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Zheng X, Fang M, Zou Y, Wang S, Zhou W, Zhou H. A comparison of different intensified upstream processes highlighting the advantage of WuXi Biologics' Ultra-high Productivity platform (WuXiUP TM) in improved product quality and purification yield. Biotechnol Prog 2024:e3487. [PMID: 38980213 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.3487] [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: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
WuXiUPTM, WuXi Biologics' Ultra-high Productivity platform, is an intensified and integrated continuous bioprocess platform developed for production of various biologics including monoclonal antibodies, fusion proteins, and bispecific antibodies. This process technology platform has manifested its remarkable capability in boosting the volumetric productivity of various biologics and has been implemented for large-scale clinical material productions. In this paper, case studies of the production of different pharmaceutical proteins using two high-producing and intensified culture modes of WuXiUPTM and the concentrated fed-batch (CFB), as well as the traditional fed-batch (TFB) are discussed from the perspectives of cell growth, productivity, and protein quality. Both WuXiUPTM and CFB outperformed TFB regarding volumetric productivity. Additionally, distinctive advantages in product quality profiles in the WuXiUPTM process, such as reduced acidic charge variants and fragmentation, are revealed. Therefore, a simplified downstream purification process with only two chromatographic steps can be developed to deliver the target product at a satisfactory purity and an extremely-high yield.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Zheng
- Cell Culture Process Development, WuXi Biologics, Shanghai, China
| | - Mingyue Fang
- Non-GMP Pilot Plant, WuXi Biologics, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanling Zou
- Manufacturing Facility Group 17, WuXi Biologics, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuo Wang
- Downstream Process Development, WuXi Biologics, Shanghai, China
| | - Weichang Zhou
- Cell Culture Process Development, WuXi Biologics, Shanghai, China
- Non-GMP Pilot Plant, WuXi Biologics, Shanghai, China
- Manufacturing Facility Group 17, WuXi Biologics, Shanghai, China
- Downstream Process Development, WuXi Biologics, Shanghai, China
| | - Hang Zhou
- Cell Culture Process Development, WuXi Biologics, Shanghai, China
- Non-GMP Pilot Plant, WuXi Biologics, Shanghai, China
- Downstream Process Development, WuXi Biologics, Shanghai, China
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2
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Gupta S, Dubey A, Rathore AS. Role of Charge Heterogeneity on Physical Stability of Monoclonal Antibody Biotherapeutic Products. Pharm Res 2024:10.1007/s11095-024-03730-1. [PMID: 38951451 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-024-03730-1] [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: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Chemical modifications in monoclonal antibodies can change hydrophobicity, charge heterogeneity as well as conformation, which eventually can impact their physical stability. In this study, the effect of the individual charge variants on physical stability and aggregation propensity in two different buffer conditions used during downstream purification was investigated. METHODS The charge variants were separated using semi-preparative cation exchange chromatography and buffer exchanged in the two buffers with pH 6.0 and 3.8. Subsequently each variant was analysed for size heterogeneity using size exclusion chromatography and dynamic light scattering, conformational stability, colloidal stability, and aggregation behaviour under accelerated stability conditions. RESULTS Size variants in each charge variant were similar in both pH conditions when analyzed without extended storage. However, conformational stability was lower at pH 3.8 than pH 6.0. All charge variants showed similar apparent melting temperature at pH 6.0. In contrast, at pH 3.8 variants A3, A5, B2, B3 and B4 display lower Tm, suggesting reduced conformational stability. Further, A2, A3 and A5 exhibit reduced colloidal stability at pH 3.8. In general, acidic variants are more prone to aggregation than basic variants. CONCLUSION Typical industry practice today is to examine in-process intermediate stability with acidic species and basic species taken as a single category each. We suggest that perhaps stability evaluation needs to be performed at specie level as different acidic or basic species have different stability and this knowledge can be used for clever designing of the downstream process to achieve a stable product.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surbhi Gupta
- Department of Chemical Engineering, DBT Centre of Excellence for Biopharmaceutical Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India
| | - Ankita Dubey
- Department of Chemical Engineering, DBT Centre of Excellence for Biopharmaceutical Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India
| | - Anurag S Rathore
- Department of Chemical Engineering, DBT Centre of Excellence for Biopharmaceutical Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India.
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Cageling R, Carillo S, Boumeester AJ, Lubbers-Geuijen K, Bones J, Jooß K, Somsen GW. Microfluidic capillary electrophoresis - mass spectrometry for rapid charge-variant and glycoform assessment of monoclonal antibody biosimilar candidates. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2024; 248:116301. [PMID: 38901155 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2024.116301] [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: 05/03/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Early-stage cell line screening is a vital step in developing biosimilars of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). While the quality of the manufactured antibodies is commonly assessed by charge-based separation methods employing UV absorbance detection, these methods lack the ability to identify resolved mAb variants. We evaluated the performance of microfluidic capillary electrophoresis coupled to mass spectrometry (MCE-MS) as a rapid tool for profiling mAb biosimilar candidates from clonal cell lines. A representative originator sample was used to develop the MCE-MS method. The addition of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) to the background electrolyte yielded up to 60-fold enhancement of the protein MS signal. The resulting electropherograms consistently provided resolution of mAb charge variants within 10 min. Deconvoluted mass spectra facilitated the identification of basic variants such as C-terminal lysine and proline amidation, while the acidic variants could be assigned to deamidated forms. The MCE-MS method also allowed the identification of 18 different glycoforms in biosimilar samples. To mimic early-stage cell line selection, samples from five clonal cell lines that all expressed the same biosimilar candidate mAb were compared to their originator mAb. Based on the similarity observed in charge variants and glycoform profiles acquired by MCE-MS, the most promising candidate could be selected. The MCE-MS method demonstrated good overall reproducibility, as confirmed by a transferability study involving two separate laboratories. This study highlights the efficacy of the MCE-MS method for rapid proteoform screening of clonal cell line samples, underscoring its potential significance as an analytical tool in biosimilar process development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruben Cageling
- Analytical Development, Polpharma Biologics, Yalelaan 46, Utrecht, 3584 CM, the Netherlands; Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, the Netherlands; Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Sara Carillo
- National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Fosters Avenue, Mount Merrion, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, A94 X099, Ireland
| | - Anja J Boumeester
- Analytical Development, Polpharma Biologics, Yalelaan 46, Utrecht, 3584 CM, the Netherlands
| | - Karin Lubbers-Geuijen
- Analytical Development, Polpharma Biologics, Yalelaan 46, Utrecht, 3584 CM, the Netherlands
| | - Jonathan Bones
- National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Fosters Avenue, Mount Merrion, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, A94 X099, Ireland; School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, D04 V1W8, Ireland
| | - Kevin Jooß
- Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, the Netherlands; Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Govert W Somsen
- Division of BioAnalytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam, 1081 HV, the Netherlands; Centre for Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Fei M, Zhang Q, Zhang L, Zhang Y, Wang L, Zhao Y, Zhang Z. Characterization workflow for fragments detected in capillary electrophoresis sodium dodecyl sulfate analysis of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. Electrophoresis 2024. [PMID: 38458992 DOI: 10.1002/elps.202300282] [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: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
Product-related fragments in monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) can have a significant impact on the efficacy and safety of the product. Capillary electrophoresis sodium dodecyl sulfate (CE-SDS) is a commonly used method for fragment quantification, but it has challenges in peak identification due to the inability to enrich components and the incompatibility of SDS with mass spectrometry (MS). This article presents a workflow for identifying peaks in CE-SDS analysis. The workflow involves comparing the migration time of peaks with that of standards and utilizing MS analysis to identify fragments. By employing this innovative systematic workflow, we successfully identified the CE-SDS impurity peaks of seven antibody products. Among them, four products exhibited characteristic fragments associated with disulfide bonds (light chain [LC], heavy-light [HL] chain, heavy-heavy [HH] chain, and HH-LC) and a glycosylation-related fragment non-glycosylated heavy chain. Additionally, one product showed a fragment formed by the connection of HC_C130 and HC_C130 , which is associated with a thioether bond. Furthermore, two other products displayed amino acid backbone breakage, with one product showing clipping at the HC region of A233 -G285 and the other product showing clipping at the HC regions of A97 -S158 and N342 -T366 . This workflow can be applied in early drug research, process development, or during the biologics license application stage to characterize fragments in therapeutic mAbs analyzed by CE-SDS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengdan Fei
- Analytical Science and Development, Shanghai Henlius Biologics Co., Ltd., Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- Analytical Science and Development, Shanghai Henlius Biologics Co., Ltd., Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Analytical Science and Development, Shanghai Henlius Biologics Co., Ltd., Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Yueze Zhang
- Analytical Science and Development, Shanghai Henlius Biologics Co., Ltd., Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Lingyu Wang
- Analytical Science and Development, Shanghai Henlius Biologics Co., Ltd., Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Yiman Zhao
- Analytical Science and Development, Shanghai Henlius Biologics Co., Ltd., Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Zhongli Zhang
- Analytical Science and Development, Shanghai Henlius Biologics Co., Ltd., Shanghai, P. R. China
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Shah A, Cui W, Harrahy J, Ivanov AR. Characterization of charge variants, including post-translational modifications and proteoforms, of bispecific antigen-binding protein by cation-exchange chromatography coupled to native mass spectrometry. Talanta 2024; 266:125062. [PMID: 37566926 PMCID: PMC10528315 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2023.125062] [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: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Charge variant characterization of biologics is critical to ensure that product meets the required quality and regulatory requirements to ensure safety and efficacy of the biotherapeutic. Charge variants arise from post-translation modifications (PTMs) during upstream processing and due to enzymatic and non-enzymatic chemical reactions that occur during downstream processing and storage. Some of these modifications may impact therapeutic potency, efficacy, or immunogenicity of a biotherapeutic. The traditional workflow for characterizing charge variants that involves fraction enrichment is time-consuming and labor-intensive. This approach can be especially challenging if the product is manufactured at low concentrations (e.g., ≤2 mg/mL). Recent advances in pH-based elution for ion-exchange chromatography utilizing volatile buffers have enabled rapid native mass-spectrometry-based identification of PTMs and proteoforms associated with protein therapeutics. In this study, we develop a novel workflow to rapidly and unambiguously characterize modifications associated with a new class of biotherapeutics known as bispecific antigen-binding protein (BsABP), including low-level modifications. A cation-exchange separation was optimized using volatile buffers to provide online hyphenation for native mass spectrometry to profile modifications and proteoforms present at the native level of a biotherapeutic, such as deamidation, O-glycosylation, amino acid substitution, N-linked glycosylation and oxidation. Furthermore, a limited proteolysis method was developed to specifically inform about modifications in the different domains of the bispecific antibody. Using this approach, we could efficiently identify PTMs in unstressed, thermally and photo-stressed samples, and provide information about the impact of downstream purification in clearing out modified BsABP species. Furthermore, peptide mapping was performed to identify and confirm modifications at the amino acid residue level. The developed workflow is less time-consumable and reduces sample processing- and analysis-related artifacts compared to traditional approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnik Shah
- Amgen Inc, 360 Binney Street, Cambridge, MA, 02141, United States; Barnett Institute of Chemical and Biological Analysis, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA, 02115, United States
| | - Weidong Cui
- Amgen Inc, 360 Binney Street, Cambridge, MA, 02141, United States
| | - John Harrahy
- Sanofi, 225 Second Avenue, Waltham, MA 02451, United States
| | - Alexander R Ivanov
- Barnett Institute of Chemical and Biological Analysis, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA, 02115, United States.
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6
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Kumar S, Peruri V, Rathore AS. An Online Two-Dimensional Approach to Characterizing the Charge-Based Heterogeneity of Recombinant Monoclonal Antibodies Using a 2D-CEX-AEX-MS Workflow. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2023; 34:2801-2810. [PMID: 37994779 DOI: 10.1021/jasms.3c00308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Assessment of product quality attributes such as charge heterogeneity is an upmost requisite for the release of a monoclonal antibody (mAb). Analytical techniques, such as cation-exchange chromatography (CEX), accomplish this, causing the mAb to separate into acidic, main species, and basic variants. Here, an online volatile-salt-containing two-dimensional liquid chromatography (2D-LC) method coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) was performed to characterize the charge heterogeneity of mAbs using CEX chromatography in the first dimension (D1) and anion-exchange chromatography (AEX) in the second dimension (D2). The main peak of the CEX profile of D1 was transferred through a 2D heart-cut method to D2 for further analysis by the AEX-MS method. In the CEX method, mAb A showed 10 distinct variants, while the AEX method resulted in eight variants. However, a total of 13 variants were successfully resolved for mAb A in the 2D method. Similarly, mAb B exhibited seven variants in the CEX method and four variants in the AEX method, but the 2D-LC method revealed a total of nine variants for mAb B. Likewise, mAb C displayed seven variants in CEX and seven variants in AEX, whereas the 2D-LC method unveiled a total of 11 variants for mAb C. Additionally, native MS analysis revealed that the resolved charge variants were identified as amidation, oxidation, and isomerization of Asp variants in the main peak, which were not resolved in stand-alone methods. The present study demonstrates how 2D-LC can assist in identifying minor variations in charge distribution or conformation of mAb variants that would otherwise not be picked up by a single analytical method alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunil Kumar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Vineela Peruri
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Anurag S Rathore
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India
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7
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Clemen R, Minkus L, Singer D, Schulan P, von Woedtke T, Wende K, Bekeschus S. Multi-Oxidant Environment as a Suicidal Inhibitor of Myeloperoxidase. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:1936. [PMID: 38001789 PMCID: PMC10668958 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12111936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Tissue inflammation drives the infiltration of innate immune cells that generate reactive species to kill bacteria and recruit adaptive immune cells. Neutrophil activation fosters the release of myeloperoxidase (MPO) enzyme, a heme-containing protein generating hypochlorous acid (HOCl) from hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and chloride ions. MPO-dependent oxidant formation initiates bioactive oxidation and chlorination products and induces oxidative post-translational modifications (oxPTMs) on proteins and lipid oxidation. Besides HOCl and H2O2, further reactive species such as singlet oxygen and nitric oxide are generated in inflammation, leading to modified proteins, potentially resulting in their altered bioactivity. So far, knowledge about multiple free radical-induced modifications of MPO and its effects on HOCl generation is lacking. To mimic this multi-oxidant microenvironment, human MPO was exposed to several reactive species produced simultaneously via argon plasma operated at body temperature. Several molecular gas admixes were used to modify the reactive species type profiles generated. MPO was investigated by studying its oxPTMs, changes in protein structure, and enzymatic activity. MPO activity was significantly reduced after treatment with all five tested plasma gas conditions. Dynamic light scattering and CD-spectroscopy revealed altered MPO protein morphology indicative of oligomerization. Using mass spectrometry, various oxPTMs, such as +1O, +2O, and +3O, were determined on methionine and cysteine (Cys), and -1H-1N+1O was detected in asparagine (Asp). The modification types identified differed between argon-oxygen and argon-nitrogen plasmas. However, all plasma gas conditions led to the deamidation of Asp and oxidation of Cys residues, suggesting an inactivation of MPO due to oxPTM-mediated conformational changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramona Clemen
- ZIK plasmatis, Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP), Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 2, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Lara Minkus
- ZIK plasmatis, Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP), Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 2, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Debora Singer
- ZIK plasmatis, Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP), Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 2, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
- Clinic and Policlinic for Dermatology and Venerology, Rostock University Medical Center, Strempelstr. 13, 18057 Rostock, Germany
| | - Paul Schulan
- ZIK plasmatis, Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP), Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 2, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Thomas von Woedtke
- ZIK plasmatis, Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP), Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 2, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
- Institute for Hygiene and Environmental Medicine, Greifswald University Medical Center, Sauerbruchstr., 17475 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Kristian Wende
- ZIK plasmatis, Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP), Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 2, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Sander Bekeschus
- ZIK plasmatis, Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP), Felix-Hausdorff-Str. 2, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
- Clinic and Policlinic for Dermatology and Venerology, Rostock University Medical Center, Strempelstr. 13, 18057 Rostock, Germany
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Huang Y, Yuan J, Mu R, Kubiak RJ, Ball K, Cao M, Hussmann GP, de Mel N, Liu D, Roskos LK, Liang M, Rosenbaum AI. Multiplex Bioanalytical Methods for Comprehensive Characterization and Quantification of the Unique Complementarity-Determining-Region Deamidation of MEDI7247, an Anti-ASCT2 Pyrrolobenzodiazepine Antibody-Drug Conjugate. Antibodies (Basel) 2023; 12:66. [PMID: 37873863 PMCID: PMC10594446 DOI: 10.3390/antib12040066] [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: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Deamidation, a common post-translational modification, may impact multiple physiochemical properties of a therapeutic protein. MEDI7247, a pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD) antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), contains a unique deamidation site, N102, located within the complementarity-determining region (CDR), impacting the affinity of MEDI7247 to its target. Therefore, it was necessary to monitor MEDI7247 deamidation status in vivo. Due to the low dose, a sensitive absolute quantification method using immunocapture coupled with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LBA-LC-MS/MS) was developed and qualified. We characterized the isomerization via Electron-Activated Dissociation (EAD), revealing that deamidation resulted in iso-aspartic acid. The absolute quantification of deamidation requires careful assay optimization in order not to perturb the balance of the deamidated and nondeamidated forms. Moreover, the selection of capture reagents essential for the correct quantitative assessment of deamidation was evaluated. The final assay was qualified with 50 ng/mL LLOQ for ADC for total and nondeamidated antibody quantification, with qualitative monitoring of the deamidated antibody. The impact of deamidation on the pharmacokinetic characteristics of MEDI7247 from clinical trial NCT03106428 was analyzed, revealing a gradual reduction in the nondeamidated form of MEDI7247 in vivo. Careful quantitative biotransformation analyses of complex biotherapeutic conjugates help us understand changes in product PTMs after administration, thus providing a more complete view of in vivo pharmacology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Huang
- Integrated Bioanalysis, Clinical Pharmacology & Safety Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, 121 Oyster Point Boulevard, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA; (Y.H.); (J.Y.); (R.M.); (M.L.)
| | - Jiaqi Yuan
- Integrated Bioanalysis, Clinical Pharmacology & Safety Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, 121 Oyster Point Boulevard, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA; (Y.H.); (J.Y.); (R.M.); (M.L.)
| | - Ruipeng Mu
- Integrated Bioanalysis, Clinical Pharmacology & Safety Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, 121 Oyster Point Boulevard, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA; (Y.H.); (J.Y.); (R.M.); (M.L.)
| | - Robert J. Kubiak
- Clinical Pharmacology and Quantitative Pharmacology, Clinical Pharmacology & Safety Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA; (R.J.K.); (L.K.R.)
| | - Kathryn Ball
- Clinical Pharmacology and Quantitative Pharmacology, Clinical Pharmacology & Safety Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Granta Park, Cambridge CB21 6GH, UK;
| | - Mingyan Cao
- Department of Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA; (M.C.); (G.P.H.); (N.d.M.); (D.L.)
| | - G. Patrick Hussmann
- Department of Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA; (M.C.); (G.P.H.); (N.d.M.); (D.L.)
| | - Niluka de Mel
- Department of Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA; (M.C.); (G.P.H.); (N.d.M.); (D.L.)
| | - Dengfeng Liu
- Department of Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA; (M.C.); (G.P.H.); (N.d.M.); (D.L.)
| | - Lorin K. Roskos
- Clinical Pharmacology and Quantitative Pharmacology, Clinical Pharmacology & Safety Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA; (R.J.K.); (L.K.R.)
| | - Meina Liang
- Integrated Bioanalysis, Clinical Pharmacology & Safety Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, 121 Oyster Point Boulevard, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA; (Y.H.); (J.Y.); (R.M.); (M.L.)
| | - Anton I. Rosenbaum
- Integrated Bioanalysis, Clinical Pharmacology & Safety Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, 121 Oyster Point Boulevard, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA; (Y.H.); (J.Y.); (R.M.); (M.L.)
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Jiang Z, Dalby PA. Challenges in scaling up AAV-based gene therapy manufacturing. Trends Biotechnol 2023; 41:1268-1281. [PMID: 37127491 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2023.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Accelerating the scale up of adeno-associated virus (AAV) manufacture is highly desirable to meet the increased demand for gene therapies. However, the development of bioprocesses for AAV gene therapies remains time-consuming and challenging. The quality by design (QbD) approach ensures bioprocess designs that meet the desired product quality and safety profile. Rapid stress tests, developability screens, and scale-down technologies have the potential to streamline AAV product and manufacturing bioprocess development within the QbD framework. Here we review how their successful use for antibody manufacture development is translating to AAV, but also how this will depend critically on improved analytical methods and adaptation of the tools as more understanding is gained on the critical attributes of AAV required for successful therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyu Jiang
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
| | - Paul A Dalby
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
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10
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Bhattacharya S, Rathore AS. A novel filter-assisted protein precipitation (FAPP) based sample pre-treatment method for LC-MS peptide mapping for biosimilar characterization. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2023; 234:115527. [PMID: 37364451 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2023.115527] [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: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Establishing analytical and functional comparability serves as the foundation of biosimilar development. A critical part of this exercise is sequence similarity search and categorization of post-translational modifications (PTMs), often by peptide mapping using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). When performing bottom-up proteomic sample preparation, efficient digestion of the protein and extraction of peptides for subsequent mass spectrometric analysis can be a challenge. Conventional sample preparation strategies face the risk of allowing interference of chemicals which are essential for extraction but are likely to interfere with digestion, resulting in complex chromatographic profiles due to semi-cleavages, insufficient peptide cleavages, and other unwanted reactions. Further, peptide cleanup through commonly used immobilized C-18 pipette tips can cause significant peptide loss as well as variability in individual peptide yields, thereby causing artifacts of various product-related modifications. In this study, we proposed a simple enzymatic digestion technique by incorporating different molecular weight filters and protein precipitation, with the objective to minimize interference of denaturing, reducing, and alkylating agents throughout overnight digestion. As a result, the need for peptide cleanup is significantly reduced and results in higher peptide yield. The proposed FAPP approach outperformed the conventional method across multiple metrics including, 30% more peptides, 8.19% more fully digested peptides, 14% higher sequence coverage rate, and 11.82% more site-specific alterations. Quantitative and qualitative repeatability of the proposed approach have been demonstrated. It can be concluded that the filter-assisted protein precipitation (FAPP) protocol proposed in this study offers an effective substitute for the traditional approach.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anurag S Rathore
- Chemical Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India.
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11
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Liu YD, Beardsley MI, Yang F. Expanding the Analytical Toolbox: Developing New Lys-C Peptide Mapping Methods with Minimized Assay-Induced Artifacts to Fully Characterize Antibodies. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:1327. [PMID: 37765135 PMCID: PMC10536426 DOI: 10.3390/ph16091327] [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: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Peptide mapping is an important tool used to confirm that the correct sequence has been expressed for a protein and to evaluate protein post-translational modifications (PTMs) that may arise during the production, processing, or storage of protein drugs. Our new orally administered drug (Ab-1), a single-domain antibody, is highly stable and resistant to proteolysis. Analysis via the commonly used tryptic mapping method did not generate sufficient sequence coverage. Alternative methods were needed to study the Ab-1 drug substance (75 mg/mL) and drug product (3 mg/mL). To meet these analytical needs, we developed two new peptide mapping methods using lysyl endopeptidase (Lys-C) digestion. These newly developed protein digestion protocols do not require desalting/buffer-exchange steps, thereby reducing sample preparation time and improving method robustness. Additionally, the protein digestion is performed under neutral pH with methionine acting as a scavenger to minimize artifacts, such as deamidation and oxidation, which are induced during sample preparation. Further, the method for low-concentration samples performs comparably to the method for high-concentration samples. Both methods provide 100% sequence coverage for Ab-1, and, therefore, enable comprehensive characterization for its product quality attribute (PQA) assessment. Both methods can be used to study other antibody formats.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Feng Yang
- Department of Protein Analytical Chemistry, Genentech/Roche, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA; (Y.D.L.); (M.I.B.)
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12
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Reinert T, Houzé P, Mignet N, Francois YN, Gahoual R. Post-translational modifications comparative identification and kinetic study of infliximab innovator and biosimilars in serum using capillary electrophoresis-tandem mass spectrometry. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2023; 234:115541. [PMID: 37399702 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2023.115541] [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: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Despite reports indicating the potential impact of post-translational modifications on the activity of a monoclonal antibody, their prediction or monitoring post-administration remains a challenge. In addition, with the expiration of patents concerning the early generation of mAbs, the production of biosimilars is constantly increasing. Structural differences of biosimilars compared to the innovator product are commonly evaluated for the formulated product in the context of biosimilarity assessment. However, estimating their structural outcome after administration is particularly difficult. Due to the complexity of in vivo studies, there is a need to develop analytical strategies to predict PTMs consequently to their administration and their impact on mAbs potency. Here, we identified and evaluated the modification kinetics of 4 asparagine deamidations and 2 aspartate isomerizations of infliximab innovator product (Remicade®) and two biosimilars (Inflectra® and Remsima®) in vitro using serum incubation at 37 °C. The methodology was based on a bottom-up approach with capillary electrophoresis hyphenated with mass spectrometry analysis for an unequivocal assignment of modified and unmodified forms. 2 asparagines demonstrated a gradual deamidation correlated with incubation time. The specific extraction efficiency was evaluated to determine possible changes in the antigen binding affinity of infliximab with the incubation. Results showed the possibility to achieve an additional aspect concerning biosimilarity assessment, oriented on the study of the structural stability after administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa Reinert
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse des Interactions et des Systèmes (LSMIS) UMR 7140 (Unistra-CNRS), Université de Strasbourg, France; Université Paris Cité, Unité de Technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé (UTCBS), CNRS UMR8258, Inserm, Faculté de sciences pharmaceutiques et biologiques, Paris, France
| | - Pascal Houzé
- Université Paris Cité, Unité de Technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé (UTCBS), CNRS UMR8258, Inserm, Faculté de sciences pharmaceutiques et biologiques, Paris, France; Laboratoire de Toxicologie Biologique, Hôpital Lariboisière, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France
| | - Nathalie Mignet
- Université Paris Cité, Unité de Technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé (UTCBS), CNRS UMR8258, Inserm, Faculté de sciences pharmaceutiques et biologiques, Paris, France
| | - Yannis-Nicolas Francois
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse des Interactions et des Systèmes (LSMIS) UMR 7140 (Unistra-CNRS), Université de Strasbourg, France
| | - Rabah Gahoual
- Université Paris Cité, Unité de Technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé (UTCBS), CNRS UMR8258, Inserm, Faculté de sciences pharmaceutiques et biologiques, Paris, France.
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13
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Andrasi M, Vishwakarma G, Szabo R, Nagy C, Gaspar A. Comparative study on the deamidation of three recombinant human insulins using capillary electrophoresis. J Chromatogr A 2023; 1706:464286. [PMID: 37573758 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2023.464286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
The applicability of capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) for the separation of different recombinant human insulins and their deamidated isoforms was studied. The high resolving power of CZE is demonstrated by its ability to separate insulin isoforms differing only by 0.984 Da (different-fold deamidated forms) and even components having the exacts same mass but slightly different shapes (same-fold deamidated forms). From among the several insulins available, humulin, glargine and glulisine were selected for our study because their sequences and chemical parameters are quite similar, however, the small differences present in their amino acid sequences influence the deamidation processes. Using a background electrolyte with basic pH was favourable not only for the separation of the different types of insulin but also for the separation of deamidated protein forms even in a bare fused silica capillary. The LOD values ranged between 0.6 - 0.93 mg/L and 2.17 - 4.37 mg/L for UV and ESI-MS detection, respectively. At -20 - -80 °C, the deamidation is minimal, but at temperatures above +5 °C deamidation is accelerated. At +5 °C only 1-fold deamidation forms could be observed for each insulin. Acidified samples incubated for 1-month at room temperature showed varying levels of deamidation: 1-fold, 1-2-fold and 1-2-3-fold forms for glargine, glulisine and humulin, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Andrasi
- Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Debrecen, Egyetem ter 1., Debrecen H-4032, Hungary
| | - G Vishwakarma
- Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Debrecen, Egyetem ter 1., Debrecen H-4032, Hungary
| | - R Szabo
- Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Debrecen, Egyetem ter 1., Debrecen H-4032, Hungary
| | - C Nagy
- Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Debrecen, Egyetem ter 1., Debrecen H-4032, Hungary
| | - A Gaspar
- Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Debrecen, Egyetem ter 1., Debrecen H-4032, Hungary.
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14
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VanAernum ZL, Sergi JA, Dey M, Toner T, Kilgore B, Lay-Fortenbery A, Wang Y, Bian S, Kochert BA, Bothe JR, Gao X, Richardson D, Schuessler HA. Discovery and Control of Succinimide Formation and Accumulation at Aspartic Acid Residues in The Complementarity-Determining Region of a Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibody. Pharm Res 2023; 40:1411-1423. [PMID: 36627449 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-022-03462-0] [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: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Succinimide formation and isomerization alter the chemical and physical properties of aspartic acid residues in a protein. Modification of aspartic acid residues within complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) can be particularly detrimental to the efficacy of the molecule. The goal of this study was to characterize the site of succinimide accumulation in the CDR of a therapeutic mAb and understand its effects on potency. Furthermore, we aimed to mitigate succinimide accumulation through changes in formulation. METHODS Accumulation of succinimide was identified through intact and reduced LC-MS mass measurements. A low pH peptide mapping method was used for relative quantitation and localization of succinimide formation in the CDR. Statistical modeling was used to correlate levels of succinimide with basic variants and potency measurements. RESULTS Succinimide accumulation in Formulation A was accelerated when stored at elevated temperatures. A strong correlation between succinimide accumulation in the CDR, an increase in basic charge variants, and a decrease in potency was observed. Statistical modeling suggest that a combination of ion exchange chromatography and potency measurements can be used to predict succinimide levels in a given sample. Reformulation of the mAb to Formulation B mitigates succinimide accumulation even after extended storage at elevated temperatures. CONCLUSION Succinimide formation in the CDR of a therapeutic mAb can have a strong negative impact on potency of the molecule. We demonstrate that thorough characterization of the molecule by LC-MS, ion exchange chromatography, and potency measurements can facilitate changes in formulation that mitigate succinimide formation and the corresponding detrimental changes in potency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary L VanAernum
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA.
| | - Joseph A Sergi
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | - Monisha Dey
- Biostatistics and Research Decision Sciences, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | - Timothy Toner
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | - Bruce Kilgore
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | - Ashley Lay-Fortenbery
- Preclinical Development, Merck & Co., Inc, 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | - Yi Wang
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
- Biologics Process and Analytical Development, National Resilience, Inc, Waltham, MA, 02451, USA
| | - Shengjie Bian
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
- CMC Regulatory & Technical Strategy, Amicus Therapeutics Inc. Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Brent A Kochert
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | - Jameson R Bothe
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | - Xinliu Gao
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | - Douglas Richardson
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | - Hillary A Schuessler
- Analytical Research and Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
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15
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Reinert T, Gahoual R, Mignet N, Kulus A, Allez M, Houzé P, François YN. Simultaneous quantification and structural characterization of monoclonal antibodies after administration using capillary zone electrophoresis-tandem mass spectrometry. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2023; 233:115446. [PMID: 37209497 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2023.115446] [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: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are demonstrating major success in various therapeutic areas such as oncology and the treatment of immune disorders. Over the past two decades, novel analytical methodologies allowed to address the challenges of mAbs characterization in the context of their production. However, after administration only their quantification is performed and insights regarding their structural evolution remain limited. For instance, clinical practice has recently highlighted significant inter-patient differences in mAb clearance and unexpected clinical responses, without providing alternative interpretations. Here, we report the development of a novel analytical strategy based on capillary zone electrophoresis coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (CE-MS/MS) for the simultaneous absolute quantification and structural characterization of infliximab (IFX) in human serum. CE-MS/MS quantification was validated over the range 0.4-25 µg·mL-1 corresponding to the IFX therapeutic window and achieved a LOQ of 0.22 µg·mL-1 (1.5 nM) while demonstrating outstanding specificity compared to the ELISA assay. CE-MS/MS allowed structural characterization and estimation of the relative abundance of the six major N-glycosylations expressed by IFX. In addition, the results allowed characterization and determination of the level of modification of post-translational modifications (PTMs) hotspots including deamidation of 4 asparagine and isomerization of 2 aspartate. Concerning N-glycosylation and PTMs, a new normalization strategy was developed to measure the variation of modification levels that occur strictly during the residence time of IFX in the patient's system, overcoming artefactual modifications induced by sample treatment and/or storage. The CE-MS/MS methodology was applied to the analysis of samples from patients with Crohn's disease. The data identified a gradual deamidation of a particular asparagine residue located in the complementary determining region that correlated with IFX residence time, while the evolution of IFX concentration showed significant variability among patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa Reinert
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse des Interactions et des Systèmes (LSMIS) UMR 7140 (Unistra-CNRS), Université de Strasbourg, France; Université Paris Cité, Unité de Technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé (UTCBS), CNRS, Inserm, Faculté de sciences pharmaceutiques et biologiques, Paris, France
| | - Rabah Gahoual
- Université Paris Cité, Unité de Technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé (UTCBS), CNRS, Inserm, Faculté de sciences pharmaceutiques et biologiques, Paris, France.
| | - Nathalie Mignet
- Université Paris Cité, Unité de Technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé (UTCBS), CNRS, Inserm, Faculté de sciences pharmaceutiques et biologiques, Paris, France
| | - Alexandre Kulus
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse des Interactions et des Systèmes (LSMIS) UMR 7140 (Unistra-CNRS), Université de Strasbourg, France
| | - Matthieu Allez
- Hôpital Saint-Louis, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Inserm, U1160 Paris, France
| | - Pascal Houzé
- Université Paris Cité, Unité de Technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé (UTCBS), CNRS, Inserm, Faculté de sciences pharmaceutiques et biologiques, Paris, France; Laboratoire de Toxicologie Biologique, Hôpital Lariboisière, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Paris, France
| | - Yannis-Nicolas François
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse des Interactions et des Systèmes (LSMIS) UMR 7140 (Unistra-CNRS), Université de Strasbourg, France
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16
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Sadek M, Moore BN, Yu C, Ruppe N, Abdun-Nabi A, Hao Z, Alvarez M, Dahotre S, Deperalta G. A Robust Purity Method for Biotherapeutics Using New Peak Detection in an LC-MS-Based Multi-Attribute Method. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2023; 34:484-492. [PMID: 36802331 DOI: 10.1021/jasms.2c00355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
New peak detection (NPD), as part of the LC-MS-based multi-attribute method (MAM), allows for sensitive and unbiased detection of new or changing site-specific attributes between a sample and reference that is not possible with conventional UV or fluorescence detection-based methods. MAM with NPD can serve as a purity test that can establish whether a sample and the reference are similar. The broad implementation of NPD in the biopharmaceutical industry has been limited by the potential presence of false positives or artifacts, which increase the analysis time and can trigger unnecessary investigations of product quality. Our novel contributions to the success of NPD are the curation of false positives, use of the known peak list concept, pairwise analysis approach, and the development of a NPD system suitability control strategy. In this report, we also introduce a unique experimental design utilizing sequence variant co-mixes to measure NPD performance. We show that NPD has superior performance relative to conventional control system methods in the detection of an unexpected change as compared with the reference. NPD is a new frontier in purity testing that reduces subjectivity, need for analyst intervention, and potential for missing unexpected product quality changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Sadek
- Protein Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Benjamin Nathan Moore
- Protein Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Christopher Yu
- Protein Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Nicholas Ruppe
- Protein Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Austin Abdun-Nabi
- Protein Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Zhiqi Hao
- Protein Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Melissa Alvarez
- Protein Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Sanket Dahotre
- Protein Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
| | - Galahad Deperalta
- Protein Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
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17
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Torkashvand F, Mehranfar M, Rashidi Gero M, Jafarian P, Mirabzadeh E, Azarian B, Sardari S, Vaziri B. Trastuzumab Charge Variants: a Study on Physicochemical and Pharmacokinetic Properties. IRANIAN BIOMEDICAL JOURNAL 2023; 27:108-16. [PMID: 37070702 PMCID: PMC10314757 DOI: 10.61186/ibj.3837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Background Post-translational modifications in bioprocessing and storage of recombinant mAbs are the main sources of charge variants. While the profile of these kinds of variants is considered an important attribute for the therapeutic mAbs, there is controversy about their direct role in safety and efficacy. In this study, the physicochemical and pharmacokinetic (PK) properties of the separated charge variants belonging to a trastuzumab potential biosimilar, were examined. Methods The acidic peaks, basic peaks, and main variants of trastuzumab were separated and enriched by semi-preparative weak cation exchange. A panel of analytical techniques was utilized to characterize the physicochemical properties of these variants. The binding affinity to HER2 and FcγRs and the PK parameters were evaluated for each variant. Results Based on the results, the charge variants of the proposed biosimilar had no significant influence on the examined efficacy and PK parameters. Conclusion During the development and production of biosimilar monoclonal antibodies, evaluating the effect of their charge variants on efficacy and PK parameters is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Torkashvand
- Biotechnology Research Centre, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Mahsa Mehranfar
- Biotechnology Research Centre, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Mahsa Rashidi Gero
- Biotechnology Research Centre, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Parisa Jafarian
- Biotechnology Research Centre, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences, North Tehran branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Esmat Mirabzadeh
- Biotechnology Research Centre, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Bahareh Azarian
- Biotechnology Research Centre, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Soroush Sardari
- Biotechnology Research Centre, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Behrouz Vaziri
- Biotechnology Research Centre, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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18
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Yi M, Sun J, Sun H, Wang Y, Hou S, Jiang B, Xie Y, Ji R, Xue L, Ding X, Song X, Xu A, Huang C, Quan Q, Song J. Identification and characterization of an unexpected isomerization motif in CDRH2 that affects antibody activity. MAbs 2023; 15:2215364. [PMID: 37229604 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2023.2215364] [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: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Aspartic acid (Asp) isomerization is a spontaneous non-enzymatic post-translation modification causing a change in the structure of the protein backbone, which is commonly observed in therapeutic antibodies during manufacturing and storage. The Asps in Asp-Gly (DG), Asp-Ser (DS), and Asp-Thr (DT) motifs in the structurally flexible regions, such as complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) in antibodies, are often found to have high rate of isomerization, and they are considered "hot spots" in antibodies. In contrast, the Asp-His (DH) motif is usually considered a silent spot with low isomerization propensity. However, in monoclonal antibody mAb-a, the isomerization rate of an Asp residue, Asp55, in the aspartic acid-histidine-lysine (DHK) motif present in CDRH2 was found to be unexpectedly high. By determining the conformation of DHK motif in the crystal structure of mAb-a, we found that the Cgamma of the Asp side chain carbonyl group and the back bone amide nitrogen of successor His were in proximal contact, which facilitates the formation of succinimide intermediate, and the +2 Lys played an important role in stabilizing such conformation. The contributing roles of the His and Lys residues in DHK motif were also verified using a series of synthetic peptides. This study identified a novel Asp isomerization hot spot, DHK, and the structural-based molecular mechanism was revealed. When 20% Asp55 isomerization in this DHK motif occurred in mAb-a, antigen binding activity reduced to 54%, but the pharmacokinetics in rat was not affected significantly. Although Asp isomerization of DHK motif in CDR does not appear to have a negative impact on PK, DHK motifs in the CDRs of antibody therapeutics should be removed, considering the high propensity of isomerization and impact on antibody activity and stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiqi Yi
- Department of Biologics, BeiGene (Beijing) Co. Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Jian Sun
- Department of Biologics, BeiGene (Beijing) Co. Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Hanzi Sun
- Department of Molecular Science, BeiGene (Beijing) Co. Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Yifei Wang
- Department of Biologics, BeiGene (Beijing) Co. Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Shan Hou
- Department of Biologics, BeiGene (Beijing) Co. Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Beibei Jiang
- Department of Pharmacology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co. Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Yuanyuan Xie
- Department of Biologics, BeiGene (Beijing) Co. Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Ruyue Ji
- Department of Biologics, BeiGene (Beijing) Co. Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Liu Xue
- Department of Biologics, BeiGene (Beijing) Co. Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao Ding
- Department of Translational Science, BeiGene (Beijing) Co. Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaomin Song
- Department of Pharmacology, BeiGene (Beijing) Co. Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - April Xu
- Department of Biologics, BeiGene (Beijing) Co. Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Chichi Huang
- Department of Biologics, BeiGene (Beijing) Co. Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Quan Quan
- Department of Biologics, BeiGene (Beijing) Co. Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Song
- Department of Biologics, BeiGene (Beijing) Co. Ltd, Beijing, China
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19
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Jia L, Sun Y. In Silico Prediction Method for Protein Asparagine Deamidation. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2552:199-217. [PMID: 36346593 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2609-2_10] [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] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In silico prediction methods were developed to predict protein asparagine (Asn) deamidation. The method is based on understanding deamidation mechanism on structural level with machine learning. Our structure-based method is more accurate than the sequence-based method which is still widely used in protein engineering process. In addition, molecular dynamics simulation was applied to study the time occupancy of nucleophilic attack distance, which is hypothesized as the most important step toward the rate-limiting succinimide intermediate formation. A more accurate prediction method for distinguishing potentially liable amino acid residues would allow their elimination or reduction as early as possible in the drug discovery process. It is possible that such quantitative protein structure-property relationship tools can also be applied to other protein hotspot predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Jia
- Amgen Research, One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA.
| | - Yaxiong Sun
- Amgen Research, One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
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20
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Beck A, Nowak C, Meshulam D, Reynolds K, Chen D, Pacardo DB, Nicholls SB, Carven GJ, Gu Z, Fang J, Wang D, Katiyar A, Xiang T, Liu H. Risk-Based Control Strategies of Recombinant Monoclonal Antibody Charge Variants. Antibodies (Basel) 2022; 11:73. [PMID: 36412839 PMCID: PMC9703962 DOI: 10.3390/antib11040073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the first approval of the anti-CD3 recombinant monoclonal antibody (mAb), muromonab-CD3, a mouse antibody for the prevention of transplant rejection, by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1986, mAb therapeutics have become increasingly important to medical care. A wealth of information about mAbs regarding their structure, stability, post-translation modifications, and the relationship between modification and function has been reported. Yet, substantial resources are still required throughout development and commercialization to have appropriate control strategies to maintain consistent product quality, safety, and efficacy. A typical feature of mAbs is charge heterogeneity, which stems from a variety of modifications, including modifications that are common to many mAbs or unique to a specific molecule or process. Charge heterogeneity is highly sensitive to process changes and thus a good indicator of a robust process. It is a high-risk quality attribute that could potentially fail the specification and comparability required for batch disposition. Failure to meet product specifications or comparability can substantially affect clinical development timelines. To mitigate these risks, the general rule is to maintain a comparable charge profile when process changes are inevitably introduced during development and even after commercialization. Otherwise, new peaks or varied levels of acidic and basic species must be justified based on scientific knowledge and clinical experience for a specific molecule. Here, we summarize the current understanding of mAb charge variants and outline risk-based control strategies to support process development and ultimately commercialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alain Beck
- Centre d’Immunologie Pierre-Fabre (CIPF), 5 Avenue Napoléon III, 74160 Saint-Julien-en-Genevois, France
| | - Christine Nowak
- Protein Characterization, Alexion AstraZeneca Rare Disease, 100 College St., New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Deborah Meshulam
- Technical Operations/CMC, Scholar Rock, 301 Binney Street, 3rd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Kristina Reynolds
- Technical Operations/CMC, Scholar Rock, 301 Binney Street, 3rd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - David Chen
- Technical Operations/CMC, Scholar Rock, 301 Binney Street, 3rd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Dennis B. Pacardo
- Technical Operations/CMC, Scholar Rock, 301 Binney Street, 3rd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Samantha B. Nicholls
- Protein Sciences, Scholar Rock, 301 Binney Street, 3rd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Gregory J. Carven
- Research, Scholar Rock, 301 Binney Street, 3rd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Zhenyu Gu
- Jasper Therapeutics, Inc., 2200 Bridge Pkwy Suite 102, Redwood City, CA 94065, USA
| | - Jing Fang
- Biological Drug Discovery, Biogen, 225 Binney St., Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Dongdong Wang
- Global Biologics, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, 300 Shire Way, Lexington, MA 02421, USA
| | - Amit Katiyar
- CMC Technical Operations, Magenta Therapeutics, 100 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Tao Xiang
- Downstream Process and Analytical Development, Boston Institute of Biotechnology, 225 Turnpike Rd., Southborough, MA 01772, USA
| | - Hongcheng Liu
- Technical Operations/CMC, Scholar Rock, 301 Binney Street, 3rd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
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21
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Zhang W, Wang H, Feng N, Li Y, Gu J, Wang Z. Developability assessment at early-stage discovery to enable development of antibody-derived therapeutics. Antib Ther 2022; 6:13-29. [PMID: 36683767 PMCID: PMC9847343 DOI: 10.1093/abt/tbac029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Developability refers to the likelihood that an antibody candidate will become a manufacturable, safe and efficacious drug. Although the safety and efficacy of a drug candidate will be well considered by sponsors and regulatory agencies, developability in the narrow sense can be defined as the likelihood that an antibody candidate will go smoothly through the chemistry, manufacturing and control (CMC) process at a reasonable cost and within a reasonable timeline. Developability in this sense is the focus of this review. To lower the risk that an antibody candidate with poor developability will move to the CMC stage, the candidate's developability-related properties should be screened, assessed and optimized as early as possible. Assessment of developability at the early discovery stage should be performed in a rapid and high-throughput manner while consuming small amounts of testing materials. In addition to monoclonal antibodies, bispecific antibodies, multispecific antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates, as the derivatives of monoclonal antibodies, should also be assessed for developability. Moreover, we propose that the criterion of developability is relative: expected clinical indication, and the dosage and administration route of the antibody could affect this criterion. We also recommend a general screening process during the early discovery stage of antibody-derived therapeutics. With the advance of artificial intelligence-aided prediction of protein structures and features, computational tools can be used to predict, screen and optimize the developability of antibody candidates and greatly reduce the risk of moving a suboptimal candidate to the development stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijie Zhang
- Biologicals Innovation and Discovery, WuXi Biologicals, 1951 Huifeng West Road, Fengxian District, Shanghai 201400, China
| | - Hao Wang
- Biologicals Innovation and Discovery, WuXi Biologicals, 1951 Huifeng West Road, Fengxian District, Shanghai 201400, China
| | - Nan Feng
- Biologicals Innovation and Discovery, WuXi Biologicals, 1951 Huifeng West Road, Fengxian District, Shanghai 201400, China
| | - Yifeng Li
- Technology and Process Development, WuXi Biologicals, 288 Fute Zhong Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, China
| | - Jijie Gu
- Biologicals Innovation and Discovery, WuXi Biologicals, 1951 Huifeng West Road, Fengxian District, Shanghai 201400, China
| | - Zhuozhi Wang
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Biologics Innovation and Discovery, WuXi Biologicals, 1951 Huifeng West Road, Fengxian District, Shanghai 201400, China, Phone number: +86-21-50518899
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22
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Liu YD, Cadang L, Bol K, Pan X, Tschudi K, Jazayri M, Camperi J, Michels D, Stults J, Harris RJ, Yang F. Challenges and Strategies for a Thorough Characterization of Antibody Acidic Charge Variants. Bioengineering (Basel) 2022; 9:641. [PMID: 36354552 PMCID: PMC9687119 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering9110641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/29/2022] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Heterogeneity of therapeutic Monoclonal antibody (mAb) drugs are due to protein variants generated during the manufacturing process. These protein variants can be critical quality attributes (CQAs) depending on their potential impact on drug safety and/or efficacy. To identify CQAs and ensure the drug product qualities, a thorough characterization is required but challenging due to the complex structure of biotherapeutics. Past characterization studies for basic and acidic variants revealed that full characterizations were limited to the basic charge variants, while the quantitative measurements of acidic variants left gaps. Consequently, the characterization and quantitation of acidic variants are more challenging. A case study of a therapeutic mAb1 accounted for two-thirds of the enriched acidic variants in the initial characterization study. This led to additional investigations, closing the quantification gaps of mAb1 acidic variants. This work demonstrates that a well-designed study with the right choices of analytical methods can play a key role in characterization studies. Thus, the updated strategies for more complete antibody charge variant characterization are recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y. Diana Liu
- Pharma Technical Development, Genentech/Roche, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Feng Yang
- Pharma Technical Development, Genentech/Roche, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
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23
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Gurel B, Berksoz M, Capkin E, Parlar A, Pala MC, Ozkan A, Capan Y, Daglikoca DE, Yuce M. Structural and Functional Analysis of CEX Fractions Collected from a Novel Avastin® Biosimilar Candidate and Its Innovator: A Comparative Study. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14081571. [PMID: 36015197 PMCID: PMC9415858 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14081571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Avastin® is a humanized recombinant monoclonal antibody used to treat cancer by targeting VEGF-A to inhibit angiogenesis. SIMAB054, an Avastin® biosimilar candidate developed in this study, showed a different charge variant profile than its innovator. Thus, it is fractionated into acidic, main, and basic isoforms and collected physically by Cation Exchange Chromatography (CEX) for a comprehensive structural and functional analysis. The innovator product, fractionated into the same species and collected by the same method, is used as a reference for comparative analysis. Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC) ESI-QToF was used to analyze the modifications leading to charge heterogeneities at intact protein and peptide levels. The C-terminal lysine clipping and glycosylation profiles of the samples were monitored by intact mAb analysis. The post-translational modifications, including oxidation, deamidation, and N-terminal pyroglutamic acid formation, were determined by peptide mapping analysis in the selected signal peptides. The relative binding affinities of the fractionated charge isoforms against the antigen, VEGF-A, and the neonatal receptor, FcRn, were revealed by Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) studies. The results show that all CEX fractions from the innovator product and the SIMAB054 shared the same structural variants, albeit in different ratios. Common glycoforms and post-translational modifications were the same, but at different percentages for some samples. The dissimilarities were mostly originating from the presence of extra C-term Lysin residues, which are prone to enzymatic degradation in the body, and thus they were previously assessed as clinically irrelevant. Another critical finding was the presence of different glyco proteoforms in different charge species, such as increased galactosylation in the acidic and afucosylation in the basic species. SPR characterization of the isolated charge variants further confirmed that basic species found in the CEX analyses of the biosimilar candidate were also present in the innovator product, although at lower amounts. The charge variants’ in vitro antigen- and neonatal receptor-binding activities varied amongst the samples, which could be further investigated in vivo with a larger sample set to reveal the impact on the pharmacokinetics of drug candidates. Minor structural differences may explain antigen-binding differences in the isolated charge variants, which is a key parameter in a comparability exercise. Consequently, such a biosimilar candidate may not comply with high regulatory standards unless the binding differences observed are justified and demonstrated not to have any clinical impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Busra Gurel
- SUNUM Nanotechnology Research and Application Center, Sabanci University, Istanbul 34956, Turkey;
| | - Melike Berksoz
- ILKO ARGEM Biotechnology R&D Center, Istanbul 34906, Turkey; (M.B.); (E.C.); (M.C.P.); (A.O.); (Y.C.)
| | - Eda Capkin
- ILKO ARGEM Biotechnology R&D Center, Istanbul 34906, Turkey; (M.B.); (E.C.); (M.C.P.); (A.O.); (Y.C.)
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, Istanbul 34956, Turkey;
| | - Ayhan Parlar
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, Istanbul 34956, Turkey;
| | - Meltem Corbacioglu Pala
- ILKO ARGEM Biotechnology R&D Center, Istanbul 34906, Turkey; (M.B.); (E.C.); (M.C.P.); (A.O.); (Y.C.)
| | - Aylin Ozkan
- ILKO ARGEM Biotechnology R&D Center, Istanbul 34906, Turkey; (M.B.); (E.C.); (M.C.P.); (A.O.); (Y.C.)
| | - Yılmaz Capan
- ILKO ARGEM Biotechnology R&D Center, Istanbul 34906, Turkey; (M.B.); (E.C.); (M.C.P.); (A.O.); (Y.C.)
| | - Duygu Emine Daglikoca
- ILKO ARGEM Biotechnology R&D Center, Istanbul 34906, Turkey; (M.B.); (E.C.); (M.C.P.); (A.O.); (Y.C.)
- Correspondence: (D.E.D.); (M.Y.)
| | - Meral Yuce
- SUNUM Nanotechnology Research and Application Center, Sabanci University, Istanbul 34956, Turkey;
- Correspondence: (D.E.D.); (M.Y.)
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24
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Bueno-Soler A, Palacios-Oliva J, Dorvignit-Pedroso D, Quintana-Cantillo A, Ramirez-Roque Y, Santo Tomas-Pompa J, Solazabal-Armstrong JA, Ruiz-Ramirez I, Mateo-de Acosta C, Boggiano-Ayo T, Lao-Gonzalez T. Production of an anti-TNFα antibody in murine myeloma cells by perfusion culture. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 106:5007-5021. [PMID: 35835964 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-022-12052-4] [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: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Infliximab is a mouse/human chimeric IgG1 monoclonal antibody which recognizes the proinflammatory cytokine, tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), and inhibits receptor interactions, thereby decreasing inflammation and autoimmune response in patients. This monoclonal antibody has been successfully used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and psoriatic arthritis. However, the high treatment cost limits patient access to this biotherapy. One alternative to this problem is the use of biosimilars. In this work, we describe the stable expression and physicochemical characterization of an anti-TNFα antibody. While infliximab is produced in recombinant murine SP2/0 cells, our anti-TNFα IgG antibody was expressed in recombinant murine NS0 myeloma cells. The best anti-TNFα antibody-expressing clone was selected from three clone candidates based on the stability of IgG expression levels, specific productivity as well as TNFα-binding activity compared to commercial infliximab. Our results indicate that the selected cell clone, culture medium, and fermentation mode allowed for the production of an anti-TNFα antibody with similar characteristics to the reference commercially available product. An optimization of the selected culture medium by metabolomics may increase the volumetric productivity of the process to satisfy the demand for this product. Further experiments should be performed to evaluate the biological properties of this anti-TNFα antibody. KEY POINTS: • An anti-TNFα antibody was produced in NS0 cells using perfusion culture. • A proprietary chemically defined culture medium was used to replace commercially available protein-free medium. • The purified anti-TNFα antibody was comparable to the reference marketed product.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexi Bueno-Soler
- Process Development Direction, Center of Molecular Immunology, 11600, Playa, Havana, Cuba
| | - Julio Palacios-Oliva
- Process Development Direction, Center of Molecular Immunology, 11600, Playa, Havana, Cuba
| | - Denise Dorvignit-Pedroso
- Immunobiology Direction, Center of Molecular Immunology, 11600, Playa, Havana, Cuba
- Department of Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Yaima Ramirez-Roque
- Process Development Direction, Center of Molecular Immunology, 11600, Playa, Havana, Cuba
| | | | | | - Ingrid Ruiz-Ramirez
- Quality Control Direction, Center of Molecular Immunology, 11600, Playa, Havana, Cuba
| | - Cristina Mateo-de Acosta
- Immunobiology Direction, Center of Molecular Immunology, 11600, Playa, Havana, Cuba
- CIMAB S. A, 11600, Playa, Havana, Cuba
| | - Tammy Boggiano-Ayo
- Process Development Direction, Center of Molecular Immunology, 11600, Playa, Havana, Cuba
| | - Thailin Lao-Gonzalez
- Process Development Direction, Center of Molecular Immunology, 11600, Playa, Havana, Cuba.
- Animal Biotechnology Division, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, 10600, Playa, Havana, Cuba.
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25
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Hashii N, Tajiri M, Ishii-Watabe A. [Quality Evaluation of Therapeutic Antibodies by Multi-attribute Method]. YAKUGAKU ZASSHI 2022; 142:731-744. [PMID: 35781502 DOI: 10.1248/yakushi.21-00211-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
In the development of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), it is essential to characterize the modifications causing structural heterogeneity because certain modifications are associated with safety and efficacy. However, the rapid structural analysis of mAbs remains challenging due to their structural complexity. The multi-attribute method (MAM) is a structural analytical method based on peptide mapping using LC/MS, and has drawn attention as a new quality control method for therapeutic mAbs instead of conventional structural heterogeneity analyses using several chromatographic techniques. Peptide mapping, which is regarded as an identification test method, is used to confirm that the amino acid sequence corresponds to that deduced from the gene sequence for the desired product. In contrast, MAM is used for simultaneously monitoring the modification rates of individual amino acid residues of therapeutic mAbs, indicating that MAM is used as quantitative test rather than identification test. In this review, we summarized the typical structural heterogeneities of mAbs and the general scheme of MAM. We also introduced our optimized sample preparation method for MAM, and examples of simultaneous monitoring of several modifications including deamidation, oxidation, N-terminal pyroglutamination, C-terminal clipping and glycosylation by our MAM system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noritaka Hashii
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Biologicals, National Institute of Health Sciences
| | - Michiko Tajiri
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Biologicals, National Institute of Health Sciences
| | - Akiko Ishii-Watabe
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Biologicals, National Institute of Health Sciences
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26
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Martínez-Ortega A, Herrera A, Salmerón-García A, Cabeza J, Perez-Robles R, Navas N. Degradation and in-use stability study of five marketed therapeutic monoclonal antibodies by generic weak cation exchange liquid chromatographic method ((WCX)HPLC/DAD). J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2022; 1203:123295. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2022.123295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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27
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He X, ElNaggar M, Ostrowski MA, Guttman A, Gentalen E, Sperry J. Evaluation of an icIEF-MS system for comparable charge variant analysis of biotherapeutics with rapid peak identification by mass spectrometry. Electrophoresis 2022; 43:1215-1222. [PMID: 35286725 PMCID: PMC9322286 DOI: 10.1002/elps.202100295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Protein therapeutics are usually produced in heterogeneous forms during bioproduction and bioprocessing. Heterogeneity results from post‐translational modifications that can yield charge variants and require characterization throughout product development and manufacturing. Isoelectric focusing (IEF) with UV detection is one of the most common methods to evaluate protein charge heterogeneity in the biopharmaceutical industry. To identify charge variant peaks, a new imaged microfluidic chip‐based isoelectric focusing (icIEF) system coupled directly to mass spectrometry was recently reported. Bridging is required to demonstrate comparability between existing and new technology. As such, here we demonstrate the comparability of the pI value measurement and relative charge species distributions between the icIEF‐MS system and the control data from a frequently utilized methodology in the biopharmaceutical industry for several blinded development‐phase biopharmaceutical monoclonal antibodies across a wide pI range of 7.3–9.0. Hyphenation of the icIEF system with mass spectrometry enabled direct and detailed structural determination of a test molecule, with masses suggesting acidic and basic shifts are caused by sialic acid additions and the presence of unprocessed lysine residues. In addition, MS analysis further identified several low‐abundance glycoforms. The icIEF‐MS system provides sample quantification, characterization, and identification of mAb proteoforms without sacrificing icIEF quantification comparability or speed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Andras Guttman
- Horvath Csaba Memorial Laboratory of Bioseparation Sciences, University of Debrecen, Hungary.,Previously with SCIEX
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28
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Ruppen I, Beydon ME, Solís C, Sacristán D, Vandenheede I, Ortiz A, Sandra K, Adhikary L. Similarity demonstrated between isolated charge variants of MB02, a biosimilar of bevacizumab, and Avastin® following extended physicochemical and functional characterization. Biologicals 2022; 77:1-15. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biologicals.2021.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
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29
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Optimized Methods for Analytical and Functional Comparison of Biosimilar mAb Drugs: A Case Study for Avastin, Mvasi, and Zirabev. Sci Pharm 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/scipharm90020036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Bevacizumab is a humanized therapeutic monoclonal antibody used to reduce angiogenesis, a hallmark of cancer, by binding to VEGF-A. Many pharmaceutical companies have developed biosimilars of Bevacizumab in the last decade. The official reports provided by the FDA and EMA summarize the analytical performance of biosimilars as compared to the originators without giving detailed analytical procedures. In the current study, several key methods were optimized and reported for analytical and functional comparison of bevacizumab originators (Avastin, Altuzan) and approved commercial biosimilars (Zirabev and Mvasi). This case study presents a comparative analysis of a set of biosimilars under optimized analytical conditions for the first time in the literature. The chemical structure of all products was analyzed at intact protein and peptide levels by high-resolution mass spectrometry; the major glycoforms and posttranslational modifications, including oxidation, deamidation, N-terminal PyroGlu addition, and C-terminal Lys clipping, were compared. The SPR technique was used to reveal antigen and some receptor binding kinetics of all products, and the ELISA technique was used for C1q binding affinity analysis. Finally, the inhibition performance of the samples was evaluated by an MTS-based proliferation assay in vitro. Major glycoforms were similar, with minor differences among the samples. Posttranslational modifications, except C-terminal Lys, were determined similarly, while unclipped Lys percentage was higher in Zirabev. The binding kinetics for VEGF, FcRn, FcγRIa, and C1q were similar or in the value range of originators. The anti-proliferative effect of Zirabev was slightly higher than the originators and Mvasi. The analysis of biosimilars under the same conditions could provide a new aspect to the literature in terms of the applied analytical techniques. Further studies in this field would be helpful to better understand the inter-comparability of the biosimilars.
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30
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Bana A, Mehta P. Similarity assessment of charge variants for bevacizumab biosimilar formulations using imaged capillary isoelectric focusing. J LIQ CHROMATOGR R T 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/10826076.2022.2072329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Arpit Bana
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Institute of Pharmacy, Nirma University, Ahmedabad, India
| | - Priti Mehta
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Institute of Pharmacy, Nirma University, Ahmedabad, India
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31
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Liu T, Xu J, Guo Q, Zhang D, Li J, Qian W, Guo H, Zhou X, Hou S. Identification, Efficacy, and Stability Evaluation of Succinimide Modification With a High Abundance in the Framework Region of Golimumab. Front Chem 2022; 10:826923. [PMID: 35449588 PMCID: PMC9017650 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2022.826923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Succinimide (Asu) is the intermediate for asparagine deamidation in therapeutic proteins, and it can be readily hydrolyzed to form aspartate and iso-aspartate residues. Moreover, Asu plays an important role in the protein degradation pathways, asparagine deamidation, and aspartic acid isomerization. Here, Asu modification with a high abundance in the framework region (FR) of golimumab was first reported, the effect of denaturing buffer pH on the Asu modification homeostasis was studied, and the results revealed that it was relatively stable over a pH range of 6.0–7.0 whereas a rapid decrease at pH 8.0. Then, the peptide-based multi-attribute method (MAM) analyses showed that the Asu formation was at Asn 43 in the FR of the heavy chain. Meanwhile, the efficacy [affinity, binding and bioactivity, complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) activity, and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) activity] and stability of the Asu modification of golimumab were evaluated, and the current results demonstrated comparable efficacy and stability between the Asu low- and high-abundance groups. Our findings provide valuable insights into Asu modification and its effect on efficacy and stability, and this study also demonstrates that there is a need to develop a broad-spectrum, rapid, and accurate platform to identify and characterize new peaks in the development of therapeutic proteins, particularly for antibody drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Liu
- Department of Oncology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Antibody Medicine and Targeted Therapy, Shanghai, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Control of Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibodies, Shanghai, China
| | - Jin Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Antibody Medicine and Targeted Therapy, Shanghai, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Control of Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibodies, Shanghai, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, China
- Shanghai Zhangjiang Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | - Qingcheng Guo
- Taizhou Mabtech Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., Taizhou, China
| | - Dapeng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Antibody Medicine and Targeted Therapy, Shanghai, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Control of Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibodies, Shanghai, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, China
| | - Jun Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, China
| | - Weizhu Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Antibody Medicine and Targeted Therapy, Shanghai, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Control of Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibodies, Shanghai, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, China
| | - Huaizu Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Antibody Medicine and Targeted Therapy, Shanghai, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Control of Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibodies, Shanghai, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, China
- Shanghai Zhangjiang Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Huaizu Guo, ; Xinli Zhou, ; Sheng Hou,
| | - Xinli Zhou
- Department of Oncology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Huaizu Guo, ; Xinli Zhou, ; Sheng Hou,
| | - Sheng Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Antibody Medicine and Targeted Therapy, Shanghai, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Control of Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibodies, Shanghai, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, China
- *Correspondence: Huaizu Guo, ; Xinli Zhou, ; Sheng Hou,
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32
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Spanov B, Aboagye V, Olaleye O, Govorukhina N, van de Merbel NC, Bischoff R. Effect of Trastuzumab-HER2 Complex Formation on Stress-Induced Modifications in the CDRs of Trastuzumab. Front Chem 2022; 9:794247. [PMID: 35047480 PMCID: PMC8762049 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.794247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Asparagine deamidation and aspartic acid isomerization in the complementarity determining regions (CDRs) of monoclonal antibodies may alter their affinity to the target antigen. Trastuzumab has two hot spots for deamidation and one position for isomerization in the CDRs. Little is known how complex formation with its target antigen HER2 affects these modifications. Modifications in the CDRs of trastuzumab were thus compared between the free antibody and the trastuzumab-HER2 complex when stressed under physiological conditions at 37°C. Complex formation and stability of the complex upon stressing were assessed by size-exclusion chromatography. Deamidation of light-chain Asn-30 (Lc-Asn-30) was extensive when trastuzumab was stressed free but reduced about 10-fold when the antibody was stressed in complex with HER2. Almost no deamidation of heavy-chain (Hc-Asn-55) was detected in the trastuzumab-HER2 complex, while deamidation was observed when the antibody was stressed alone. Hc-Asp-102 isomerization, a modification that critically affects biological activity, was observed to a moderate degree when the free antibody was stressed but was not detected at all in the trastuzumab-HER2 complex. This shows that complex formation has a major influence on critical modifications in the CDRs of trastuzumab.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baubek Spanov
- Department of Analytical Biochemistry, Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Victoria Aboagye
- Department of Analytical Biochemistry, Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Oladapo Olaleye
- Department of Analytical Biochemistry, Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Natalia Govorukhina
- Department of Analytical Biochemistry, Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Nico C. van de Merbel
- Department of Analytical Biochemistry, Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- Bioanalytical Laboratory, ICON, Assen, Netherlands
| | - Rainer Bischoff
- Department of Analytical Biochemistry, Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
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Niu B, Martinelli M, de Mel N, Meinke E, Zhai W, Kilby G, Xu W, Chen X, Wang C. Eliminating protein oxidation artifacts during High Performance Liquid Chromatography peak fractionation processes. J Chromatogr A 2021; 1663:462761. [PMID: 34968959 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2021.462761] [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: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are inherently heterogeneous and hence generally studied and controlled by an array of orthogonal separation methods. During drug candidate development, fractionation by HPLC is regularly employed to assist peak identification and product understanding. One overlooked challenge is the protein oxidation introduced by the fractionation process. In this study, we report the extent of fractionation-induced protein oxidation, which tends to complicate data interpretation and peak assignments. Higher-energy detectors such as fluorescence detectors and lower fraction concentration were found to exacerbate the oxidation artifacts. Other contributing factors than the detector-induced photostress were also found to contribute significantly to protein oxidation. Furthermore, our study showed that collecting fractions into a solution with oxidation scavengers, such as histidine and methionine, was effective in eliminating the oxidation artifacts introduced by detector exposure and fraction processing steps. Through an example, we demonstrate that the modified fractionation workflow improves the accuracy of peak assignments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Niu
- Analytical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, USA
| | - Michael Martinelli
- Analytical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, USA
| | - Niluka de Mel
- Analytical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, USA
| | - Eric Meinke
- Analytical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, USA
| | - Weiguo Zhai
- Analytical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, USA
| | - Greg Kilby
- Analytical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, USA
| | - Wei Xu
- Analytical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, USA
| | - Xiaoyu Chen
- Analytical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, USA
| | - Chunlei Wang
- Analytical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, USA.
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Kramlinger VM, Dalvie D, Heck CJ, Kalgutkar AS, O'Neill J, Su D, Teitelbaum A, Totah RA. Future of Biotransformation Science in the Pharmaceutical Industry. Drug Metab Dispos 2021; 50:258-267. [PMID: 34921097 DOI: 10.1124/dmd.121.000658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past decades, the number of scientists trained in departments dedicated to traditional medicinal chemistry, biotransformation and/or chemical toxicology have seemingly declined. Yet, there remains a strong demand for such specialized skills in the pharmaceutical industry, particularly within drug metabolism/pharmacokinetics (DMPK) departments. In this position paper, the members of the Biotransformation, Mechanisms, and Pathways Focus Group (BMPFG) steering committee reflect on the diverse roles and responsibilities of scientists trained in the biotransformation field in pharmaceutical companies and contract research organizations. The BMPFG is affiliated with the International Society for the Study of Xenobiotics (ISSX) and was specifically created to promote the exchange of ideas pertaining to topics of current and future interest involving the metabolism of xenobiotics (including drugs). The authors also delve into the relevant education and diverse training skills required to successfully nurture the future cohort of industry biotransformation scientists and guide them towards a rewarding career path. The ability of scientists with a background in biotransformation/organic chemistry to creatively solve complex drug metabolism problems encountered during research and development efforts on both small molecule or large molecular modalities is exemplified in five relevant case studies. Finally, the authors stress the importance and continued commitment to training the next generation of biotransformation scientists who are not only experienced in the metabolism of conventional small molecule therapeutics, but are also equipped to tackle emerging challenges associated with new drug discovery modalities including peptides, protein degraders and antibodies. Significance Statement Biotransformation and mechanistic drug metabolism scientists are critical to advancing chemical entities through discovery and development, yet the number of scientists academically trained for this role is on the decline. This position paper highlights the continuing demand for biotransformation scientists and the necessity to nurture creative ways to train them and guarantee the future growth of this field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Carley Js Heck
- Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, United States
| | - Amit S Kalgutkar
- Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics, and Metabolism Dept., Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, United States
| | | | - Dian Su
- Mersana Therapeutics, United States
| | - Aaron Teitelbaum
- Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, United States
| | - Rheem A Totah
- Medicinal Chemistry, Univeristy of Washington, United States
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Gupta S, Jiskoot W, Schöneich C, Rathore AS. Oxidation and Deamidation of Monoclonal Antibody Products: Potential Impact on Stability, Biological Activity, and Efficacy. J Pharm Sci 2021; 111:903-918. [PMID: 34890632 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2021.11.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The role in human health of therapeutic proteins in general, and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in particular, has been significant and is continuously evolving. A considerable amount of time and resources are invested first in mAb product development and then in clinical examination of the product. Physical and chemical degradation can occur during manufacturing, processing, storage, handling, and administration. Therapeutic proteins may undergo various chemical degradation processes, including oxidation, deamidation, isomerization, hydrolysis, deglycosylation, racemization, disulfide bond breakage and formation, Maillard reaction, and β-elimination. Oxidation and deamidation are the most common chemical degradation processes of mAbs, which may result in changes in physical properties, such as hydrophobicity, charge, secondary or/and tertiary structure, and may lower the thermodynamic or kinetic barrier to unfold. This may predispose the product to aggregation and other chemical modifications, which can alter the binding affinity, half-life, and efficacy of the product. This review summarizes major findings from the past decade on the impact of oxidation and deamidation on the stability, biological activity, and efficacy of mAb products. Mechanisms of action, influencing factors, characterization tools, clinical impact, and risk mitigation strategies have been addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surbhi Gupta
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi-110016, India
| | - Wim Jiskoot
- Division of BioTherapeutics, Leiden Centre for Drug Research (LACDR), Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | - Anurag S Rathore
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi-110016, India.
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Navarro-Huerta JA, Murisier A, Nguyen JM, Lauber MA, Beck A, Guillarme D, Fekete S. Ultra-short ion-exchange columns for fast charge variants analysis of therapeutic proteins. J Chromatogr A 2021; 1657:462568. [PMID: 34601253 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2021.462568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this work was to study the potential of recently developed ultra-short column hardware for ion exchange chromatography (IEX). Various prototype and commercial columns having lengths of 5, 10, 15, 20 and 50 mm and packed with non-porous 3 µm particles were systematically compared. Both pH and salt gradient modes of elution were evaluated. Similarly, what has been previously reported for reversed phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) mode, an "on-off" retention mechanism was observed in IEX for therapeutic proteins and their fragments (25-150 kDa range). Because of the non-porous nature of the IEX packing material, the column porosity was relatively low (ε = 0.42) and therefore the volumes of ultra-short columns were very small. Based on this observation, it was important to reduce as much as possible all the sources of extra-column volumes (i.e. injection volume, extra-bed volume, detector cell volume and connector tubing volume), to limit peak broadening. With a fully optimized UHPLC system, very fast separations of intact and IdeS digested mAb products were successfully performed in about 1 min using an IEX column with dimensions of 15 × 2.1 mm. This column was selected for high-throughput separations, since it probably offers the best compromise between efficiency and analysis time. For such ultra-fast separations, PEEK tubing was applied to bypass the column oven (column directly connected) to the optical detector via a zero dead volume connection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Antonio Navarro-Huerta
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Universitat de València, C/ Dr. Moliner 50, 46100, Burjassot, Spain
| | - Amarande Murisier
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, CMU-Rue Michel Servet 1, 1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland; Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, University of Geneva, CMU-Rue Michel Servet 1, 1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Jennifer M Nguyen
- Waters Corporation, 34 Maple Street, Milford, MA, 01757-3696, United States
| | - Matthew A Lauber
- Waters Corporation, 34 Maple Street, Milford, MA, 01757-3696, United States
| | - Alain Beck
- IRPF, Center of Immunology Pierre Fabre, 5 Avenue Napoléon III, BP 60497, 74160, Saint-Julien-en-Genevois, France
| | - Davy Guillarme
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, CMU-Rue Michel Servet 1, 1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland; Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, University of Geneva, CMU-Rue Michel Servet 1, 1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Szabolcs Fekete
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, CMU-Rue Michel Servet 1, 1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland; Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, University of Geneva, CMU-Rue Michel Servet 1, 1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland.
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Tajiri-Tsukada M, Hashii N, Ishii-Watabe A. Establishment of a highly precise multi-attribute method for the characterization and quality control of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. Bioengineered 2021; 11:984-1000. [PMID: 32942957 PMCID: PMC8291864 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2020.1814683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The multi-attribute method (MAM) has garnered attention as a new quality control method of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). MAM analysis allows multiple relative quantifications of several structural attributes of therapeutic mAbs; however, some issues remain to be addressed in its procedures especially for sample preparation. The goal of this study was to optimize the sample preparation method for MAM analysis of mAbs. Using a model mAb, we compared five sample preparation methods based on sequence coverage, peptide redundancy, missed cleavage and chemical deamidation. It was found that low pH buffer and short digestion time reduced artificial deamidation. The desalting process after carboxymethylation was essential to obtaining high sequence coverage by a short digestion time. The generation of missed cleavage peptides was also improved by using a trypsin/lysyl endopeptidase (Lys-C) mixture. Next, we evaluated the usefulness of our method as a part of MAM analysis. Finally, 17 glycopeptides, 2 deamidated peptides and N- and C-terminal peptides of the heavy chain were successfully monitored with acceptable mass accuracy and coefficient of variation (CV, %) of the relative peak area. On the other hand, 4 oxidated peptides indicated the unavoidable slightly higher inter-assay CV (%) of the peak area ratio due to the instability in the MS sample solution. Collectively, we demonstrated that our method was applicable as an easy and reliable sample preparation method for MAM analysis, and the variation in the relative peak area could be influenced by the modification type rather than by the amount of each peptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiko Tajiri-Tsukada
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Biologicals, National Institute of Health Sciences , Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan.,Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University , Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Noritaka Hashii
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Biologicals, National Institute of Health Sciences , Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Akiko Ishii-Watabe
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Biologicals, National Institute of Health Sciences , Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
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Spanov B, Olaleye O, Lingg N, Bentlage AEH, Govorukhina N, Hermans J, van de Merbel N, Vidarsson G, Jungbauer A, Bischoff R. Change of charge variant composition of trastuzumab upon stressing at physiological conditions. J Chromatogr A 2021; 1655:462506. [PMID: 34492576 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2021.462506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Cation-exchange chromatography is a widely used approach to study charge heterogeneity of monoclonal antibodies. Heterogeneity may arise both in vitro and in vivo because of the susceptibility of monoclonal antibodies to undergo chemical modifications. Modifications may adversely affect the potency of the drug, induce immunogenicity or affect pharmacokinetics. In this study, we evaluated the application of optimized pH gradient systems for the separation of charge variants of trastuzumab after forced degradation study. pH gradient-based elution resulted in high-resolution separation of some 20 charge variants after 3 weeks at 37°C under physiological conditions. The charge variants were further characterized by LC-MS-based peptide mapping. There was no significant difference in the binding properties to HER2 or a range of Fcγ receptors between non-stressed and stressed trastuzumab.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baubek Spanov
- Department of Analytical Biochemistry, Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, A Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Oladapo Olaleye
- Department of Analytical Biochemistry, Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, A Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Nico Lingg
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Arthur E H Bentlage
- Department of Experimental Immunohematology, Sanquin Research and Landsteiner Laboratory, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Natalia Govorukhina
- Department of Analytical Biochemistry, Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, A Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Jos Hermans
- Department of Analytical Biochemistry, Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, A Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Nico van de Merbel
- Department of Analytical Biochemistry, Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, A Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, the Netherlands; Bioanalytical Laboratory, PRA Health Sciences, Early Development Services, Westerbrink 3, 9405 BJ Assen, the Netherlands
| | - Gestur Vidarsson
- Department of Experimental Immunohematology, Sanquin Research and Landsteiner Laboratory, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Alois Jungbauer
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - Rainer Bischoff
- Department of Analytical Biochemistry, Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, A Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, the Netherlands.
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Similarity demonstrated between isolated charge variants of MB02, a biosimilar of bevacizumab, and Avastin® following extended physicochemical and functional characterization. Biologicals 2021; 73:41-56. [PMID: 34593306 DOI: 10.1016/j.biologicals.2021.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The majority of recombinant mAb products contain heterogeneous charge variants, commonly the result of post-translational modifications occurring during cell culture and accumulated during production, formulation and storage. MB02 is a biosimilar mAb to bevacizumab. Similarity data of charge variants for biosimilars against its reference products must be generated to demonstrate consistency in product quality and to ensure efficacy and safety. The goal of this work was to isolate seven charge variants of MB02 and Avastin® by semi-preparative cation exchange chromatography followed by purity test and extended analytical characterization to prove similarity. Although poor purity obtained for minor variants complicated data interpretation, an in-depth insight into the charge variants pattern of MB02 compared to Avastin® was obtained, contributing to a better understanding of modifications associated to microheterogeneity. To our knowledge, this is the first comparative analytical study of individual charge variants of a bevacizumab biosimilar following a head-to head approach and the most comprehensive N-glycosylation assessment of IgG1 charge variants. Although modifications related to N- and C-terminal, N-glycans, size heterogeneity or deamidation were specifically enriched among low abundant charge variants, they did not affect binding affinity to VEGF or FcRn and in vitro potency compared with the main species or unfractionated material.
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40
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Haberger M, Heidenreich AK, Hook M, Fichtl J, Lang R, Cymer F, Adibzadeh M, Kuhne F, Wegele H, Reusch D, Bonnington L, Bulau P. Multiattribute Monitoring of Antibody Charge Variants by Cation-Exchange Chromatography Coupled to Native Mass Spectrometry. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2021; 32:2062-2071. [PMID: 33687195 DOI: 10.1021/jasms.0c00446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to characterize the product variants of a therapeutic T-cell bispecific humanized monoclonal antibody (TCB Mab, ∼200 kDa, asymmetric) and to develop an online cation-exchange chromatography native electrospray mass spectrometry method (CEC-UV-MS) for direct TCB Mab charge variant monitoring during bioprocess and formulation development. For the identification and functional evaluation of the diverse and complex TCB Mab charge variants, offline fractionation combined with comprehensive analytical testing was applied. The offline fractionation of abundant product variant peaks enabled identification of coeluting acid charge variants such as asparagine deamidation, primary and secondary Fab glycosylation (with and without sialic acid), and the presence of O-glycosylation in the G4S-linker region. Consequently, a new nonconsensus N-glycosylation motif (N-338-FG) in the heavy chain CDR region was discovered. Functional evaluation by cell-based potency testing demonstrated a clear and negative impact of both asparagine deamidations, whereas the O-glycosylation did not affect the TCB Mab biological activity. We established an online native CEC-UV-MS method, with an ammonium acetate buffer and pH gradient, to directly monitor the TCB Mab charge variants. All abundant chemical degradations and post-translational amino acid modifications already identified by offline fraction experiments and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry peptide mapping could also be monitored by the online CEC-UV-MS method. The herein reported online native CEC-UV-MS methodology represents a complementary or even alternative approach for multiattribute monitoring of biologics, offering multiple benefits, including increased throughput and reduced sample handling and intact protein information in the near-native state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Haberger
- Pharma Technical Development, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| | | | - Michaela Hook
- Pharma Technical Development, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| | - Jürgen Fichtl
- Pharma Technical Development, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| | - Rainer Lang
- Pharma Technical Development, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| | - Florian Cymer
- Pharma Technical Development, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., c, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mahdi Adibzadeh
- Pharma Technical Development, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., c, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Felix Kuhne
- Pharma Technical Development, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| | - Harald Wegele
- Pharma Technical Development, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| | - Dietmar Reusch
- Pharma Technical Development, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| | - Lea Bonnington
- Pharma Technical Development, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| | - Patrick Bulau
- Pharma Technical Development, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
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Birdsall RE, Kellett J, Ippoliti S, Ranbaduge N, Lauber MA, Yu YQ, Chen W. Reducing metal-ion mediated adsorption of acidic peptides in RPLC-based assays using hybrid silica chromatographic surfaces. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2021; 1179:122700. [PMID: 34329890 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2021.122700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
In this study we evaluate column hardware exhibiting a novel hybrid silica surface in its ability to mitigate metal-induced adsorption artifacts such as chromatographic peak tailing for acidic amino acid residue containing peptides. Using a conventional reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC)-based method, chromatographic performance of a peptide map was compared using a traditional stainless-steel column and an equivalent column bearing a novel hybrid silica surface. Tailing factors for six peptides containing acidic amino acid residues (Tf ≥ 1.50) were observed to be reduced up to 80% to a nominal value Tf ≤ 1.2 with R.S.D. % ≤ 4%. Furthermore, recovery for two of the identified peptides exhibited increased recovery in addition to reduced peak tailing when using the column bearing the hybrid silica surface. Performance was unaffected for peaks where there were no implications of metal induced effects. Collectively, this study demonstrates that the novel hybrid silica surface can effectively reduce peak tailing for acidic residue containing peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert E Birdsall
- Waters Corporation, 34 Maple Street, Milford, MA 01757, United States.
| | - Jacob Kellett
- Waters Corporation, 34 Maple Street, Milford, MA 01757, United States.
| | - Samantha Ippoliti
- Waters Corporation, 34 Maple Street, Milford, MA 01757, United States.
| | - Nilini Ranbaduge
- Waters Corporation, 34 Maple Street, Milford, MA 01757, United States.
| | - Matthew A Lauber
- Waters Corporation, 34 Maple Street, Milford, MA 01757, United States.
| | - Ying Qing Yu
- Waters Corporation, 34 Maple Street, Milford, MA 01757, United States.
| | - Weibin Chen
- Waters Corporation, 34 Maple Street, Milford, MA 01757, United States.
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Nakayoshi T, Wanita K, Kato K, Kurimoto E, Oda A. Computational analysis of nonenzymatic deamidation of asparagine residues catalysed by acetic acid. Mol Phys 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/00268976.2020.1827176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tomoki Nakayoshi
- Graduate School of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
- Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Kota Wanita
- Graduate School of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Koichi Kato
- Graduate School of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
- Department of Pharmacy, Kinjo Gakuin University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Eiji Kurimoto
- Graduate School of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Akifumi Oda
- Graduate School of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
- Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
- Institute for Protein Research, Suita, Japan
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43
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Camperi J, Grunert I, Heinrich K, Winter M, Özipek S, Hoelterhoff S, Weindl T, Mayr K, Bulau P, Meier M, Mølhøj M, Leiss M, Guillarme D, Bathke A, Stella C. Inter-laboratory study to evaluate the performance of automated online characterization of antibody charge variants by multi-dimensional LC-MS/MS. Talanta 2021; 234:122628. [PMID: 34364437 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2021.122628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
An international study was conducted to evaluate the performance and reliability of an online multi-dimensional (mD)-LC-MS/MS approach for the characterization of antibody charge variants. The characterization of antibody charge variants is traditionally performed by time-consuming, offline isolation of charge variant fractions by ion exchange chromatography (IEC) that are subsequently subjected individually to LC-MS/MS peptide mapping. This newly developed mD-LC-MS/MS approach enables automated and rapid characterization of charge variants using much lower sample requirements. This online workflow includes sample reduction, digestion, peptide mapping, and subsequent mass spectrometric analysis within a single, fully-automated procedure. The benefits of using online mD-LC-MS/MS for variant characterization include fewer handling steps, a more than 10-fold reduction in required sample amount, reduced sample hold time as well as a shortening of the overall turnaround time from weeks to few days compared to standard offline procedures. In this site-to-site comparison study, we evaluated the online peptide mapping data collected from charge variants of trastuzumab (Herceptin®) across three international laboratories. The purpose of this study was to compare the overall performance of the online mD-LC-MS/MS approach for antibody charge variant characterization, with all participating sites employing different mD-LC-MS/MS setups (e.g., instrument vendors, modules, columns, CDS software). The high sequence coverage (95%-97%) obtained in each laboratory, enabled a reproducible generation of tryptic peptides and the comparison of values of the charge variants. Results obtained at all three participating sites were in good agreement, highlighting the reliability and performance of this approach, and correspond with data gained by the standard offline procedure. Overall, our results underscore of the benefit mD-LC-MS/MS technology for therapeutic antibody characterization, confirming its potential to become an important tool in the toolbox of protein characterization scientists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Camperi
- Protein Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Ingrid Grunert
- Pharma Technical Development, Roche, Nonnenwald 2, 82377, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Katrin Heinrich
- Pharma Technical Development, Roche, Nonnenwald 2, 82377, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Martin Winter
- Pharma Technical Development, Roche, Nonnenwald 2, 82377, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Saban Özipek
- Pharma Technical Development, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sina Hoelterhoff
- Pharma Technical Development, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Weindl
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche, Nonnenwald 2, 82377, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Kilian Mayr
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche, Nonnenwald 2, 82377, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Patrick Bulau
- Pharma Technical Development, Roche, Nonnenwald 2, 82377, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Monika Meier
- Pharma Technical Development, Roche, Nonnenwald 2, 82377, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Michael Mølhøj
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche, Nonnenwald 2, 82377, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Michael Leiss
- Pharma Technical Development, Roche, Nonnenwald 2, 82377, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Davy Guillarme
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, CMU - Rue Michel-Servet, 1, 1206, Geneva, Switzerland; Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland (ISPSO), University of Geneva, CMU-Rue Michel Servet 1, 1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Anja Bathke
- Pharma Technical Development, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Cinzia Stella
- Protein Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA.
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Lan W, Valente JJ, Ilott A, Chennamsetty N, Liu Z, Rizzo JM, Yamniuk AP, Qiu D, Shackman HM, Bolgar MS. Investigation of anomalous charge variant profile reveals discrete pH-dependent conformations and conformation-dependent charge states within the CDR3 loop of a therapeutic mAb. MAbs 2021; 12:1763138. [PMID: 32432964 PMCID: PMC7299213 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2020.1763138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
During the development of a therapeutic monoclonal antibody (mAb-1), the charge variant profile obtained by pH-gradient cation exchange chromatography (CEX) contained two main peaks, each of which exhibited a unique intrinsic fluorescence profile and demonstrated inter-convertibility upon reinjection of isolated peak fractions. Domain analysis of mAb-1 by CEX and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry indicated that the antigen-binding fragment chromatographed as two separate peaks that had identical mass. Surface plasmon resonance binding analysis to antigen demonstrated comparable kinetics/affinity between these fractionated peaks and unfractionated starting material. Subsequent molecular modeling studies revealed that the relatively long and flexible complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) loop on the heavy chain could adopt two discrete pH-dependent conformations: an “open” conformation at neutral pH where the HC-CDR3 is largely solvent exposed, and a “closed” conformation at lower pH where the solvent exposure of a neighboring tryptophan in the light chain is reduced and two aspartic acid residues near the ends of the HC-CDR3 loop have atypical pKa values. The pH-dependent equilibrium between “open” and “closed” conformations of the HC-CDR3, and its proposed role in the anomalous charge variant profile of mAb-1, were supported by further CEX and hydrophobic interaction chromatography studies. This work is an example of how pH-dependent conformational changes and conformation-dependent changes to net charge can unexpectedly contribute to perceived instability and require thorough analytical, biophysical, and functional characterization during biopharmaceutical drug product development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenkui Lan
- Drug Product Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, New Brunswick, United States
| | - Joseph J Valente
- Drug Product Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, New Brunswick, United States
| | - Andrew Ilott
- Drug Product Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, New Brunswick, United States
| | - Naresh Chennamsetty
- Biophysics Center of Excellence, Global Product Development and Supply, Bristol Myers Squibb, New Brunswick, United States
| | - Zhihua Liu
- Drug Product Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, New Brunswick, United States
| | - Joseph M Rizzo
- Discovery Biotherapeutics, Bristol Myers Squibb, Pennington, United States
| | - Aaron P Yamniuk
- Discovery Biotherapeutics, Bristol Myers Squibb, Pennington, United States
| | - Difei Qiu
- Chemical Process Department, Bristol Myers Squibb, New Brunswick, United States
| | - Holly M Shackman
- Chemical Process Department, Bristol Myers Squibb, New Brunswick, United States
| | - Mark S Bolgar
- Drug Product Development, Bristol Myers Squibb, New Brunswick, United States
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45
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Thomson AS, Mai SH, Bouma G, Herdman M, Byrne M, Hottenstein CS, Minetti J, Trulli S, Taylor JD, White JR, Chen S. Structure and Functional Characterization of a Humanized Anti-CCL20 Antibody following Exposure to Serum Reveals the Formation of Immune Complex That Leads to Toxicity. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2021; 206:1067-1076. [PMID: 33483346 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2000336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
mAbs have revolutionized the treatment of autoimmune disorders. Even though mAbs have shown impressive efficacy in blocking T cell or B cell activation and/or recruitment to sites of inflammation, this group of biologicals are not devoid of adverse effects. The most serious adverse effects include infusion reactions, including the activation of the complement pathway. In this study, we present a detailed structure-function study of an anti-CCL20 humanized IgG1 mAb that neutralizes CCL20 chemokine and prevents the recruitment of Th17 cells to sites of inflammation. We demonstrate that the anti-CCL20 Ab changes significantly following administration to humans and monkeys and exposure to human serum. Analysis of the drug product revealed that the anti-CCL20 Ab has unexpectedly high C1q binding. This high binding was linked to immune complex formation in vivo but not during in vitro serum incubation. The immune complex contained multiple complement components. Anti-CCL20 Ab-mediated, complement-dependent cytotoxicity occurred when the Ab bound to CCL20 tethered to the cell membrane of target cells. Taken together, these results provide a likely cause for the animal toxicity observed. In addition, anti-CCL20 revealed progressive acidification because of N100 (located in CDR) deamidation over time, which did not directly impact Ag binding. Our study demonstrates that the safety profiling of mAbs should include the evaluation of effector functions in addition to typical stressed conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S Thomson
- Biopharm Analytical Sciences, Biopharm Product Development and Supply, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA 19426;
| | - Shing H Mai
- Biopharm Analytical Sciences, Biopharm Product Development and Supply, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA 19426
| | - Gerben Bouma
- Adaptive Immunity Research Unit, GlaxoSmithKline, Stevenage SG1 2NY, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Herdman
- Clinical Pharmacology and Experimental Medicine, GlaxoSmithKline, Stevenage SG1 2NY, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Byrne
- Biopharm Analytical Sciences, Biopharm Product Development and Supply, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA 19426
| | - Charles S Hottenstein
- Bioanalysis, Immunogenicity, and Biomarkers, In Vitro/In Vivo Translation, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA 19426; and
| | - Joseph Minetti
- Biopharm Analytical Sciences, Biopharm Product Development and Supply, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA 19426
| | - Stephen Trulli
- Biopharm Analytical Sciences, Biopharm Product Development and Supply, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA 19426
| | - J David Taylor
- Protein, Cellular and Structural Sciences, Medicine Design, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA 19426
| | - John R White
- Biopharm Analytical Sciences, Biopharm Product Development and Supply, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA 19426
| | - Shugui Chen
- Biopharm Analytical Sciences, Biopharm Product Development and Supply, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA 19426
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46
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Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies are proteinaceous in nature and are subject to instability issues. Stability testing of monoclonal antibodies is a critical regulatory requirement in their development and commercialization as therapeutic biological molecules. This article reviews the numerous drug manufacturing processes such as: upstream processing, downstream purification and aseptic filling along with physical and chemical factors such as protein concentration, structure, pH, temperature, light, agitation, deamidation, oxidation, glycation leading to instabilities in monoclonal antibodies and it spotlights the variety of analytical techniques employed to investigate and generate information on stability studies and henceforth, helps in developing the stability-indicating methods. In addition, this paper aims to discuss the ICH regulatory guideline (s) for the stability assessment of biological products (Drug Substance and Drug Product).
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Affiliation(s)
- Harleen Kaur
- Analytical Sciences, Aurobindo Biologics, Hyderabad, India
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47
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Shi RL, Xiao G, Dillon TM, Ricci MS, Bondarenko PV. Characterization of therapeutic proteins by cation exchange chromatography-mass spectrometry and top-down analysis. MAbs 2021; 12:1739825. [PMID: 32292112 PMCID: PMC7188404 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2020.1739825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Recently, cation exchange chromatography (CEX) using aqueous volatile buffers was directly coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) and applied for intact analysis of therapeutic proteins and antibodies. In our study, chemical modifications responsible for charge variants were identified by CEX-UV-MS for a monoclonal antibody (mAb), a bispecific antibody, and an Fc-fusion protein. We also report post-CEX column addition of organic solvent and acid followed by mixing at elevated temperatures, which unfolded proteins, increased ion intensity (sensitivity) and facilitated top-down analysis. mAb stressed by hydrogen peroxide oxidation was used as a model system, which produced additional CEX peaks. The on-line CEX-UV-MS top-down analysis produced gas-phase fragments containing one or two methionine residues. Oxidation of some methionine residues contributed to earlier (acidic), some to later (basic) eluting peaks, while oxidation of other residues did not change CEX elution. The abundance of the oxidized and non-oxidized fragment ions also allowed estimation of the oxidation percentage of different methionine residues in stressed mAb. CEX-UV-MS measurement revealed a new intact antibody proteoform at 5% that eluted as a basic peak and included paired modifications: high-mannose glycosylation and remaining C-terminal lysine residue (M5/M5 + K). This finding was confirmed by peptide mapping and on-column disulfide reduction coupled with reversed-phase liquid chromatography – top-down MS analysis of the collected basic peak. Overall, our results demonstrate the utility of the on-line method in providing site-specific structural information of charge modifications without fraction collection and laborious peptide mapping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Liuqing Shi
- Attribute Sciences, Process Development, Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
| | - Gang Xiao
- Attribute Sciences, Process Development, Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
| | - Thomas M Dillon
- Attribute Sciences, Process Development, Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
| | - Margaret S Ricci
- Attribute Sciences, Process Development, Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
| | - Pavel V Bondarenko
- Attribute Sciences, Process Development, Amgen Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
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48
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Greer T, O'Brien Johnson R, Cejkov M, Zheng X, Li N. Integration of liquid chromatography mass spectrometry with a heavy peptide response curve accurately measures unprocessed C-terminal lysine during peptide mapping analysis of therapeutic antibodies in a single run. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2021; 197:113963. [PMID: 33626446 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2021.113963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Therapeutic monoclonal and bispecific antibodies are susceptible to modification after protein biosynthesis. These post-translational modifications (PTMs) not only contribute to mass and charge heterogeneity, but they can also negatively impact the molecule's activity, half-life, and immunogenicity. Therefore, identification and quantification of PTMs are critical to ensure the safety and efficacy of an antibody therapeutic as well as demonstrate product consistency and process control. Unprocessed C-terminal lysine on the heavy chain (HC) is a prevalent modification that contributes to this charge heterogeneity in antibodies. Peptide mapping through liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS2) enjoys higher selectivity and sensitivity for measuring this PTM relative to global PTM methods, but differences in the ionization efficiencies of the unprocessed C-terminal K peptide and the truncated C-terminal K peptide result in its overestimation. Consequently, large discrepancies in this PTM's measured abundance may exist between different characterization assays used in regulatory filings, which can be further compounded by large variability when multiple mass spectrometers are used to quantify C-terminal K during a therapeutic's lifespan. In this study, we propose a simple new method to quantify unprocessed C-terminal K in antibodies in a single LC-MS2 run that incorporates heavy isotopic standards for both the unprocessed and truncated C-terminal K peptide to build a response curve and correct for the disparity in ionization efficiency between these two different peptide sequences. The approach was evaluated across two different Orbitrap-based mass spectrometers using multiple monoclonal and bispecific therapeutic antibodies, resulting in accurate (<10% error, as determined with peptide standards) and precise C-terminal K quantification during peptide mapping analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler Greer
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, NY 10591-6707, United States
| | - Reid O'Brien Johnson
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, NY 10591-6707, United States
| | - Milos Cejkov
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, NY 10591-6707, United States
| | - Xiaojing Zheng
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, NY 10591-6707, United States.
| | - Ning Li
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., 777 Old Saw Mill River Road, Tarrytown, NY 10591-6707, United States
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49
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Yüce M, Sert F, Torabfam M, Parlar A, Gürel B, Çakır N, Dağlıkoca DE, Khan MA, Çapan Y. Fractionated charge variants of biosimilars: A review of separation methods, structural and functional analysis. Anal Chim Acta 2021; 1152:238189. [PMID: 33648647 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2020.12.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The similarity between originator and biosimilar monoclonal antibody candidates are rigorously assessed based on primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary structures, and biological functions. Minor differences in such parameters may alter target-binding, potency, efficacy, or half-life of the molecule. The charge heterogeneity analysis is a prerequisite for all biotherapeutics. Monoclonal antibodies are prone to enzymatic or non-enzymatic structural modifications during or after the production processes, leading to the formation of fragments or aggregates, various glycoforms, oxidized, deamidated, and other degraded residues, reduced Fab region binding activity or altered FcR binding activity. Therefore, the charge variant profiles of the monoclonal antibodies must be regularly and thoroughly evaluated. Comparative structural and functional analysis of physically separated or fractioned charged variants of monoclonal antibodies has gained significant attention in the last few years. The fraction-based charge variant analysis has proved very useful for the biosimilar candidates comprising of unexpected charge isoforms. In this report, the key methods for the physical separation of monoclonal antibody charge variants, structural and functional analyses by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and surface plasmon resonance techniques were reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meral Yüce
- Sabanci University, SUNUM Nanotechnology Research and Application Center, 34956, Istanbul, Turkey.
| | - Fatma Sert
- Sabanci University, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, 34956, Istanbul, Turkey; ILKO ARGEM Biotechnology R&D Center, 34906, Pendik, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Milad Torabfam
- Sabanci University, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, 34956, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ayhan Parlar
- Sabanci University, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, 34956, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Büşra Gürel
- Sabanci University, SUNUM Nanotechnology Research and Application Center, 34956, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Nilüfer Çakır
- Sabanci University, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, 34956, Istanbul, Turkey; ILKO ARGEM Biotechnology R&D Center, 34906, Pendik, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Duygu E Dağlıkoca
- ILKO ARGEM Biotechnology R&D Center, 34906, Pendik, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Mansoor A Khan
- Texas A&M Health Sciences Centre, Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Yılmaz Çapan
- ILKO ARGEM Biotechnology R&D Center, 34906, Pendik, Istanbul, Turkey; Hacettepe University, Faculty of Pharmacy, 06100, Ankara, Turkey.
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50
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Root AR, Guntas G, Katragadda M, Apgar JR, Narula J, Chang CS, Hanscom S, McKenna M, Wade J, Meade C, Ma W, Guo Y, Liu Y, Duan W, Hendershot C, King AC, Zhang Y, Sousa E, Tam A, Benard S, Yang H, Kelleher K, Jin F, Piche-Nicholas N, Keating SE, Narciandi F, Lawrence-Henderson R, Arai M, Stochaj WR, Svenson K, Mosyak L, Lam K, Francis C, Marquette K, Wroblewska L, Zhu HL, Sheehan AD, LaVallie ER, D’Antona AM, Betts A, King L, Rosfjord E, Cunningham O, Lin L, Sapra P, Tchistiakova L, Mathur D, Bloom L. Discovery and optimization of a novel anti-GUCY2c x CD3 bispecific antibody for the treatment of solid tumors. MAbs 2021; 13:1850395. [PMID: 33459147 PMCID: PMC7833764 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2020.1850395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
We report here the discovery and optimization of a novel T cell retargeting anti-GUCY2C x anti-CD3ε bispecific antibody for the treatment of solid tumors. Using a combination of hybridoma, phage display and rational design protein engineering, we have developed a fully humanized and manufacturable CD3 bispecific antibody that demonstrates favorable pharmacokinetic properties and potent in vivo efficacy. Anti-GUCY2C and anti-CD3ε antibodies derived from mouse hybridomas were first humanized into well-behaved human variable region frameworks with full retention of binding and T-cell mediated cytotoxic activity. To address potential manufacturability concerns, multiple approaches were taken in parallel to optimize and de-risk the two antibody variable regions. These approaches included structure-guided rational mutagenesis and phage display-based optimization, focusing on improving stability, reducing polyreactivity and self-association potential, removing chemical liabilities and proteolytic cleavage sites, and de-risking immunogenicity. Employing rapid library construction methods as well as automated phage display and high-throughput protein production workflows enabled efficient generation of an optimized bispecific antibody with desirable manufacturability properties, high stability, and low nonspecific binding. Proteolytic cleavage and deamidation in complementarity-determining regions were also successfully addressed. Collectively, these improvements translated to a molecule with potent single-agent in vivo efficacy in a tumor cell line adoptive transfer model and a cynomolgus monkey pharmacokinetic profile (half-life>4.5 days) suitable for clinical development. Clinical evaluation of PF-07062119 is ongoing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam R. Root
- BioMedicine Design, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Jatin Narula
- BioMedicine Design, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Sara Hanscom
- BioMedicine Design, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Jason Wade
- BioMedicine Design, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Caryl Meade
- BioMedicine Design, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Weijun Ma
- BioMedicine Design, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Yongjing Guo
- BioMedicine Design, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Yan Liu
- BioMedicine Design, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Weili Duan
- BioMedicine Design, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Amy C. King
- BioMedicine Design, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Yan Zhang
- BioMedicine Design, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Eric Sousa
- BioMedicine Design, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Amy Tam
- BioMedicine Design, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Susan Benard
- BioMedicine Design, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Han Yang
- BioMedicine Design, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Fang Jin
- BioMedicine Design, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Maya Arai
- BioMedicine Design, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Lidia Mosyak
- BioMedicine Design, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - H. Lily Zhu
- BioMedicine Design, Pfizer Inc., Andover, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Alison Betts
- BioMedicine Design, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Lindsay King
- BioMedicine Design, Pfizer Inc., Andover, MA, USA
| | - Edward Rosfjord
- Oncology Research & Development, Pfizer Inc., Pearl River, NY, USA
| | | | - Laura Lin
- BioMedicine Design, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Puja Sapra
- Oncology Research & Development, Pfizer Inc., Pearl River, NY, USA
| | | | - Divya Mathur
- Oncology Research & Development, Pfizer Inc., Pearl River, NY, USA
| | - Laird Bloom
- BioMedicine Design, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA
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