bioreactors. Thus, this study provides a deeper understanding of the fate of dipeptides in CHO cell cultures through an integration of cell culture, 13C labeling, and kinetic modeling approaches providing insights in how to best use dipeptides in media formulations for robust and optimal mammalian cell culture performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harnish Mukesh Naik
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Xiangchen Cai
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Pranay Ladiwala
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Jayanth Venkatarama Reddy
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Michael J Betenbaugh
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Maciek R Antoniewicz
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
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6
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Oh YH, Becker ML, Mendola KM, Choe LH, Min L, Lee KH, Yigzaw Y, Seay A, Bill J, Li X, Roush DJ, Cramer SM, Menegatti S, Lenhoff AM. Factors affecting product association as a mechanism of host-cell protein persistence in bioprocessing. Biotechnol Bioeng 2024; 121:1284-1297. [PMID: 38240126 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
Product association of host-cell proteins (HCPs) to monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is widely regarded as a mechanism that can enable HCP persistence through multiple purification steps and even into the final drug substance. Discussion of this mechanism often implies that the existence or extent of persistence is directly related to the strength of binding but actual measurements of the binding affinity of such interactions remain sparse. Two separate avenues of investigation of HCP-mAb binding are reported here. One is the measurement of the affinity of binding of individual, commonly persistent Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) HCPs to each of a set of mAbs, and the other uses quantitative proteomic measurements to assess binding of HCPs in a null CHO harvested cell culture fluid (HCCF) to mAbs produced in the same cell line. The individual HCP measurements show that the binding affinities of individual HCPs to different mAbs can vary appreciably but are rarely very high, with only weak pH dependence. The measurements on the null HCCF allow estimation of individual HCP-mAb affinities; these are typically weaker than those seen in affinity measurements on isolated HCPs. Instead, the extent of binding appears correlated with the initial abundance of individual HCPs in the HCCF and the forms of the HCPs in the solution, i.e., whether HCPs are present as free molecules or as parts of large aggregates. Separate protein A chromatography experiments performed by feeding different fractions of a mAb-containing HCCF obtained by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) showed clear differences in the number and identity of HCPs found in the protein A eluate. These results indicate a significant role for HCP-mAb association in determining HCP persistence through protein A chromatography, presumably through binding of HCP-mAb complexes to the resin. Overall, the results illustrate the importance of considering more fully the biophysical context of HCP-product association in assessing the factors that may affect the phenomenon and determine its implications. Knowledge of the abundances and the forms of individual or aggregated HCPs in HCCF are particularly significant, emphasizing the integration of upstream and downstream bioprocessing and the importance of understanding the collective properties of HCPs in addition to just the biophysical properties of individual HCPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young Hoon Oh
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Matthew L Becker
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Kerri M Mendola
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Leila H Choe
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Lie Min
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Kelvin H Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Yinges Yigzaw
- Purification Process Development, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Alexander Seay
- Purification Process Development, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jerome Bill
- Purification Process Development, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Xuanwen Li
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, USA
| | - David J Roush
- Biologics PR&D, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, USA
| | - Steven M Cramer
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA
| | - Stefano Menegatti
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, 27606, North Carolina, USA
| | - Abraham M Lenhoff
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
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7
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Jerabek T, Weiß L, Fahrion H, Zeh N, Raab N, Lindner B, Fischer S, Otte K. In pursuit of a minimal CHO genome: Establishment of large-scale genome deletions. N Biotechnol 2024; 79:100-110. [PMID: 38154614 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2023.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are the most commonly used mammalian cell line for the production of complex therapeutic glycoproteins. As CHO cells have evolved as part of a multicellular organism, they harbor many cellular functions irrelevant for their application as production hosts in industrial bioprocesses. Consequently, CHO cells have been the target for numerous genetic engineering efforts in the past, but a tailored host cell chassis holistically optimized for its specific task in a bioreactor is still missing. While the concept of genome reduction has already been successfully applied to bacterial production cells, attempts to create higher eukaryotic production hosts exhibiting reduced genomes have not been reported yet. Here, we present the establishment and application of a large-scale genome deletion strategy for targeted excision of large genomic regions in CHO cells. We demonstrate the feasibility of genome reduction in CHO cells using optimized CRISPR/Cas9 based experimental protocols targeting large non-essential genomic regions with high efficiency. Achieved genome deletions of non-essential genetic regions did not introduce negative effects on bioprocess relevant parameters, although we conducted the largest reported genomic excision of 864 kilobase pairs in CHO cells so far. The concept presented serves as a directive to accelerate the development of a significantly genome-reduced CHO host cell chassis paving the way for a next generation of CHO cell factories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Jerabek
- University of Applied Sciences Biberach, Institute of Applied Biotechnology, Biberach, Germany.
| | - Linus Weiß
- University of Applied Sciences Biberach, Institute of Applied Biotechnology, Biberach, Germany
| | - Hannah Fahrion
- University of Applied Sciences Biberach, Institute of Applied Biotechnology, Biberach, Germany
| | - Nikolas Zeh
- University of Applied Sciences Biberach, Institute of Applied Biotechnology, Biberach, Germany; Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG, Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Cell Line Development, Biberach, Germany
| | - Nadja Raab
- University of Applied Sciences Biberach, Institute of Applied Biotechnology, Biberach, Germany
| | - Benjamin Lindner
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG, Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Cell Line Development, Biberach, Germany
| | - Simon Fischer
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG, Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Cell Line Development, Biberach, Germany
| | - Kerstin Otte
- University of Applied Sciences Biberach, Institute of Applied Biotechnology, Biberach, Germany
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8
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Ito T, Lutz H, Tan L, Wang B, Tan J, Patel M, Chen L, Tsunakawa Y, Park B, Banerjee S. Host cell proteins in monoclonal antibody processing: Control, detection, and removal. Biotechnol Prog 2024:e3448. [PMID: 38477405 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.3448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Host cell proteins (HCPs) are process-related impurities in a therapeutic protein expressed using cell culture technology. This review presents biopharmaceutical industry trends in terms of both HCPs in the bioprocessing of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and the capabilities for HCP clearance by downstream unit operations. A comprehensive assessment of currently implemented and emerging technologies in the manufacturing processes with extensive references was performed. Meta-analyses of published downstream data were conducted to identify trends. Improved analytical methods and understanding of "high-risk" HCPs lead to more robust manufacturing processes and higher-quality therapeutics. The trend of higher cell density cultures leads to both higher mAb expression and higher HCP levels. However, HCP levels can be significantly reduced with improvements in operations, resulting in similar concentrations of approx. 10 ppm HCPs. There are no differences in the performance of HCP clearance between recent enhanced downstream operations and traditional batch processing. This review includes best practices for developing improved processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takao Ito
- Life Science, Process Solutions, Merck Ltd. (An Affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Herb Lutz
- Independent Consultant, Sudbury, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lihan Tan
- Life Science Services, Sigma-Aldrich Pte Ltd, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Bin Wang
- Life Science, Process Solutions, Merck Chemicals (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. (An Affiliate of Merck KGaA Darmstadt, Germany), Shanghai, China
| | - Janice Tan
- Life Science, Process Solutions, Merck Pte Ltd. (An Affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany), Singapore
| | - Masum Patel
- Life Science, Process Solutions, Merck Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd. (An Affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany), Bangalore, India
| | - Lance Chen
- Life Science, Process Solutions, Merck Pte Ltd. (An Affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany), Singapore
| | - Yuki Tsunakawa
- Life Science, Process Solutions, Merck Ltd. (An Affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Byunghyun Park
- Life Science, Process Solutions, Merck Ltd. (An Affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany), Seoul, South Korea
| | - Subhasis Banerjee
- Life Science, Process Solutions, Merck Life Sciences Pvt. Ltd. (An Affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany), Bangalore, India
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9
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Zhang D, Wickramasinghe SR, Zydney AL, Smelko JP, Loman A, Wheeler A, Qian X. Proteomic analysis of host cell protein fouling during bioreactor harvesting. Biotechnol Prog 2024:e3453. [PMID: 38477450 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.3453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are among the most common cell lines used for therapeutic protein production. Membrane fouling during bioreactor harvesting is a major limitation for the downstream purification of therapeutic proteins. Host cell proteins (HCP) are the most challenging impurities during downstream purification processes. The present work focuses on identification of HCP foulants during CHO bioreactor harvesting using reverse asymmetrical commercial membrane BioOptimal™ MF-SL. In order to investigate foulants and fouling behavior during cell clarification, for the first time a novel backwash process was developed to effectively elute almost all the HCP and DNA from the fouled membrane filter. The isoelectric points (pIs) and molecular weights (MWs) of major HCP in the bioreactor harvest and fouled on the membrane were successfully characterized using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2D SDS-PAGE). In addition, a total of 8 HCP were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectroscopy (MALDI-MS). The majority of these HCP are enzymes or associated with exosomes, both of which can form submicron-sized particles which could lead to the plugging of the filters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da Zhang
- Ralph E. Martin Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
| | - S Ranil Wickramasinghe
- Ralph E. Martin Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
| | - Andrew L Zydney
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - John P Smelko
- Biogen, Research Triangle Park, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Abdullah Loman
- Biogen, Research Triangle Park, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - April Wheeler
- Asahi Kasei Bioprocess American, Glenview, Illinois, USA
| | - Xianghong Qian
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
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10
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Dehghani A, Binder F, Zorn M, Feigler A, Fischer KI, Felix MN, Happersberger P, Reisinger B. Investigating pH Effects on Enzymes Catalyzing Polysorbate Degradation by Activity-Based Protein Profiling. J Pharm Sci 2024; 113:744-753. [PMID: 37758159 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2023.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Host cell proteins (HCPs) are process-related impurities that can negatively impact the quality of biotherapeutics. Some HCPs possess enzymatic activity and can affect the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) or excipients such as polysorbates (PS). PSs are a class of non-ionic surfactants commonly used as excipients in biotherapeutics to enhance the stability of APIs. The enzyme activity of certain HCPs can result in the degradation of PSs, leading to particle formation and decreased shelf life of biotherapeutics. Identifying and characterizing these HCPs is therefore crucial. This study employed the Activity-Based Protein Profiling (ABPP) technique to investigate the effect of pH on the activity of HCPs that have the potential to degrade polysorbates. Two probes were utilized: the commercially available fluorophosphonate (FP)-Desthiobiotin probe and a probe based on the antiobesity drug, Orlistat. Over 50 HCPs were identified, showing a strong dependence on pH-milieu regarding their enzyme activity. These findings underscore the importance of accounting for pH variations in the ABPP method and other investigations of HCP activity. Notably, the Orlistat-based probe (OBP) enabled us to investigate the enzymatic activity of a wider range of HCPs, emphasizing the advantage of using more than one probe for ABPP. Finally, this study led to the discovery of previously unreported active enzymes, including three HCPs from the carboxylesterase enzyme family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Dehghani
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Birkendorfer Strasse 65, Biberach D-88397, Germany
| | - Florian Binder
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Birkendorfer Strasse 65, Biberach D-88397, Germany
| | - Michael Zorn
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Birkendorfer Strasse 65, Biberach D-88397, Germany
| | - Andreas Feigler
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Birkendorfer Strasse 65, Biberach D-88397, Germany
| | - Kathrin Inge Fischer
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Birkendorfer Strasse 65, Biberach D-88397, Germany
| | - Marius Nicolaus Felix
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Birkendorfer Strasse 65, Biberach D-88397, Germany
| | - Peter Happersberger
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Birkendorfer Strasse 65, Biberach D-88397, Germany
| | - Bernd Reisinger
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Birkendorfer Strasse 65, Biberach D-88397, Germany.
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11
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Zhang S, Xiao H, Li N. Analysis of Host Cell Proteins in AAV Products with ProteoMiner Protein Enrichment Technology. Anal Chem 2024; 96:1890-1897. [PMID: 38262068 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c03884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Despite substantial efforts to detect host cell proteins (HCPs) in antibody drugs, information regarding HCPs in gene therapy products remains limited and has not been widely integrated into the host cell engineering or purification processes. Most methods that have successfully detected HCPs in antibody drugs are not applicable to gene therapy products, except for the ProteoMiner enrichment method. Here, we demonstrate that ProteoMiner beads effectively enrich HCPs in adeno-associated virus (AAV) products and simultaneously remove the detergent Pluronic F-68 without a loss of low-abundance HCPs. Following optimization of this technique, there was up to a 34-fold increase in the enrichment of HCPs compared to direct digestion. Moreover, the detection limit was significantly lowered with the ability to detect HCPs at levels as low as 0.1 ng/mL after ProteoMiner treatment. This approach holds promise in AAV HCP analysis and may be adaptable to other gene therapy products. The findings from this study provide valuable insights into HCPs in AAV products and may facilitate process development and host cell line optimization. The high sensitivity of this approach also facilitates detection of critical low-abundance HCPs, thereby contributing to risk assessment of their impact on the safety and quality of the AAV-based gene therapy products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sisi Zhang
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6706, United States
| | - Hui Xiao
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6706, United States
| | - Ning Li
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6706, United States
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12
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Geng SL, Zhao XJ, Zhang X, Zhang JH, Mi CL, Wang TY. Recombinant therapeutic proteins degradation and overcoming strategies in CHO cells. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:182. [PMID: 38285115 PMCID: PMC10824870 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-024-13008-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Mammalian cell lines are frequently used as the preferred host cells for producing recombinant therapeutic proteins (RTPs) having post-translational modified modification similar to those observed in proteins produced by human cells. Nowadays, most RTPs approved for marketing are produced in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Recombinant therapeutic antibodies are among the most important and promising RTPs for biomedical applications. One of the issues that occurs during development of RTPs is their degradation, which caused by a variety of factors and reducing quality of RTPs. RTP degradation is especially concerning as they could result in reduced biological functions (antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and complement-dependent cytotoxicity) and generate potentially immunogenic species. Therefore, the mechanisms underlying RTP degradation and strategies for avoiding degradation have regained an interest from academia and industry. In this review, we outline recent progress in this field, with a focus on factors that cause degradation during RTP production and the development of strategies for overcoming RTP degradation. KEY POINTS: • The recombinant therapeutic protein degradation in CHO cell systems is reviewed. • Enzymatic factors and non-enzymatic methods influence recombinant therapeutic protein degradation. • Reducing the degradation can improve the quality of recombinant therapeutic proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shao-Lei Geng
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Biopharmaceutical Innovation, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
| | - Xiao-Jie Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
| | - Xi Zhang
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
- School of Pharmacy, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
| | - Ji-Hong Zhang
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
| | - Chun-Liu Mi
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Biopharmaceutical Innovation, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
| | - Tian-Yun Wang
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China.
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China.
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Biopharmaceutical Innovation, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China.
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13
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Weiß L, Schmieder-Todtenhaupt V, Haemmerling F, Lakatos D, Schulz P, Fischer S. Multi-lipase gene knockdown in Chinese hamster ovary cells using artificial microRNAs to reduce host cell protein mediated polysorbate degradation. Biotechnol Bioeng 2024; 121:329-340. [PMID: 37743807 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
A large number of companies observe polysorbate (PS) degradation and associated (sub-)visible particle formation in biological drug formulations, which compromise the stability of the drug product, ultimately posing a risk toward delivering innovative medicines to patients. The main culprits of PS degradation are hydrolytic host cell proteins (HCPs) originating from the production cell lines, which are mostly Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell derived. Here, a small portion of particularly difficult-to-remove HCPs-mainly lipases-cause hydrolytic cleavage of PS resulting in the accumulation of free fatty acid aggregates/particles. One possible mitigation strategy is the removal of such critical HCPs in the production cell line. Multigene regulation can be achieved via microRNAs (miRNAs) thereby serving as a smart tool to reduce the expression of different target genes using a single miRNA. To enable a tailored gene regulation of multiple specific target lipases self-designed and non-naturally occurring artificial miRNAs (amiRNA) can be designed. Based on micro-conserved regions in the mRNA sequence of two sets of target HCPs, we provide a proof-of-concept for a simultaneous multi-lipase knockdown in CHO cells using single amiRNAs. By this, we were not only able to reduce PS degradation but laid the foundation to expand this tool to other areas of cell line phenotype engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linus Weiß
- Cell Line Development, Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Valerie Schmieder-Todtenhaupt
- Cell Line Development, Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Frank Haemmerling
- Early Stage Pharmaceutical Development, Pharmaceutical Development Biologicals, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Daniel Lakatos
- Late Stage DSP, Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Patrick Schulz
- Cell Line Development, Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Simon Fischer
- Cell Line Development, Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
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14
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Maier M, Weiß L, Zeh N, Schmieder-Todtenhaupt V, Dehghani A, Felix MN, Heinzelmann D, Lindner B, Schmidt M, Studts J, Schulz P, Reisinger B, Otte K, Franzreb M, Lakatos D, Fischer S. Illuminating a biologics development challenge: systematic characterization of CHO cell-derived hydrolases identified in monoclonal antibody formulations. MAbs 2024; 16:2375798. [PMID: 38984665 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2024.2375798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies (mAb) and other biological drugs are affected by enzymatic polysorbate (PS) degradation that reduces product stability and jeopardizes the supply of innovative medicines. PS represents a critical surfactant stabilizing the active pharmaceutical ingredients, which are produced by recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines. While the list of potential PS-degrading CHO host cell proteins (HCPs) has grown over the years, tangible data on industrially relevant HCPs are still scarce. By means of a highly sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method, we investigated seven different mAb products, resulting in the identification of 12 potentially PS-degrading hydrolases, including the strongly PS-degrading lipoprotein lipase (LPL). Using an LPL knockout CHO host cell line, we were able to stably overexpress and purify the remaining candidate hydrolases through orthogonal affinity chromatography methods, enabling their detailed functional characterization. Applying a PS degradation assay, we found nine mostly secreted, PS-active hydrolases with varying hydrolytic activity. All active hydrolases showed a serine-histidine-aspartate/glutamate catalytical triad. Further, we subjected the active hydrolases to pH-screenings and revealed a diverse range of activity optima, which can facilitate the identification of residual hydrolases during bioprocess development. Ultimately, we compiled our dataset in a risk matrix identifying PAF-AH, LIPA, PPT1, and LPLA2 as highly critical hydrolases based on their cellular expression, detection in purified antibodies, active secretion, and PS degradation activity. With this work, we pave the way toward a comprehensive functional characterization of PS-degrading hydrolases and provide a basis for a future reduction of PS degradation in biopharmaceutical drug products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Maier
- Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
- Institute of Functional Interfaces, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Linus Weiß
- Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
- Institute for Applied Biotechnology, University of Applied Sciences Biberach, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Nikolas Zeh
- Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | | | - Alireza Dehghani
- Analytical Development Biologicals, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Marius Nicolaus Felix
- Analytical Development Biologicals, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Daniel Heinzelmann
- Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Benjamin Lindner
- Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Moritz Schmidt
- Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Joey Studts
- Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Patrick Schulz
- Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Bernd Reisinger
- Analytical Development Biologicals, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Kerstin Otte
- Institute for Applied Biotechnology, University of Applied Sciences Biberach, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Matthias Franzreb
- Institute of Functional Interfaces, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Daniel Lakatos
- Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Simon Fischer
- Bioprocess Development Biologicals, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
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15
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Zhao Y, Li H, Fan Z, Wang T. Effect of Host Cell Protein on Chinese Hamster Ovary Recombinant Protein Production and its Removal Strategies: A Mini Review. Curr Pharm Biotechnol 2024; 25:665-675. [PMID: 37594091 DOI: 10.2174/1389201024666230818112633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Chinese hamster ovary cells are the main expression system for recombinant therapeutic proteins. During the production of these proteins, certain host cell proteins are secreted, broken down, and released by host cells in the culture along with the proteins of interest. These host cell proteins are often difficult to remove during the downstream purification process, and thus affect the quality, safety, and effectiveness of recombinant protein biopharmaceutical products and increase the production cost of recombinant therapeutic proteins. Therefore, host cell protein production must be reduced as much as possible during the production process and eliminated during purification. This article reviews the harm caused by host cell proteins in the production of recombinant protein drugs using Chinese hamster ovary cell, factors affecting host cell proteins, the monitoring and identification of these proteins, and methods to reduce their type and quantity in the final product.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaru Zhao
- Institutes of Health Central Plains, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
- Henan International Joint Laboratory of Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - He Li
- Institutes of Health Central Plains, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
- Henan International Joint Laboratory of Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Zhenlin Fan
- Institutes of Health Central Plains, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
- Henan International Joint Laboratory of Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Tianyun Wang
- Henan International Joint Laboratory of Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
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16
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Oh YH, Mendola KM, Choe LH, Min L, Lavoie AR, Sripada SA, Williams TI, Lee KH, Yigzaw Y, Seay A, Bill J, Li X, Roush DJ, Cramer SM, Menegatti S, Lenhoff AM. Identification and characterization of CHO host-cell proteins in monoclonal antibody bioprocessing. Biotechnol Bioeng 2024; 121:291-305. [PMID: 37877536 PMCID: PMC10842603 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
Host-cell proteins (HCPs) are the foremost class of process-related impurities to be controlled and removed in downstream processing steps in monoclonal antibody (mAb) manufacturing. However, some HCPs may evade clearance in multiple purification steps and reach the final drug product, potentially threatening drug stability and patient safety. This study extends prior work on HCP characterization and persistence in mAb process streams by using mass spectrometry (MS)-based methods to track HCPs through downstream processing steps for seven mAbs that were generated by five different cell lines. The results show considerable variability in HCP identities in the processing steps but extensive commonality in the identities and quantities of the most abundant HCPs in the harvests for different processes. Analysis of HCP abundance in the harvests shows a likely relationship between abundance and the reproducibility of quantification measurements and suggests that some groups of HCPs may hinder the characterization. Quantitative monitoring of HCPs persisting through purification steps coupled with the findings from the harvest analysis suggest that multiple factors, including HCP abundance and mAb-HCP interactions, can contribute to the persistence of individual HCPs and the identification of groups of common, persistent HCPs in mAb manufacturing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young Hoon Oh
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Kerri M Mendola
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Leila H Choe
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Lie Min
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Ashton R Lavoie
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sobhana A Sripada
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Taufika Islam Williams
- Molecular Education, Technology, and Research Innovation Center (METRIC), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kelvin H Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Yinges Yigzaw
- Purification Process Development, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Alexander Seay
- Purification Process Development, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jerome Bill
- Purification Process Development, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Xuanwen Li
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, USA
| | - David J Roush
- BPR&D, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, USA
| | - Steven M Cramer
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA
| | - Stefano Menegatti
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Abraham M Lenhoff
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
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17
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Carle S, Evers DH, Hagelskamp E, Garidel P, Buske J. All-in-one stability indicating polysorbate 20 degradation root-cause analytics via UPLC-QDa. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2024; 1232:123955. [PMID: 38128165 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2023.123955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Polysorbates (PS) are the most frequently used surfactants to stabilize biologicals. Ironically, these excellent stabilizing non-ionic surfactants have inherent structural properties, which lead to instabilities of their own. Such PS degradation can be triggered by multiple root-causes, like chemical and enzymatic hydrolysis or oxidative degradation. This can on the one hand reduce the concentration of surface-active PS and on the other hand lead to the formation of unfavorable degradants, like poorly soluble free fatty acids (FFA), which may phase separate and form visible FFA particles. Due to the potential criticality of PS degradation in biopharmaceutical formulations, various analytics have been established in recent years not only to monitor the PS content but also to evaluate specific PS markers and crucial degradants. However, in most cases sample preparations and several analytical assays have to be conducted to obtain a comprehensive picture of potential PS degradation root-causes. Here we show a novel approach for PS degradation UPLC-QDa based root-cause analytics, which utilizes previously established analytics for (i) most relevant polysorbate 20 (PS20) esters, (ii) PS20 free fatty acids and (iii) a newly developed method for the evaluation of PS20 specific oxidation markers. Thereby, this triad of analytical methods uses the same sample preparation and detector, which reduces the overall necessary effort, time investment and sample volume. Furthermore, the innovative PS20 oxidation marker method allows to quantify specific concentrations of the determined markers by external calibration and possible perception of oxidative degradation processes prior to relevant losses of PS20 esters, which could serve as an early indication during formulation development. The applicability of this method set was verified using several PS20 containing stress samples, which cover the most relevant root-causes, including acidic and alkaline hydrolysis, enzyme mediated hydrolysis, oxidative AAPH stress and Fe2+/H2O2 mediated degradation as well as autoxidation via long-term storage at elevated temperatures. Overall, this analytical setup has shown to deliver in-depth data about PS20 degradation, which can be used to narrow down the causative stress without the necessity of fundamentally different methods. Therefore, it can be seen as all-in-one solution during sometimes troublesome development of biopharmaceutical formulations, that supports the elucidation of the PS degradation mechanism(s) and thus establish mitigation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Carle
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG, Innovation Unit, Birkendorfer Straße 65, 88400 Biberach, Germany.
| | - Dirk-H Evers
- RaDes GmbH, Schnackenburgallee 114, 22525 Hamburg, Germany.
| | | | - Patrick Garidel
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG, Innovation Unit, Birkendorfer Straße 65, 88400 Biberach, Germany.
| | - Julia Buske
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG, Innovation Unit, Birkendorfer Straße 65, 88400 Biberach, Germany.
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18
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Gregoritza K, Theodorou C, Heitz M, Graf T, Germershaus O, Gregoritza M. Enzymatic degradation pattern of polysorbate 20 impacts interfacial properties of monoclonal antibody formulations. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2024; 194:74-84. [PMID: 38042510 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2023.11.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023]
Abstract
Polysorbate 20 (PS20) is widely used to maintain protein stability in biopharmaceutical formulations. However, PS20 is susceptible to hydrolytic degradation catalyzed by trace amounts of residual host cell proteins present in monoclonal antibody (mAb) formulations. The resulting loss of intact surfactant and the presence of PS20 degradation products, such as free fatty acids (FFAs), may impair protein stability. In this study, two hydrolytically-active immobilized lipases, which primarily targeted either monoester or higher-order ester species in PS20, were used to generate partially-degraded PS20. The impact of PS20 degradation pattern on critical micelle concentration (CMC), surface tension, interfacial rheology parameters and agitation protection was assessed. CMC was slightly increased upon monoester degradation, but significantly increased upon higher-order ester degradation. The PS20 degradation pattern also significantly impacted the dynamic surface tension of a mAb formulation, whereas changes in the equilibrium surface tension were mainly caused by the adsorption of FFAs onto the air-water interface. In an agitation protection study, monoester degradation resulted in the formation of soluble mAb aggregates and proteinaceous particles, suggesting that preferential degradation of PS20 monoester species can significantly impair mAb stability. Additional mAbs should be tested in the future to assess the impact of the protein format.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Gregoritza
- Pharmaceutical and Processing Development, Pharma Technical Development Biologics Europe, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Christos Theodorou
- Pharmaceutical and Processing Development, Pharma Technical Development Biologics Europe, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marc Heitz
- Pharmaceutical and Processing Development, Pharma Technical Development Biologics Europe, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tobias Graf
- Analytical Development and Quality Control, Pharma Technical Development Biologics Europe, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Oliver Germershaus
- Institute for Pharma Technology, School of Life Sciences, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Muttenz, Switzerland
| | - Manuel Gregoritza
- Analytical Development and Quality Control, Pharma Technical Development Biologics Europe, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
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19
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Weber J, Buske J, Mäder K, Garidel P, Diederichs T. Oxidation of polysorbates - An underestimated degradation pathway? Int J Pharm X 2023; 6:100202. [PMID: 37680877 PMCID: PMC10480556 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpx.2023.100202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
To ensure the stability of biologicals over their entire shelf-life, non-ionic surface-active compounds (surfactants) are added to protect biologics from denaturation and particle formation. In this context, polysorbate 20 and 80 are the most used detergents. Despite their benefits of low toxicity and high biocompatibility, specific factors are influencing the intrinsic stability of polysorbates, leading to degradation, loss in efficacy, or even particle formation. Polysorbate degradation can be categorized into chemical or enzymatic hydrolysis and oxidation. Under pharmaceutical relevant conditions, hydrolysis is commonly originated from host cell proteins, whereas oxidative degradation may be caused by multiple factors such as light, presence of residual metal traces, peroxides, or temperature, which can be introduced upon manufacturing or could be already present in the raw materials. In this review, we provide an overview of the current knowledge on polysorbates with a focus on oxidative degradation. Subsequently, degradation products and key characteristics of oxidative-mediated polysorbate degradation in respect of different types and grades are summarized, followed by an extensive comparison between polysorbate 20 and 80. A better understanding of the radical-induced oxidative PS degradation pathway could support specific mitigation strategies. Finally, buffer conditions, various stressors, as well as appropriate mitigation strategies, reagents, and alternative stabilizers are discussed. Prior manufacturing, careful consideration and a meticulous risk-benefit analysis are highly recommended in terms of polysorbate qualities, buffers, storage conditions, as well as mitigation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Weber
- Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Biosciences, Wolfgang-Langenbeck-Strasse 4, Halle (Saale) 06120, Germany
| | - Julia Buske
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Innovation Unit, TIP, Birkendorfer Straße 65, Biberach an der Riss 88397, Germany
| | - Karsten Mäder
- Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Biosciences, Wolfgang-Langenbeck-Strasse 4, Halle (Saale) 06120, Germany
| | - Patrick Garidel
- Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Biosciences, Wolfgang-Langenbeck-Strasse 4, Halle (Saale) 06120, Germany
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Innovation Unit, TIP, Birkendorfer Straße 65, Biberach an der Riss 88397, Germany
| | - Tim Diederichs
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Innovation Unit, TIP, Birkendorfer Straße 65, Biberach an der Riss 88397, Germany
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20
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Glücklich N, Carle S, Diederichs T, Buske J, Mäder K, Garidel P. How enzymatic hydrolysis of polysorbate 20 influences colloidal protein stability. Eur J Pharm Sci 2023; 191:106597. [PMID: 37770006 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2023.106597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [Revised: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Polysorbates (PS) are esters of ethoxylated sorbitol anhydrides of different composition and are widely used surfactants in biologics. PSs are applied to increase protein stability and concomitant shelf-life via shielding against e.g., interfacial stresses. Due to the presence of specific lipolytic host cell protein (HCP) contaminations in the drug substance, PSs can be degraded via enzymatic hydrolysis. Surfactant hydrolysis leads to the formation of degradants, such as free fatty acids that might form fatty acid particles. In addition, PS degradation may reduce surfactant functionality and thus reduce the protection of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). Although enzymatic degradation was observed and reported in the last years, less is known about the relationship between certain polysorbate degradation patterns and the increase of mechanical and interfacial stress towards the API. In this study, the impact of specifically hydrolyzed polysorbate 20 (PS20) towards the stabilization of two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) during accelerated shaking stress conditions was investigated. The results show that a specific enzymatic degradation pattern of PS20 can influence the colloidal stability of biopharmaceutical formulations. Furthermore, the kinetics of the appearance of visual phenomena, opalescence, and particle formation depended on the polysorbate degradation fingerprint as induced via the presence of surrogate enzymes. The current case study shows the importance of focusing on specific polysorbate ester fractions to understand the overall colloidal protein stabilizing effect. The performed study gives first insight into the functional properties of PS and helps to evaluate the impact of PS degradation in the formulation development of biopharmaceuticals in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Glücklich
- Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Biosciences, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Wolfgang-Langenbeck-Strasse 4, Halle (Saale) 06120, Germany
| | - Stefan Carle
- Innovation Unit, PDB, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Birkendorfer Straße 65, Biberach an der Riss 88397, Germany
| | - Tim Diederichs
- Innovation Unit, PDB, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Birkendorfer Straße 65, Biberach an der Riss 88397, Germany
| | - Julia Buske
- Innovation Unit, PDB, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Birkendorfer Straße 65, Biberach an der Riss 88397, Germany
| | - Karsten Mäder
- Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Biosciences, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Wolfgang-Langenbeck-Strasse 4, Halle (Saale) 06120, Germany
| | - Patrick Garidel
- Innovation Unit, PDB, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Birkendorfer Straße 65, Biberach an der Riss 88397, Germany; Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Von-Danckelmann-Platz 4, Halle (Saale) 06120, Germany.
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21
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Vitharana S, Stillahn JM, Katayama DS, Henry CS, Manning MC. Application of Formulation Principles to Stability Issues Encountered During Processing, Manufacturing, and Storage of Drug Substance and Drug Product Protein Therapeutics. J Pharm Sci 2023; 112:2724-2751. [PMID: 37572779 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2023.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023]
Abstract
The field of formulation and stabilization of protein therapeutics has become rather extensive. However, most of the focus has been on stabilization of the final drug product. Yet, proteins experience stress and degradation through the manufacturing process, starting with fermentaition. This review describes how formulation principles can be applied to stabilize biopharmaceutical proteins during bioprocessing and manufacturing, considering each unit operation involved in prepration of the drug substance. In addition, the impact of the container on stabilty is discussed as well.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joshua M Stillahn
- Legacy BioDesign LLC, Johnstown, CO 80534, USA; Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | | | - Charles S Henry
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Mark Cornell Manning
- Legacy BioDesign LLC, Johnstown, CO 80534, USA; Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
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22
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Li X. Recent applications of quantitative mass spectrometry in biopharmaceutical process development and manufacturing. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2023; 234:115581. [PMID: 37494866 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2023.115581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Biopharmaceutical products have seen rapid growth over the past few decades and continue to dominate the global pharmaceutical market. Aligning with the quality by design (QbD) framework and realization, recent advances in liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) instrumentation and related techniques have enhanced biopharmaceutical characterization capabilities and have supported an increased development of biopharmaceutical products. Beyond its routine qualitative characterization, the quantitative feature of LC-MS has unique applications in biopharmaceutical process development and manufacturing. This review describes the recent applications and implications of the advancement of quantitative MS methods in biopharmaceutical process development, and characterization of biopharmaceutical product, product-related variants, and process-related impurities. We also provide insights on the emerging applications of quantitative MS in the lifecycle of biopharmaceutical product development including quality control in the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) environment and process analytical technology (PAT) practices during process development and manufacturing. Through collaboration with instrument and software vendors and regulatory agencies, we envision broader adoption of phase-appropriate quantitative MS-based methods for the analysis of biopharmaceutical products, which in turn has the potential to enable manufacture of higher quality products for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuanwen Li
- Analytical Research and Development, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Avenue, Rahway, NJ 07065, USA.
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23
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Kozuch B, Weber J, Buske J, Mäder K, Garidel P, Diederichs T. Comparative Stability Study of Polysorbate 20 and Polysorbate 80 Related to Oxidative Degradation. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2332. [PMID: 37765302 PMCID: PMC10537708 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15092332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The surfactants polysorbate 20 (PS20) and polysorbate 80 (PS80) are utilized to stabilize protein drugs. However, concerns have been raised regarding the degradation of PSs in biologics and the potential impact on product quality. Oxidation has been identified as a prevalent degradation mechanism under pharmaceutically relevant conditions. So far, a systematic stability comparison of both PSs under pharmaceutically relevant conditions has not been conducted and little is known about the dependence of oxidation on PS concentration. Here, we conducted a comparative stability study to investigate (i) the different oxidative degradation propensities between PS20 and PS80 and (ii) the impact of PS concentration on oxidative degradation. PS20 and PS80 in concentrations ranging from 0.1 mg⋅mL-1 to raw material were stored at 5, 25, and 40 °C for 48 weeks in acetate buffer pH 5.5 and water, respectively. We observed a temperature-dependent oxidative degradation of the PSs with strong (40 °C), moderate (25 °C), and weak/no degradation (5 °C). Especially at elevated temperatures such as 40 °C, fast oxidative PS degradation processes were detected. In this case study, a stronger degradation and earlier onset of oxidation was observed for PS80 in comparison to PS20, detected via the fluorescence micelle assay. Additionally, degradation was found to be strongly dependent on PS concentration, with significantly less oxidative processes at higher PS concentrations. Iron impurities, oxygen in the vial headspaces, and the pH values of the formulations were identified as the main contributing factors to accelerate PS oxidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedykt Kozuch
- PDB-TIP, Innovation Unit, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Birkendorfer Straße 65, 88397 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Johanna Weber
- Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Biosciences, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Wolfgang-Langenbeck-Strasse 4, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Julia Buske
- PDB-TIP, Innovation Unit, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Birkendorfer Straße 65, 88397 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Karsten Mäder
- Institute of Pharmacy, Faculty of Biosciences, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Wolfgang-Langenbeck-Strasse 4, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Patrick Garidel
- PDB-TIP, Innovation Unit, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Birkendorfer Straße 65, 88397 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Tim Diederichs
- PDB-TIP, Innovation Unit, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Birkendorfer Straße 65, 88397 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
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24
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Beal KM, Bandara KR, Ali SR, Sonak RG, Barnes MR, Scarcelli JJ, Zhang L. The impact of expression vector position on transgene transcription allows for rational expression vector design in a targeted integration system. Biotechnol J 2023; 18:e2300038. [PMID: 37272404 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202300038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Site-specific integration (SSI) technology has emerged as an effective approach by the pharmaceutical industry for the development of recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines. While SSI systems have been demonstrated to be effective for the development of CHO cell lines, they can be limiting in terms of both transgene expression and in the case of multi-specifics, the ability to generate the correct product of interest. To maximize the performance of Pfizer's dual SSI expression system for expressing monoclonal and multi-specific antibodies, we used a novel approach to investigate the positional effect of transgenes within expression vectors by engineering nucleotide polymorphisms (NP)s to use as biomarkers to track the level of transcript output from each expression vector position. We observed differences in transcript level for two different transgenes across all four expression vector positions interrogated. We then applied these learnings to rationally design expression vectors for six different mAbs and a multi-specific antibody. We showed enhanced productivity and optimal product quality when compared to a conventional expression vector topology. The learnings gained here can potentially aid in the determination of optimal vector topologies for several IgG-like multi-specific formats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn M Beal
- Cell Line Development, Bioprocess R&D, Biotherapeutics Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pfizer Inc., Andover, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kalpanie R Bandara
- Cell Line Development, Bioprocess R&D, Biotherapeutics Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pfizer Inc., Andover, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Syed R Ali
- Cell Line Development, Bioprocess R&D, Biotherapeutics Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pfizer Inc., Andover, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Renuka G Sonak
- Cell Line Development, Bioprocess R&D, Biotherapeutics Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pfizer Inc., Andover, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Michael R Barnes
- Cell Line Development, Bioprocess R&D, Biotherapeutics Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pfizer Inc., Andover, Massachusetts, USA
| | - John J Scarcelli
- Cell Line Development, Bioprocess R&D, Biotherapeutics Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pfizer Inc., Andover, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lin Zhang
- Cell Line Development, Bioprocess R&D, Biotherapeutics Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pfizer Inc., Andover, Massachusetts, USA
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25
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Modi D, Jonnalagadda S, Campbell GA, Dalwadi G. Enhancing Oil Solubility of BCS Class II Drug Phenytoin Through Hydrophobic Ion Pairing to Enable High Drug Load in Injectable Nanoemulsion to Prevent Precipitation at Physiological pH With a Potential to Prevent Phlebitis. J Pharm Sci 2023; 112:2427-2443. [PMID: 36958691 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2023.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
This work investigates the micellar titration of phenytoin (a weakly acidic drug) with cetyltrimethylammonium hydroxide (CTAH) to form a hydrophobic ion-pair to enhance oil solubility of phenytoin, followed by an effort to formulate nanoemulsion that could potentially prevent precipitation of phenytoin at physiological pH. The ion-pair formulated in nanoemulsion was evaluated for in vitro precipitation during serial dilution at physiological pH. The formation of ion-pair during titration was explained in context of pH-solubility data. The mathematical model successfully integrated ionization and micellization equilibria to reflect on dominant mechanisms for solubilization. The micellar phenomenon during titration was confirmed using Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS). The phase changes of the excess undissolved solids during titration were evident from X-Ray Powder Diffraction (XRPD) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). This analysis confirmed the conversion of phenytoin into ionized state and its subsequent ionic interaction with CTAH forming hydrophobic ion-pair complex (HIP). The complete ion pair formation was evident at pHmax (8.8 to 9.2), and its 1:1 stoichiometry was confirmed using HPLC (Phenytoin and CTAH) and H1 NMR, hence could also be called as a lipophilic salt. The ion-pair (salt) was insoluble in water and showed remarkably high partition coefficient (log P) in octanol/water. As characterized by Hot Stage Microscopy (HSM), the melting point of the ion-pair complex was lowered to 150.8⁰C compared to the free acid (> 300οC), this was even further lowered to 81.1 °C when evaluated in castor oil. This led to approximately eight-fold higher solubility of hydrophobic ion pair (HIP) in castor oil compared to the free acid form. The high miscibility in castor oil was suitable to formulate a high drug load injectable dispersed system. This was successfully achieved with lecithin and polysorbate as emulsifiers without leaching drug into continuous phase at pH 7.4. This nanoemulsion (<300 nm, and > +30 mV zeta potential) remain stable when evaluated over a period of one month. A serial dilution study of the nanoemulsion was performed in PBS buffer, microscopic observations suggested no birefringence despite incubation at 25°C for several hours. This result indicated that Phenytoin remained strongly partitioned within dispersed oily phase with a higher drug loading when ion-paired phenytoin was used. The higher drug load could enable a small volume slow bolus injection to meet 50 mg/min or lower delivery rate criteria for Phenytoin in the clinical set up. This provided a pathway to further explore potential injectable nano-emulsion formulations that could alleviate typical phlebitis issue associated with the injectable phenytoin solution administration at physiological pH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimple Modi
- GlaxoSmithKline, Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Medicinal Science & Technology, 1250 S. Collegeville Road, Collegeville, PA 19426, United States; Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
| | | | - Gossett A Campbell
- GlaxoSmithKline, Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Medicinal Science & Technology, 1250 S. Collegeville Road, Collegeville, PA 19426, United States
| | - Gautam Dalwadi
- GlaxoSmithKline, Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Medicinal Science & Technology, 1250 S. Collegeville Road, Collegeville, PA 19426, United States.
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26
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Disela R, Bussy OL, Geldhof G, Pabst M, Ottens M. Characterisation of the E. coli HMS174 and BLR host cell proteome to guide purification process development. Biotechnol J 2023; 18:e2300068. [PMID: 37208824 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202300068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Mass-spectrometry-based proteomics is increasingly employed to monitor purification processes or to detect critical host cell proteins in the final drug substance. This approach is inherently unbiased and can be used to identify individual host cell proteins without prior knowledge. In process development for the purification of new biopharmaceuticals, such as protein subunit vaccines, a broader knowledge of the host cell proteome could promote a more rational process design. Proteomics can establish qualitative and quantitative information on the complete host cell proteome before purification (i.e., protein abundances and physicochemical properties). Such information allows for a more rational design of the purification strategy and accelerates purification process development. In this study, we present an extensive proteomic characterisation of two E. coli host cell strains widely employed in academia and industry to produce therapeutic proteins, BLR and HMS174. The established database contains the observed abundance of each identified protein, information relating to their hydrophobicity, the isoelectric point, molecular weight, and toxicity. These physicochemical properties were plotted on proteome property maps to showcase the selection of suitable purification strategies. Furthermore, sequence alignment allowed integration of subunit information and occurrences of post-translational modifications from the well-studied E. coli K12 strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxana Disela
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Martin Pabst
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel Ottens
- Department of Biotechnology, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
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27
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Buyel JF. Product safety aspects of plant molecular farming. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1238917. [PMID: 37614627 PMCID: PMC10442644 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1238917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant molecular farming (PMF) has been promoted since the 1990s as a rapid, cost-effective and (most of all) safe alternative to the cultivation of bacteria or animal cells for the production of biopharmaceutical proteins. Numerous plant species have been investigated for the production of a broad range of protein-based drug candidates. The inherent safety of these products is frequently highlighted as an advantage of PMF because plant viruses do not replicate in humans and vice versa. However, a more nuanced analysis of this principle is required when considering other pathogens because toxic compounds pose a risk even in the absence of replication. Similarly, it is necessary to assess the risks associated with the host system (e.g., the presence of toxic secondary metabolites) and the production approach (e.g., transient expression based on bacterial infiltration substantially increases the endotoxin load). This review considers the most relevant host systems in terms of their toxicity profile, including the presence of secondary metabolites, and the risks arising from the persistence of these substances after downstream processing and product purification. Similarly, we discuss a range of plant pathogens and disease vectors that can influence product safety, for example, due to the release of toxins. The ability of downstream unit operations to remove contaminants and process-related toxic impurities such as endotoxins is also addressed. This overview of plant-based production, focusing on product safety aspects, provides recommendations that will allow stakeholders to choose the most appropriate strategies for process development.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. F. Buyel
- Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Institute of Bioprocess Science and Engineering (IBSE), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria
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28
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Ehrit J, Gräwert TW, Göddeke H, Konarev PV, Svergun DI, Nagel N. Small-angle x-ray scattering investigation of the integration of free fatty acids in polysorbate 20 micelles. Biophys J 2023; 122:3078-3088. [PMID: 37340636 PMCID: PMC10432221 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
A critical quality attribute for liquid formulations is the absence of visible particles. Such particles may form upon polysorbate hydrolysis resulting in release of free fatty acids into solution followed by precipitation. Strategies to avoid this effect are of major interest for the pharmaceutical industry. In this context, we investigated the structural organization of polysorbate micelles alone and upon addition of the fatty acid myristic acid (MA) by small-angle x-ray scattering. Two complementary approaches using a model of polydisperse core-shell ellipsoidal micelles and an ensemble of quasiatomistic micelle structures gave consistent results well describing the experimental data. The small-angle x-ray scattering data reveal polydisperse mixtures of ellipsoidal micelles containing about 22-35 molecules per micelle. The addition of MA at concentrations up to 100 μg/mL reveals only marginal effects on the scattering data. At the same time, addition of high amounts of MA (>500 μg/mL) increases the average sizes of the micelles indicating that MA penetrates into the surfactant micelles. These results together with molecular modeling shed light on the polysorbate contribution to fatty acid solubilization preventing or delaying fatty acid particle formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jörg Ehrit
- Analytical Research and Development, NBE Analytical R&D, AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Tobias W Gräwert
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Hamburg Unit, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hendrik Göddeke
- Computational Drug Discovery, Small Molecule Therapeutics & Platform Technologies, AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Petr V Konarev
- A. V. Shubnikov Institute of Crystallography, Federal Scientific Research Centre "Сrystallography and Photonics" of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Dmitri I Svergun
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Hamburg Unit, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Norbert Nagel
- Analytical Research and Development, Global Technical Centers, AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, Ludwigshafen, Germany.
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29
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Li Z, Chen J, Martinez-Fonts K, Rauscher M, Rivera S, Welsh J, Kandula S. Cationic polymer precipitation for enhanced impurity removal in downstream processing. Biotechnol Bioeng 2023. [PMID: 37148495 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Precipitation can be used for the removal of impurities early in the downstream purification process of biologics, with the soluble product remaining in the filtrate through microfiltration. The objective of this study was to examine the use of polyallylamine (PAA) precipitation to increase the purity of product via higher host cell protein removal to enhance polysorbate excipient stability to enable a longer shelf life. Experiments were performed using three monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with different properties of isoelectric point and IgG subclass. High throughput workflows were established to quickly screen precipitation conditions as a function of pH, conductivity and PAA concentrations. Process analytical tools (PATs) were used to evaluate the size distribution of particles and inform the optimal precipitation condition. Minimal pressure increase was observed during depth filtration of the precipitates. The precipitation was scaled up to 20L size and the extensive characterization of precipitated samples after protein A chromatography showed >75% reduction of host cell protein (HCP) concentrations (by ELISA), >90% reduction of number of HCP species (by mass spectrometry), and >99.8% reduction of DNA. The stability of polysorbate containing formulation buffers for all three mAbs in the protein A purified intermediates was improved at least 25% after PAA precipitation. Mass spectrometry was used to obtain additional understanding of the interaction between PAA and HCPs with different properties. Minimal impact on product quality and <5% yield loss after precipitation were observed while the residual PAA was <9 ppm. These results expand the toolbox in downstream purification to solve HCP clearance issues for programs with purification challenges, while also providing important insights into the integration of precipitation-depth filtration and the current platform process for the purification of biologics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao Li
- Biologics Process Development, Biologics Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Justin Chen
- Biologics Process Development, Biologics Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Kirby Martinez-Fonts
- Biologics Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Michael Rauscher
- Biologics Process Development, Biologics Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Shannon Rivera
- Analytical Research and Development Mass Spectrometry, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey, USA
| | - John Welsh
- Biologics Process Development, Biologics Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey, USA
| | - Sunitha Kandula
- Biologics Process Development, Biologics Process Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey, USA
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30
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Glinšek K, Bozovičar K, Bratkovič T. CRISPR Technologies in Chinese Hamster Ovary Cell Line Engineering. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24098144. [PMID: 37175850 PMCID: PMC10179654 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24098144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line is a well-established platform for the production of biopharmaceuticals due to its ability to express complex therapeutic proteins with human-like glycopatterns in high amounts. The advent of CRISPR technology has opened up new avenues for the engineering of CHO cell lines for improved protein production and enhanced product quality. This review summarizes recent advances in the application of CRISPR technology for CHO cell line engineering with a particular focus on glycosylation modulation, productivity enhancement, tackling adventitious agents, elimination of problematic host cell proteins, development of antibiotic-free selection systems, site-specific transgene integration, and CRISPR-mediated gene activation and repression. The review highlights the potential of CRISPR technology in CHO cell line genome editing and epigenetic engineering for the more efficient and cost-effective development of biopharmaceuticals while ensuring the safety and quality of the final product.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Glinšek
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Krištof Bozovičar
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tomaž Bratkovič
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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31
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Amiri S, Adibzadeh S, Ghanbari S, Rahmani B, Kheirandish MH, Farokhi-Fard A, Dastjerdeh MS, Davami F. CRISPR-interceded CHO cell line development approaches. Biotechnol Bioeng 2023; 120:865-902. [PMID: 36597180 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
For industrial production of recombinant protein biopharmaceuticals, Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells represent the most widely adopted host cell system, owing to their capacity to produce high-quality biologics with human-like posttranslational modifications. As opposed to random integration, targeted genome editing in genomic safe harbor sites has offered CHO cell line engineering a new perspective, ensuring production consistency in long-term culture and high biotherapeutic expression levels. Corresponding the remarkable advancements in knowledge of CRISPR-Cas systems, the use of CRISPR-Cas technology along with the donor design strategies has been pushed into increasing novel scenarios in cell line engineering, allowing scientists to modify mammalian genomes such as CHO cell line quickly, readily, and efficiently. Depending on the strategies and production requirements, the gene of interest can also be incorporated at single or multiple loci. This review will give a gist of all the most fundamental recent advancements in CHO cell line development, such as different cell line engineering approaches along with donor design strategies for targeted integration of the desired construct into genomic hot spots, which could ultimately lead to the fast-track product development process with consistent, improved product yield and quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahin Amiri
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Setare Adibzadeh
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Samaneh Ghanbari
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Behnaz Rahmani
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad H Kheirandish
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Aref Farokhi-Fard
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mansoureh S Dastjerdeh
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Davami
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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Zhang S, Zhao B, Adaniya S, Xiao H, Li N. Ultrasensitive Quantification Method for Understanding Biologically Relevant Concentrations of Host Cell Proteins in Therapeutics. Anal Chem 2023; 95:6002-6008. [PMID: 36977129 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c00020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Certain host cell proteins (HCPs) in biotherapeutic drugs may be detrimental to drug product quality even when they are present at the subppm level. Therefore, an analytical method that can reliably quantify trace amounts of HCPs is desirable. This study demonstrates a novel strategy to quantify HCPs present at subppm levels with ProteoMiner enrichment coupled with limited digestion followed by targeted analysis with nano-liquid chromatography-parallel reaction monitoring. The method can achieve LLOQ values as low as 0.06 ppm, with an accuracy of 85%-111% of the theoretical value, and inter-run and intrarun precision within 12% and 25%, respectively. The approach was applied to the quantification of five high-risk HCPs in drug products. The results indicated that 2.5 ppm lysosomal acid lipase, 0.14 ppm liver carboxylesterase, 1.8 ppm palmitoyl-protein thioesterase 1, and 1 ppm cathepsin D affected the stability of drug products, whereas drug products could safely contain 1.5 ppm lipoprotein lipase, 0.1 ppm lysosomal acid lipase, or 0.3 ppm cathepsin D. In combination with lipase activity analysis, the accurate quantification of lipases/esterases in drug products enables better understanding and comparison of the enzymatic activity of polysorbate degradation from endogenous proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sisi Zhang
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6706, United States
| | - Bo Zhao
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6706, United States
| | - Stephanie Adaniya
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6706, United States
| | - Hui Xiao
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6706, United States
| | - Ning Li
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6706, United States
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Diederichs T, Mittag JJ, Humphrey J, Voss S, Carle S, Buske J, Garidel P. Existence of a superior polysorbate fraction in respect to protein stabilization and particle formation? Int J Pharm 2023; 635:122660. [PMID: 36740078 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2023.122660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Biologicals including monoclonal antibodies are the current flagships in pharmaceutical industry. However, they are exposed to a multitude of destabilization conditions like for instance hydrophobic interfaces, leading to reduced biological activity. Polysorbates are commonly applied to effectively stabilize these active pharmaceutical ingredients against colloidal stress. Nevertheless, chemical instability of polysorbate via hydrolysis or oxidation results in degradation products that might form particles via phase separation. Polysorbates are mixtures of hundreds of individual components, and recently purer quality grades with reduced variations in the fatty acid composition are available. As the protective function of polysorbate itself is not completely understood, even less is known about its individual components, raising the question of the existence of a superior polysorbate species in respect to protein stabilization or degradation susceptibility. Here, we evaluated the protective function of four main fractions of polysorbate 20 (PS20) in agitation studies with monoclonal antibodies, followed by particle analysis as well as protein and polysorbate content determination. The commercially-available inherent mixtures PS20 high purity and PS20 all-laurate, as well as the fraction isosorbide-POE-monolaurate showed superior protection against mechanical-induced stress (visual inspection and turbidity) at the air-water interface in comparison to sole sorbitan-POE-monolaurate, -dilaurate, and -trilaurate. Fractions composed mainly of higher-order esters like sorbitan-POE-dilaurate and sorbitan-POE-trilaurate indicated high turbidities as indication for subvisible and small particles accompanied by a reduced protein monomer content after agitation. For the isosorbide-POE-monolaurates as well as for the inherent polysorbate mixtures no obvious differences in protein content and protein aggregation (SEC) were observed, reflecting the observations from visual appearance. However, absolute polysorbate concentrations vary drastically between different species in the actual formulations. As there are still open questions in respect to protein specificity or regarding mixtures versus individual components of PS20, further studies must be performed, to gain a better understanding of a "generalized" stabilizing effect of polysorbates on monoclonal antibodies. The knowledge of the characteristics of individual polysorbate species can have the potential to pave the way to superior detergents in respect to protein stabilization and/or degradation susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Diederichs
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Innovation Unit, PDB, Birkendorfer Straße 65, 88397 Biberach an der Riss, Germany.
| | - Judith J Mittag
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Innovation Unit, PDB, Birkendorfer Straße 65, 88397 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - James Humphrey
- Croda Europe Ltd, Cowick Hall, DN14 9AA, Snaith, United Kingdom
| | - Söhnke Voss
- Croda Europe Ltd, Cowick Hall, DN14 9AA, Snaith, United Kingdom
| | - Stefan Carle
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Innovation Unit, PDB, Birkendorfer Straße 65, 88397 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Julia Buske
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Innovation Unit, PDB, Birkendorfer Straße 65, 88397 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Patrick Garidel
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Innovation Unit, PDB, Birkendorfer Straße 65, 88397 Biberach an der Riss, Germany.
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Tuameh A, Harding SE, Darton NJ. Methods for addressing host cell protein impurities in biopharmaceutical product development. Biotechnol J 2023; 18:e2200115. [PMID: 36427352 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202200115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The high demand for monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapeutics in recent years has resulted in significant efforts to improve their costly manufacturing process. The high cost of manufacturing mAbs derives mainly from the purification process, which contributes to 50%-80% of the total manufacturing cost. One of the main challenges facing industry at the purification stage is the clearance of host cell proteins (HCPs) that are produced and often co-purified with the desired mAb product. One of the issues HCPs can cause is the degradation of the final mAb protein product. In this review, techniques are considered that can be used at different stages (upstream and downstream) of mAb manufacture to improve HCP clearance. In addition to established techniques, many new approaches for HCP removal are discussed that have the potential to replace current methods for improving HCP reduction and thereby the quality and stability of the final mAb product.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulrahman Tuameh
- National Centre for Macromolecular Hydrodynamics, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK
| | - Stephen E Harding
- National Centre for Macromolecular Hydrodynamics, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK
| | - Nicholas J Darton
- Dosage Form Design and Development, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
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Characterization of Recombinantly-Expressed Hydrolytic Enzymes from Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells: Identification of Host Cell Proteins that Degrade Polysorbate. J Pharm Sci 2023; 112:1351-1363. [PMID: 36646283 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2023.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Enzymatic hydrolysis of polysorbate in drug products is a major challenge for the biopharmaceutical industry. Polysorbate hydrolysis caused by host cell proteins (HCPs) co-purified during bioprocessing can reduce the protective effects of the surfactant for the active pharmaceutical ingredient and cause the accumulation of low-solubility degradation products over the long-term storage. The identities of such HCPs are elusive due to their extremely low concentrations after the efficient purification processes of most biopharmaceuticals. In this work, 20 enzymes-selected for their known or putative hydrolytic activity and potential to degrade polysorbate-were recombinantly expressed, purified, and characterized via orthogonal methods. First, these recombinant HCPs were assessed for hydrolytic activity against a fluorogenic esterase substrate in a recently-developed, high-throughput assay. Second, these HCPs were screened for hydrolytic activity against polysorbate in a representative mAb formulation. Third, HCPs that displayed hydrolytic activities in the first two assays were subjected to more detailed characterization of their enzyme kinetics against polysorbates. Finally, these HCPs were evaluated for substrate specificity towards different sub-species of polysorbates. This work provides critical new insights for targeted LC-MS/MS approaches for identification of relevant polysorbate-degrading enzymes and supports improvements to remove such HCPs, including knockouts or targeted removal during purification.
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Cain P, Huang L, Tang Y, Anguiano V, Feng Y. Impact of IgG subclass on monoclonal antibody developability. MAbs 2023; 15:2191302. [PMID: 36945111 PMCID: PMC10038059 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2023.2191302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
IgG-based monoclonal antibody therapeutics, which are mainly IgG1, IgG2, and IgG4 subclasses or related variants, have dominated the biotherapeutics field for decades. Multiple laboratories have reported that the IgG subclasses possess different molecular characteristics that can affect their developability. For example, IgG1, the most popular IgG subclass for therapeutics, is known to have a characteristic degradation pathway related to its hinge fragility. However, there remains a paucity of studies that systematically evaluate the IgG subclasses on manufacturability and long-term stability. We thus conducted a systematic study of 12 mAbs derived from three sets of unrelated variable regions, each cloned into IgG1, an IgG1 variant with diminished effector functions, IgG2, and a stabilized IgG4 variant with further reduced FcγR interaction, to evaluate the impact of IgG subclass on manufacturability and high concentration stability in a common formulation buffer matrix. Our evaluation included Chinese hamster ovary cell productivity, host cell protein removal efficiency, N-linked glycan structure at the conserved N297 Fc position, solution appearance at high concentration, and aggregate growth, fragmentation, charge variant profile change, and post-translational modification upon thermal stress conditions or long-term storage at refrigerated temperature. Our results elucidated molecular attributes that are common to all IgG subclasses, as well as those that are unique to certain Fc domains, providing new insight into the effects of IgG subclass on antibody manufacturability and stability. These learnings can be used to enable a balanced decision on IgG subclass selection for therapeutic antibodies and aid in acceleration of their product development process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Cain
- Biotechnology Discovery Research, Lilly Research Laboratories, Lilly Technology Center North, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Lihua Huang
- Bioproduct Research & Development, Lilly Research Laboratories, Lilly Technology Center North, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Yu Tang
- Pharmaceutical Development and Manufacturing, Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Waltham, MA, USA
| | - Victor Anguiano
- Bioproduct Research & Development, Lilly Research Laboratories, Lilly Technology Center North, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Yiqing Feng
- Biotechnology Discovery Research, Lilly Research Laboratories, Lilly Technology Center North, Indianapolis, IN, USA
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Castañeda Ruiz AJ, Shetab Boushehri MA, Phan T, Carle S, Garidel P, Buske J, Lamprecht A. Alternative Excipients for Protein Stabilization in Protein Therapeutics: Overcoming the Limitations of Polysorbates. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14122575. [PMID: 36559072 PMCID: PMC9781097 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14122575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Given their safety and efficiency in protecting protein integrity, polysorbates (PSs) have been the most widely used excipients for the stabilization of protein therapeutics for years. In recent decades, however, there have been numerous reports about visible or sub-visible particles in PS-containing biotherapeutic products, which is a major quality concern for parenteral drugs. Alternative excipients that are safe for parenteral administration, efficient in protecting different protein drugs against various stress conditions, effective in protein stabilization in high-concentrated liquid formulations, stable under the storage conditions for the duration of the product's shelf-life, and compatible with other formulation components and the primary packaging are highly sought after. The aim of this paper is to review potential alternative excipients from different families, including surfactants, carbohydrate- and amino acid-based excipients, synthetic amphiphilic polymers, and ionic liquids that enable protein stabilization. For each category, important characteristics such as the ability to stabilize proteins against thermal and mechanical stresses, current knowledge related to the safety profile for parenteral administration, potential interactions with other formulation components, and primary packaging are debated. Based on the provided information and the detailed discussion thereof, this paper may pave the way for the identification or development of efficient excipients for biotherapeutic protein stabilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angel J. Castañeda Ruiz
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bonn, 53121 Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Tamara Phan
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Innovation Unit, PDB, Birkendorfer Straße 65, 88397 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Stefan Carle
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Innovation Unit, PDB, Birkendorfer Straße 65, 88397 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Patrick Garidel
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Innovation Unit, PDB, Birkendorfer Straße 65, 88397 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Julia Buske
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Innovation Unit, PDB, Birkendorfer Straße 65, 88397 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
- Correspondence: (J.B.); (A.L.); Tel.: +49-7351-54-145-398 (J.B.); +49-228-735-243 (A.L.)
| | - Alf Lamprecht
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bonn, 53121 Bonn, Germany
- Correspondence: (J.B.); (A.L.); Tel.: +49-7351-54-145-398 (J.B.); +49-228-735-243 (A.L.)
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38
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Yuk IH, Koulis T, Doshi N, Gregoritza K, Hediger C, Lebouc-Haefliger V, Giddings J, Khan TA. Formulation mitigations for particle formation induced by enzymatic hydrolysis of polysorbate 20 in protein-based drug products: insights from a full-factorial longitudinal study. AAPS OPEN 2022. [DOI: 10.1186/s41120-022-00064-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Hydrolytic degradation of the polysorbate 20 (PS20) surfactant in protein-based liquid formulations releases free fatty acids (FFAs), which can accumulate to form particles in drug products during real-time (long-term) storage. To identify formulation conditions that mitigate the risk of particle formation, we conducted a longitudinal study using purified recombinant monoclonal antibody (mAb) formulated in 24 conditions. In this real-time stability study at 5 °C, three key formulation parameters—mAb concentration, initial PS20 concentration, and pH—were varied across representative ranges in a full-factorial design. A longitudinal regression analysis was used to evaluate the effects of these parameters and their interactions on PS20 degradation (via measurements of PS20, FFAs, and PS20 ester distribution) and on particle formation (via visible particle observations and subvisible particle counts). The time-dependent onset of visible particles trended with the rise in subvisible particle counts and FFA levels and fall in PS20 concentration. In the ranges studied here, lower mAb concentration and higher initial PS20 concentration delayed the onset of particles, whereas pH had a negligible effect. These observations were consistent with the general trends predicted by our previously published FFA solubility model. Taken together, these findings highlight the complex relationships between formulation parameters, PS20 degradation, and particle formation.
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Immunoreactivity Profiling of Anti-Chinese Hamster Ovarian Host Cell Protein Antibodies by Isobaric Labeled Affinity Purification-Mass Spectrometry Reveals Low-Recovery Proteins. J Chromatogr A 2022; 1685:463645. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2022.463645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Wuchner K, Yi L, Chery C, Nikels F, Junge F, Crotts G, Rinaldi G, Starkey JA, Bechtold-Peters K, Shuman M, Leiss M, Jahn M, Garidel P, de Ruiter R, Richer SM, Cao S, Peuker S, Huille S, Wang T, Brun VL. Industry Perspective on the Use and Characterization of Polysorbates for Biopharmaceutical Products Part 2: Survey Report on Control Strategy Preparing for the Future. J Pharm Sci 2022; 111:2955-2967. [PMID: 36002077 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2022.08.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Polysorbate (PS) 20 and 80 are the main surfactants used to stabilize biopharmaceutical products. Industry practices on various aspects of PS based on a confidential survey and following discussions by 16 globally acting major biotechnology companies is presented in two publications. Part 1 summarizes the current practice and use of PS during manufacture in addition to aspects like current understanding of the (in)stability of PS, the routine QC testing and control of PS, and selected regulatory aspects of PS.1 The current part 2 of the survey focusses on understanding, monitoring, prediction, and mitigation of PS degradation pathways in order to propose an effective control strategy. The results of the survey and extensive cross-company discussions are put into relation with currently available scientific literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaus Wuchner
- Janssen R&D, DPDS BTDS Analytical Development, Hochstr. 201, 8200 Schaffhausen, Switzerland.
| | - Linda Yi
- Analytical Development, Biogen, Morrisville, NC 27709, USA
| | - Cyrille Chery
- UCB, Analytical Development Sciences for Biologicals, Chemin du Foriest, 1420 Braine-l'Alleud, Belgium
| | - Felix Nikels
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG, Innovation Unit, Birkendorfer Str. 65, 88397 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Friederike Junge
- Analytical Research and Development, NBE Analytical R&D, AbbVie Deutschland GmbH& Co. KG, Knollstraße, 67061 Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - George Crotts
- GlaxoSmithKline, 1250 S Collegeville Rd, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA
| | - Gianluca Rinaldi
- Merck Serono SpA, Guidonia Montecelio, Italy, an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Jason A Starkey
- Pfizer, Inc. Biotherapeutics Pharmaceutical Sciences, Analytical Research and Development 875 W. Chesterfield Parkway, Chesterfield, MO 63017, USA
| | | | - Melissa Shuman
- GlaxoSmithKline, 1250 S Collegeville Rd, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA
| | - Michael Leiss
- Pharma Technical Development Analytics, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Nonnenwald 2, Penzberg, 82377, Germany
| | - Michael Jahn
- Lonza AG, Drug Product Services, Hochbergerstr. 60G, CH-4057 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Patrick Garidel
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co KG, Innovation Unit, Birkendorfer Str. 65, 88397 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Rien de Ruiter
- Byondis B.V., Downstream Processing, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Sarah M Richer
- Bioproduct Research and Development, Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN 46285, USA
| | - Shawn Cao
- Process Development, Amgen Inc., 1 Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA
| | - Sebastian Peuker
- Bayer AG, Product Supply, Analytical Development and Clinical QC for Biotech Products, Friedrich-Ebert-Str. 217-233, 42117 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Sylvain Huille
- Sanofi R&D, Biologics Drug Products Development,13 quai Jules Guesde, 94403 Vitry-sur Seine, France
| | - Tingting Wang
- Bioproduct Research and Development, Lilly Research Laboratories, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN 46285, USA
| | - Virginie Le Brun
- Lonza AG, Drug Product Services, Hochbergerstr. 60G, CH-4057 Basel, Switzerland
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41
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Hu M, Molden R, Hu Y, Huang Y, Qiu H, Li N. Host cell protein identification in monoclonal antibody high molecular weight species. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2022; 1210:123448. [PMID: 36115198 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2022.123448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
High molecular weight (HMW) species are product-related variants that may impact therapeutic product safety and efficacy. Therefore, HMW species and aggregates are considered critical quality attributes and their levels should be closely monitored and controlled during drug development, commercial manufacturing, and shelf-life storage period for therapeutic monoclonal antibody drug products. Various biophysical and analytical methods have been developed to characterize the HMW species to understand their mechanisms of formation and assess potential product risk. However, host cell protein (HCP) analysis has seldom been conducted to characterize the impurities in aggregates. In this work, HCP analysis of enriched HMW species and drug substance (DS) from five different monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) was performed. More HCPs are identified in the enriched HMW than in the DS, thus demonstrating a potential interaction between HCPs and HMW. Certain HCPs, including commonly detected HCPs and problematic HCPs, were enriched in HMW fractions. Especially, the most abundant HCP from mAb1, CC motif chemokine, was 46 times more abundant in enriched HMW than DS. The enriched HMW was further fractionated into enriched dimers and enriched very HMW (vHMW) fractions. The CC motif chemokine was found to interact mainly with mAb1 dimer species rather than vHMW fraction. Removing the HMW species from mAb1 significantly decreased the CC motif chemokine level in the final mAb1 DS. Our findings demonstrate that some HCPs are more preferentially bound to HMW species and this finding may provide a new opportunity for removing HCPs in downstream purification steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengqi Hu
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY, 10591-6707, USA
| | - Rosalynn Molden
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY, 10591-6707, USA
| | - Yunli Hu
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY, 10591-6707, USA.
| | - Yu Huang
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY, 10591-6707, USA
| | - Haibo Qiu
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY, 10591-6707, USA.
| | - Ning Li
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Tarrytown, NY, 10591-6707, USA
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42
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Liu GY, Nie S, Zheng X, Li N. Activity-Based Protein Profiling Probe for the Detection of Enzymes Catalyzing Polysorbate Degradation. Anal Chem 2022; 94:8625-8632. [PMID: 35679579 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c00059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Polysorbates are nonionic surfactants that have been widely used in biotherapeutic formulations to prevent protein aggregation and denaturation. However, polysorbates are subject to degradation after prolonged storage if certain lipases are present in the biotherapeutic product. Because the degradation of polysorbates compromises the shelf life of biotherapeutics and leads to the formation of undesirable products such as protein aggregates and subvisible particles, it is important to identify the active enzymes that catalyze polysorbate hydrolysis. In this study, we developed a novel fluorophosphonate activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) probe (termed the REGN probe), which mimics the structure of polysorbate and targets lipases catalyzing polysorbate degradation. We demonstrated that the REGN probe could enrich certain lipases from Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lysate by more than 100-fold compared with direct tryptic digestion. Furthermore, we found that the REGN probe had higher lipase enrichment efficiency than commercially available ABPP probes including fluorophosphonate-biotin (FP-biotin) and FP-desthiobiotin. Remarkably, the REGN probe can enrich several lipases that cannot be labeled by commercial probes, such as lysosomal acid lipase and cytosolic phospholipase A2. Additionally, we showed that lipases with abundances as low as 0.08 ppm in drug substances were detected by the REGN probe enrichment and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. Collectively, we have developed a novel ABPP probe with higher enrichment efficiency and broader coverage for lipases compared with commercial probes, and this probe can be used to detect the trace level of lipases in biotherapeutic products and to facilitate their development and manufacturing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gao-Yuan Liu
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6707, United States
| | - Song Nie
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6707, United States
| | - Xiaojing Zheng
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6707, United States
| | - Ning Li
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591-6707, United States
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43
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Hamaker NK, Min L, Lee KH. Comprehensive Assessment of Host Cell Protein Expression after Extended Culture and Bioreactor Production of CHO Cell Lines. Biotechnol Bioeng 2022; 119:2221-2238. [PMID: 35508759 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The biomanufacturing industry is advancing toward continuous processes that will involve longer culture durations and older cell ages. These upstream trends may bring unforeseen challenges for downstream purification due to fluctuations in host cell protein (HCP) levels. To understand the extent of HCP expression instability exhibited by Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells over these time scales, an industry-wide consortium collaborated to develop a study to characterize age-dependent changes in HCP levels across 30, 60, and 90 cell doublings, representing a period of approximately 60 days. A monoclonal antibody (mAb)-producing cell line with bulk productivity up to 3 g/L in a bioreactor was aged in parallel with its parental CHO-K1 host. Subsequently, both cell types at each age were cultivated in an automated bioreactor system to generate harvested cell culture fluid (HCCF) for HCP analysis. More than 1,500 HCPs were quantified using complementary proteomic techniques, two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE) and liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). While up to 13% of proteins showed variable expression with age, more changes were observed when comparing between the two cell lines with up to 47% of HCPs differentially expressed. A small subset (50 HCPs) with age-dependent expression were previously reported to be problematic as high-risk and/or difficult-to-remove impurities; however, the vast majority of these were down-regulated with age. Our findings suggest that HCP expression changes over this time scale may not be as dramatic and pose as great of a challenge to downstream processing as originally expected but that monitoring of variably expressed problematic HCPs remains critical. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel K Hamaker
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
| | - Lie Min
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
| | - Kelvin H Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
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The potential of emerging sub-omics technologies for CHO cell engineering. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 59:107978. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.107978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Wang F, Li X, Swanson M, Guetschow E, Winston M, Smith JP, Hoyt E, Liu Z, Richardson D, Bu X, Jawa V, Variankaval N. Holistic Analytical Characterization and Risk Assessment of Residual Host Cell Protein Impurities in an Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) Synthesized by Biocatalysts. Biotechnol Bioeng 2022; 119:2088-2104. [PMID: 35437754 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Host cell proteins (HCPs) are a significant class of process-related impurities commonly associated with the manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals. However, due to the increased use of crude enzymes as biocatalysts for modern organic synthesis, HCPs can also be introduced as a new class of impurities in chemical drugs. In both cases, residual HCPs need to be adequately controlled to ensure product purity, quality, and patient safety. Although a lot of attentions have been focused on defining a universally acceptable limit for such impurities, the risks associated with residual HCPs on product quality, safety, and efficacy often need to be determined on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration the residual HCP profile in the product, the dose, dosage form, and administration route etc. Here we describe the unique challenges for residual HCP control presented by the biocatalytic synthesis of a Merck investigational stimulator of interferon genes protein (STING) agonist, MK-1454, which is a cyclic dinucleotide synthesized using E. coli cell lysate overexpressing cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) as a biocatalyst. In this study, a holistic characterization of residual protein impurities using a variety of analytical tools including nano-LC-MS/MS, together with in silico immunogenicity prediction of identified proteins, facilitated risk assessment and guided process development to achieve adequate removal of residual protein impurities in MK-1454 API. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengqiang Wang
- Small Molecular Analytical Research & Development, Rahway, NJ.,Biologics Analytical Research & Development, Kenilworth, NJ
| | - Xuanwen Li
- Analytical Enabling Technologies, Analytical Research & Development, Kenilworth, NJ
| | - Michael Swanson
- Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics & Drug Metabolism (PPDM), West Point, PA
| | - Erik Guetschow
- Small Molecular Analytical Research & Development, Rahway, NJ
| | | | - Joseph P Smith
- Analytical Enabling Technologies, Analytical Research & Development, Kenilworth, NJ
| | - Erik Hoyt
- Small Molecular Analytical Research & Development, Rahway, NJ
| | - Zhijian Liu
- Small Molecular Process Research & Development, Rahway, NJ
| | - Douglas Richardson
- Analytical Enabling Technologies, Analytical Research & Development, Kenilworth, NJ
| | - Xiaodong Bu
- Small Molecular Analytical Research & Development, Rahway, NJ
| | - Vibha Jawa
- Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics & Drug Metabolism (PPDM), West Point, PA
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Madabhushi SR, Huang C, Wang X, Bui A, Atieh TB, Rayfield WJ, Jayapal KP, Lin H. An innovative strategy to recycle permeate in biologics continuous manufacturing process to improve material efficiency and sustainability. Biotechnol Prog 2022; 38:e3262. [DOI: 10.1002/btpr.3262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Chung‐Jr Huang
- Biologics Upstream Process Development Merck & Co., Inc. Kenilworth New Jersey USA
| | - Xiaowen Wang
- Biologics Upstream Process Development Merck & Co., Inc. Kenilworth New Jersey USA
| | - Ashley Bui
- Biologics Upstream Process Development Merck & Co., Inc. Kenilworth New Jersey USA
| | - Tariq Bassam Atieh
- Biologics Upstream Process Development Merck & Co., Inc. Kenilworth New Jersey USA
| | - William J. Rayfield
- Biologics Downstream Process Development Merck & Co., Inc. Kenilworth New Jersey USA
| | - Karthik P. Jayapal
- Biologics Upstream Process Development Merck & Co., Inc. Kenilworth New Jersey USA
| | - Henry Lin
- Biologics Upstream Process Development Merck & Co., Inc. Kenilworth New Jersey USA
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A Mechanistic Understanding of Monoclonal Antibody Interfacial Protection by Hydrolytically Degraded Polysorbate 20 and 80 under IV Bag Conditions. Pharm Res 2022; 39:563-575. [PMID: 35277841 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-022-03217-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Polysorbates (PS) contain polyoxyethylene (POE) sorbitan/isosorbide fatty acid esters that can partially hydrolyze over time in liquid drug products to generate degradants and a remaining intact PS fraction with a modified ester distribution. The degradants are composed of free fatty acids (FFAs) --primarily lauric acid for PS20 and oleic acid for PS80-- and POE head groups. We previously demonstrated that under IV bag agitation conditions, mAb1 (a surface-active IgG4) aggregation increased with increasing amounts of degradants for PS20 but not for PS80. The purpose of this work is to understand the mechanism behind this observation. METHODS The surface tension of the remaining intact PS fraction without degradants was modeled and compared with that of enzymatically degraded PS solutions. Next, mAb1 aggregation in saline was measured in the presence of laurate and oleate salts during static storage. Lastly, colloidal and conformational stability of mAb1 in the presence of these salts was investigated through differential scanning fluorimetry and dynamic light scattering under IV bag solution conditions. RESULTS The surface tension was primarily influenced by FFAs rather than the modified ester distribution of the remaining intact PS. MAb1 bulk aggregation increased in the presence of laurate but not oleate salts. Both salt types increased the melting temperature of mAb1 indicating FFA-mAb1 interactions. However, only laurate salt increased mAb1 self-association potentially explaining the higher aggregation propensity in its presence. CONCLUSION Our results help explain the observed differences between hydrolytically degraded PS20 and PS80 in affecting mAb1 aggregation under IV bag agitation conditions.
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Mechanistic understanding of metal-catalyzed oxidation of polysorbate 80 and monoclonal antibody in biotherapeutic formulations. Int J Pharm 2022; 615:121496. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2022.121496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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Li X, Wang F, Li H, Richardson DD, Roush DJ. The measurement and control of high-risk host cell proteins for polysorbate degradation in biologics formulation. Antib Ther 2022; 5:42-54. [PMID: 35155990 PMCID: PMC8826928 DOI: 10.1093/abt/tbac002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Nonionic surfactant polysorbates, including PS-80 and PS-20, are commonly used in the formulation of biotherapeutic products for both preventing surface adsorption and acting as stabilizer against protein aggregation. Trace levels of residual host cell proteins (HCPs) with lipase or esterase enzymatic activity have been shown to degrade polysorbates in biologics formulation. The measurement and control of these low abundance, high-risk HCPs for polysorbate degradation are an industry-wide challenge to achieve desired shelf life of biopharmaceuticals in liquid formulation, especially for high-concentration formulation product development. Here, we reviewed the challenges, recent advances, and future opportunities of analytical method development, risk assessment, and control strategies for polysorbate degradation during formulation development with a focus on enzymatic degradation. Continued efforts to advance our understanding of polysorbate degradation in biologics formulation will help develop high-quality medicines for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuanwen Li
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 2000 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
- To whom correspondence should be addressed: Xuanwen Li, Analytical Research & Development Mass Spectrometry, Merck & Co. Inc., 770 Sumneytown Pike, WPP042A-4015, West Point, PA 19486. Tel: 215-652-1829;
| | - Fengqiang Wang
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 2000 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
| | - Hong Li
- Biologics Process Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 2000 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
| | - Douglas D Richardson
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 2000 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
| | - David J Roush
- Biologics Process Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 2000 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
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Zhang S, Riccardi C, Kamen D, Xiao H, Li N. Monitoring polysorbate hydrolysis in therapeutic proteins using an ultrasensitive extraction-free fatty acid quantitation method. Anal Biochem 2022; 637:114472. [PMID: 34801481 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2021.114472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Polysorbates (PSs) are surfactants commonly added to therapeutic protein drug product formulations to protect proteins from denaturation and aggregation during storage, transportation, and delivery. However, enzymatic hydrolysis of PSs has been recognized as the primary route of PS degradation in monoclonal antibody formulations, resulting in the release of free fatty acids that drive undesired particulate formation. Here, we present a rapid lipase activity assay with optimized incubation conditions for accurate quantitation of free fatty acids without a fatty acid extraction step. This assay can detect low levels of PS degradation (0.000024% PS20 degradation) within 1 day with minimal sample preparation. The levels of released free fatty acids were found to strongly correlate with the degree of PS20 degradation. The case study described herein suggests that this approach can detect low levels of PS20 degradation caused by sub-ppm lipase levels within 1 day, compared with the duration of 14 days needed for PS degradation assays based on two-dimensional liquid chromatography-charge aerosol detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sisi Zhang
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, 10591, USA
| | - Caterina Riccardi
- Formulation Group, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, 10591, USA
| | - Douglas Kamen
- Formulation Group, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, 10591, USA
| | - Hui Xiao
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, 10591, USA.
| | - Ning Li
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Tarrytown, NY, 10591, USA
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