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Buckley C, Millán-Martín S, Carillo S, Füssl F, MacHale C, Bones J. Implementation of a LC-MS based multi-attribute method (MAM) and intact multi-attribute method (iMAM) workflow for the characterisation of a GLP-Fc fusion protein. Anal Biochem 2024; 693:115585. [PMID: 38851475 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2024.115585] [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: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Over the past few years, the implementation of mass spectrometry (MS) in QC laboratories has become a more common occurrence. The multi-attribute method (MAM), and emerging intact multi-attribute method (iMAM), are powerful analytical tools utilising liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) methods that enable the monitoring of critical quality attributes (CQAs) in biotherapeutic proteins in compliant settings. Both MAM and iMAM are intended to replace or supplement several conventional assays with a single LC-MS method utilising MS data in combination with robust, semi-automated data processing workflows. MAM and iMAM workflows can also be implemented into current Good Manufacturing Practices environments due to the availability of CFR 11 compliant chromatography data system software. In this study, MAM and iMAM are employed for the analysis of 4 batches of a glucagon-like peptide-Fc fusion protein. MAM approach involved a first the discovery phase for the identification of CQAs and second, the target monitoring phase of the selected CQAs in other samples. New peak detection was performed on the data set to determine the appearance, absence or change of any peak. For native iMAM workflow both size exclusion and strong cation exchange chromatography were optimized for the identification and monitoring of CQAs at the intact level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciarán Buckley
- Eli Lilly Kinsale Limited, Dunderrow, Kinsale, Co. Cork, P17 NY71, Ireland; School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, 4, D04 V1W8, Ireland
| | - Silvia Millán-Martín
- National Institute for Bioprocessing Research & Training, Fosters Avenue, Mount Merrion, Blackrock, A94 X099, Co. Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sara Carillo
- National Institute for Bioprocessing Research & Training, Fosters Avenue, Mount Merrion, Blackrock, A94 X099, Co. Dublin, Ireland
| | - Florian Füssl
- National Institute for Bioprocessing Research & Training, Fosters Avenue, Mount Merrion, Blackrock, A94 X099, Co. Dublin, Ireland
| | - Ciara MacHale
- Eli Lilly Kinsale Limited, Dunderrow, Kinsale, Co. Cork, P17 NY71, Ireland
| | - Jonathan Bones
- School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, 4, D04 V1W8, Ireland; National Institute for Bioprocessing Research & Training, Fosters Avenue, Mount Merrion, Blackrock, A94 X099, Co. Dublin, Ireland.
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2
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Brack L, Merkel O, Schroeder R. A rapid method to monitor structural perturbations of high-concentrated therapeutic antibody solutions using Intrinsic Tryptophan Fluorescence Emission spectroscopy. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2024; 201:114377. [PMID: 38955284 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2024.114377] [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: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Drug product development of therapeutic antibody formulations is still dictated by the risk of protein particle formation during processing or storage, which can lead to loss of potency and potential immunogenic reactions. Since structural perturbations are the main driver for irreversible protein aggregation, the conformational integrity of antibodies should be closely monitored. The present study evaluated the applicability of a plate reader-based high throughput method for Intrinsic Tryptophan Fluorescence Emission (ITFE) spectroscopy to detect protein aggregation due to protein unfolding in high-concentrated therapeutic antibody samples. The impact of fluorophore concentration on the ITFE signal in microplate readers was investigated by analysis of dilution series of two therapeutic antibodies and pure tryptophan. At low antibody concentrations (< 5 mg/mL, equivalent to 0.8 mM tryptophan), the low inner filter effect suggests a quasi-linear relationship between antibody concentration and ITFE intensity. In contrast, the constant ITFE intensity at high protein concentrations (> 40 mg/mL, equivalent to 6.1 mM tryptophan) indicate that ITFE spectroscopy measurements of IgG1 antibodies are feasible in therapeutically relevant concentrations (up to 223 mg/mL). Furthermore, the capability of the method to detect low levels of unfolding (around 1 %) was confirmed by limit of detection (LOD) determination with temperature-stressed antibody samples as degradation standards. Change of fluorescence intensity at the maximum (ΔIaM) was identified as sensitive descriptor for protein degradation, providing the lowest LOD values. The results demonstrate that ITFE spectroscopy performed in a microplate reader is a valuable tool for high-throughput monitoring of protein degradation in therapeutic antibody formulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lennart Brack
- AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co KG, Product Development Science & Technology, Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany.
| | - Olivia Merkel
- Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, Munich, Germany
| | - Rudolf Schroeder
- AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co KG, Product Development Science & Technology, Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany
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3
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Rizzotto E, Inciardi I, Fongaro B, Trolese P, Miolo G, Polverino de Laureto P. Light exacerbates local and global effects induced by pH unfolding of Ipilimumab. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2024; 201:114387. [PMID: 38944210 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2024.114387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are an essential class of therapeutic proteins for the treatment of cancer, autoimmune and rare diseases. During their production, storage, and administration processes, these proteins encounter various stressors such as temperature fluctuations, vibrations, and light exposure, able to induce chemico-physical modifications to their structure. Viral inactivation is a key step in downstream processes, and it is achieved by titration of the mAb at low pH, followed by neutralization. The changes of the pH pose a significant risk of unfolding and subsequent aggregation to proteins, thereby affecting their manufacturing. This study aims to investigate whether a combined exposure to light during the viral inactivation process can further affect the structural integrity of Ipilimumab, a mAb primarily used in the treatment of metastatic melanoma. The biophysical and biochemical characterization of Ipilimumab revealed that pH variation is a considerable risk for its stability with irreversible unfolding at pH 2. The threshold for Ipilimumab denaturation lies between pH 2 and 3 and is correlated with the loss of the protein structural cooperativity, which is the most critical factor determining the protein refolding. Light has demonstrated to exacerbate some local and global effects making pH-induced exposed regions more vulnerable to structural and chemical changes. Therefore, specific precautions to real-life exposure to ambient light during the sterilization process of mAbs should be considered to avoid loss of the therapeutic activity and to increase the yield of production. Our findings underscore the critical role of pH optimization in preserving the structural integrity and therapeutic efficacy of mAbs. Moreover, a detailed conformational study on the structural modifications of Ipilimumab may improve the chemico-physical knowledge of this effective drug and suggest new production strategies for more stable products under some kind of stress conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Rizzotto
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Via Marzolo 5, 30131 Padova, Italy
| | - Ilenia Inciardi
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Via Marzolo 5, 30131 Padova, Italy
| | - Benedetta Fongaro
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Via Marzolo 5, 30131 Padova, Italy
| | - Philipp Trolese
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Via Marzolo 5, 30131 Padova, Italy
| | - Giorgia Miolo
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Via Marzolo 5, 30131 Padova, Italy
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Yang Y, Chu Y, Li C, Fan L, Lu H, Zhan C, Zhang Z. Brain-targeted drug delivery by in vivo functionalized liposome with stable D-peptide ligand. J Control Release 2024; 373:240-251. [PMID: 38977135 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Brain-targeted drug delivery poses a great challenge due to the blood-brain barrier (BBB). In a previous study, we have developed a peptide-modified stealth liposome (SP-sLip) to enhance BBB penetration via the adsorption of apolipoproteins in plasma. SP is an 11-amino acid peptide derived from 25 to 35 of the Amyloid β peptide (Aβ1-42), which is a nature ligand of apolipoproteins. Although freshly prepared SP-sLip exhibited efficient brain targeting performance, it occured self-aggregation and instability in storage. In this study, we developed a D-peptide ligand according to the reverse sequence of SP with D-amino acids, known as DSP, to improve the stability in storage. Notably, DSP exhibited a reduced tendency for self-aggregation and improved stability in comparison to the SP peptide. Furthermore, compared to SP-sLip, DSP-modified sLip (DSP-sLip) demonstrated enhanced stability (>2 weeks), prolonged blood circulation (AUC increased 44.4%), reduced liver and spleen accumulation (reduced by 2.23 times and 1.86 times) with comparable brain-targeting efficiency. Similar to SP-sLip, DSP-sLip selectively adsorbed apolipoprotein A1, E, and J in the blood to form functionalized protein corona, thus crossing BBB via apolipoprotein receptor-mediated transcytosis. These findings underscored the importance of ligand stability in the in vitro and in vivo performance of brain-targeted liposomes, therefore paving the way for the design and optimization of efficient and stable nanocarriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Pudong Hospital, Fudan University, Pudong Medical Center & School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai 201399, China; Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China
| | - Yuxiu Chu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China
| | - Cheng Li
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China
| | - Lianfeng Fan
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China
| | - Huiping Lu
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Pudong Hospital, Fudan University, Pudong Medical Center & School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai 201399, China.
| | - Changyou Zhan
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Pudong Hospital, Fudan University, Pudong Medical Center & School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Smart Drug Delivery, Ministry of Education, Fudan University, Shanghai 201399, China; Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China.
| | - Zui Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, PR China.
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Bailey AO, Durbin KR, Robey MT, Palmer LK, Russell WK. Filling the gaps in peptide maps with a platform assay for top-down characterization of purified protein samples. Proteomics 2024:e2400036. [PMID: 39004851 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.202400036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) intact mass analysis and LC-MS/MS peptide mapping are decisional assays for developing biological drugs and other commercial protein products. Certain PTM types, such as truncation and oxidation, increase the difficulty of precise proteoform characterization owing to inherent limitations in peptide and intact protein analyses. Top-down MS (TDMS) can resolve this ambiguity via fragmentation of specific proteoforms. We leveraged the strengths of flow-programmed (fp) denaturing online buffer exchange (dOBE) chromatography, including robust automation, relatively high ESI sensitivity, and long MS/MS window time, to support a TDMS platform for industrial protein characterization. We tested data-dependent (DDA) and targeted strategies using 14 different MS/MS scan types featuring combinations of collisional- and electron-based fragmentation as well as proton transfer charge reduction. This large, focused dataset was processed using a new software platform, named TDAcquireX, that improves proteoform characterization through TDMS data aggregation. A DDA-based workflow provided objective identification of αLac truncation proteoforms with a two-termini clipping search. A targeted TDMS workflow facilitated the characterization of αLac oxidation positional isomers. This strategy relied on using sliding window-based fragment ion deconvolution to generate composite proteoform spectral match (cPrSM) results amenable to fragment noise filtering, which is a fundamental enhancement relevant to TDMS applications generally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron O Bailey
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | | | | | - Lee K Palmer
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - William K Russell
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
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6
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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; 41:1443-1454. [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] [MESH Headings] [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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7
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Hsieh MC, Zhang J, Tang L, Huang CY, Shen Y, Matathia A, Qian J, Parekh BS. Characterization of the Charge Heterogeneity of a Monoclonal Antibody That Binds to Both Cation Exchange and Anion Exchange Columns under the Same Binding Conditions. Antibodies (Basel) 2024; 13:52. [PMID: 39051328 PMCID: PMC11270306 DOI: 10.3390/antib13030052] [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: 05/31/2024] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic antibodies play an important role in the public healthcare system to treat patients with a variety of diseases. Protein characterization using an array of analytical tools provides in-depth information for drug quality, safety, efficacy, and the further understanding of the molecule. A therapeutic antibody candidate MAB1 exhibits unique binding properties to both cation and anion exchange columns at neutral pH. This uniqueness disrupts standard purification processes and necessitates adjustments in manufacturing. This study identifies that the charge heterogeneity of MAB1 is primarily due to the N-terminal cyclization of glutamine to pyroglutamine and, to a lesser extent, succinimide intermediate, deamidation, and C-terminal lysine. Using three approaches, i.e., deferential chemical labeling, H/D exchange, and molecular modeling, the binding to anion exchange resins is attributed to negatively charged patches on the antibody's surface, involving specific carboxylic acid residues. The methodologies shown here can be extended to study protein binding orientation in column chromatography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Ching Hsieh
- Analytical Sciences, Eli Lilly and the Company, Branchburg, NJ 08876, USA
| | - Jingming Zhang
- Analytical Sciences, Eli Lilly and the Company, Branchburg, NJ 08876, USA
| | - Liangjie Tang
- Analytical Development, Eli Lilly and the Company, Indianapolis, IN 46221, USA
| | - Cheng-Yen Huang
- Analytical Sciences, Eli Lilly and the Company, Branchburg, NJ 08876, USA
| | - Yang Shen
- Antibody Technology, Eli Lilly and the Company, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Alice Matathia
- TS/MS Laboratories, Eli Lilly and the Company, Branchburg, NJ 08876, USA
| | - Jun Qian
- Analytical Development, Eli Lilly and the Company, Indianapolis, IN 46221, USA
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Gupta S, Schöneich C, Rathore AS. Assessment of change in the basic variants composition of trastuzumab during dilution in saline for administration. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2024; 199:114295. [PMID: 38636881 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2024.114295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Postproduction handling of drug products during preparation or clinical use may affect the structure and efficacy of the drug and perhaps remain unnoticed. Since chemical modifications can impact the product's structure, stability, and biological activity, this study investigates the impact of elevated temperature and subtle shift in pH on the drug product post-dilution in saline. The mAb sample diluted in saline for administration was stressed at elevated temperature and slightly acidic pH condition. Extended stability studies were performed and monitored for size and charge heterogeneity. Size heterogeneity shows no significant changes, whereas charge heterogeneity shows an increase in basic variants and a reduction in main species. Further, basic variants were isolated and characterized to identify the type and site of chemical modification. Intact mass analysis and peptide mapping identify that the basic variants were attributed mainly to the isomerization of HC Asp102 into iso-Asp or its succinimide intermediate. Four basic variants were found to exhibit similar structural properties as the main and control samples. However, basic variants showed reduced binding affinity to HER2 receptor, while there was no significant difference in FcRn binding. The results indicate that modification in the HC Asp102, which is present in the CDR, affects antigen binding and thus can influence the potency of the drug product. Hence, with the conventional stability studies required to license the drug product, including in-use or extended stability studies to mimic the postproduction handling would be desirable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surbhi Gupta
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi,New Delhi 110016, India
| | | | - Anurag S Rathore
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi,New Delhi 110016, India.
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9
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Wu Z, Wang H, Zhao X, Gong C, Sidnam S, Cantero-Tubilla B, Nedjic-Dugic B, Li M, Wu J, Su Y, Huang Y, Qiu H, Li N. Characterization of Therapeutic Antibody Charge Heterogeneity Under Stress Conditions by Microfluidic Capillary Electrophoresis Coupled with Mass Spectrometry. J Pharm Sci 2024:S0022-3549(24)00192-8. [PMID: 38796156 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2024.05.022] [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: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
Therapeutic antibodies are a major class of biopharmaceutics that are applied in disease treatment because of their many advantages, including high specificity and high affinity to molecular targets. Between their production and administration, therapeutic antibodies are exposed to multiple stress conditions. Forced degradation and stress stability studies are conducted to simulate the risk of degradation and the effects of these stresses, thereby enhancing understanding of the drug product to support strategies to mitigate the impact from stressed conditions. These types of studies are also routinely conducted to evaluate product comparability when major process changes are implemented during the production. Charge variant analysis helps understand the changes in the electrostatic environment of biotherapeutics and can uncover underlying molecular level alterations associated with charge variants. Herein, we used ZipChip native capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry (nCE-MS) to elucidate the changes in charge variant profiles at the molecular level. In two case studies under thermal stress conditions, we observed that charge variants arose from both post-translational modifications (including deamidation, oxidation, and pyroglutamate formation) and sequence truncations at the hinge regions. Under oxidative stress conditions, oxidation was found to be the major contributor to the changes in the charge variant profiles. Under pH stress conditions, the changes in the charge variant profile were due to increased levels of deamidation, oxidation, and pyroglutamate formation. ZipChip nCE-MS analysis enables identification of charge variant species under various stress conditions, thus supporting process and formulation development of biotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhijie Wu
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., Tarrytown, NY, USA.
| | - Hongxia Wang
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Xueqing Zhao
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Chao Gong
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Sarah Sidnam
- CMC Regulatory Sciences, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., Rensselaer, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Meinuo Li
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Jikang Wu
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Yue Su
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Yu Huang
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., Tarrytown, NY, USA
| | - Haibo Qiu
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., Tarrytown, NY, USA.
| | - Ning Li
- Analytical Chemistry, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., Tarrytown, NY, USA
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Estes B, Jain M, Jia L, Whoriskey J, Bennett B, Hsu H. Sequence-Based Viscosity Prediction for Rapid Antibody Engineering. Biomolecules 2024; 14:617. [PMID: 38927021 PMCID: PMC11202045 DOI: 10.3390/biom14060617] [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: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 05/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Through machine learning, identifying correlations between amino acid sequences of antibodies and their observed characteristics, we developed an internal viscosity prediction model to empower the rapid engineering of therapeutic antibody candidates. For a highly viscous anti-IL-13 monoclonal antibody, we used a structure-based rational design strategy to generate a list of variants that were hypothesized to mitigate viscosity. Our viscosity prediction tool was then used as a screen to cull virtually engineered variants with a probability of high viscosity while advancing those with a probability of low viscosity to production and testing. By combining the rational design engineering strategy with the in silico viscosity prediction screening step, we were able to efficiently improve the highly viscous anti-IL-13 candidate, successfully decreasing the viscosity at 150 mg/mL from 34 cP to 13 cP in a panel of 16 variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bram Estes
- Amgen Research, Protein Therapeutics, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA; (M.J.); (L.J.)
| | - Mani Jain
- Amgen Research, Protein Therapeutics, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA; (M.J.); (L.J.)
| | - Lei Jia
- Amgen Research, Protein Therapeutics, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA; (M.J.); (L.J.)
| | - John Whoriskey
- Amgen Research, Inflammation, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA; (J.W.); (B.B.); (H.H.)
| | - Brian Bennett
- Amgen Research, Inflammation, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA; (J.W.); (B.B.); (H.H.)
| | - Hailing Hsu
- Amgen Research, Inflammation, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA; (J.W.); (B.B.); (H.H.)
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11
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Wuensche TE, Lyashchenko S, van Dongen GAMS, Vugts D. Good practices for 89Zr radiopharmaceutical production and quality control. EJNMMI Radiopharm Chem 2024; 9:40. [PMID: 38733556 PMCID: PMC11088613 DOI: 10.1186/s41181-024-00258-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND During the previous two decades, PET imaging of biopharmaceuticals radiolabeled with zirconium-89 has become a consistent tool in preclinical and clinical drug development and patient selection, primarily due to its advantageous physical properties that allow straightforward radiolabeling of antibodies (89Zr-immuno-PET). The extended half-life of 78.4 h permits flexibility with respect to the logistics of tracer production, transportation, and imaging and allows imaging at later points in time. Additionally, its relatively low positron energy contributes to high-sensitivity, high-resolution PET imaging. Considering the growing interest in radiolabeling antibodies, antibody derivatives, and other compound classes with 89Zr in both clinical and pre-clinical settings, there is an urgent need to acquire valuable recommendations and guidelines towards standardization of labeling procedures. MAIN BODY This review provides an overview of the key aspects of 89Zr-radiochemistry and radiopharmaceuticals. Production of 89Zr, conjugation with the mostly used chelators and radiolabeling strategies, and quality control of the radiolabeled products are described in detail, together with discussions about alternative options and critical steps, as well as recommendations for troubleshooting. Moreover, some historical background on 89Zr-immuno-PET, coordination chemistry of 89Zr, and future perspectives are provided. This review aims to serve as a quick-start guide for scientists new to the field of 89Zr-immuno-PET and to suggest approaches for harmonization and standardization of current procedures. CONCLUSION The favorable PET imaging characteristics of 89Zr, its excellent availability due to relatively simple production and purification processes, and the development of suitable bifunctional chelators have led to the widespread use of 89Zr. The combination of antibodies and 89Zr, known as 89Zr-immuno-PET, has become a cornerstone in drug development and patient selection in recent years. Despite the advanced state of 89Zr-immuno-PET, new developments in chelator conjugation and radiolabeling procedures, application in novel compound classes, and improved PET scanner technology and quantification methods continue to reshape its landscape towards improving clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Erik Wuensche
- Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Serge Lyashchenko
- Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA
| | - Guus A M S van Dongen
- Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Brain Imaging, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Danielle Vugts
- Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam UMC Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Brain Imaging, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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12
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Sankaran PK, Poskute R, Dewis L, Watanabe Y, Wong V, Fernandez LP, Shannon R, Wong L, Shrubsall R, Carman L, Holt A, Lepore G, Mishra R, Sewell L, Gothard M, Cheeks M, Lindo V. Comprehensive Stress Stability Studies Reveal the Prominent Stability of the Liquid-Formulated Biotherapeutic Asymmetric Monovalent Bispecific IgG1 Monoclonal Antibody Format. J Pharm Sci 2024:S0022-3549(24)00158-8. [PMID: 38705464 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2024.04.029] [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: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
The developed asymmetric monovalent bispecific IgG1 or Duet monoclonal antibody (Duet mAb) has two distinct fragment antigen-binding region (Fab) subunits that target two different epitope specificities sequentially or simultaneously. The design features include unique engineered disulfide bridges, knob-into-hole mutations, and kappa and lambda chains to produce Duet mAbs. These make it structurally and functionally complex, so one expects challenging developability linked to instability, degradation of products and pathways, and limited reports available. Here, we have treated the product with different sources of extreme stress over a lengthy period, including varying heat, pH, photo stress, chemical oxidative stress, accelerated stress in physiological conditions, and forced glycation conditions. The effects of different stress conditions on the product were assessed using various analytical characterization tools to measure product-related substances, post-translational modifications (PTMs), structural integrity, higher-order disulfide linkages, and biological activity. The results revealed degradation products and pathways of Duet mAb. A moderate increase in size, charge, and hydrophobic variants, PTMs, including deamidation, oxidation, isomerization, and glycation were observed, with most conditions exhibiting biological activity. In addition, the characterization of fractionated charge variants, including deamidated species, showed satisfactory biological activity. This study demonstrated the prominent stability of the Duet mAb format comparable to most marketed mAbs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ryte Poskute
- Analytical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Lydia Dewis
- Analytical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Yasunori Watanabe
- Analytical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Vanessa Wong
- Analytical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Richard Shannon
- Analytical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Lisa Wong
- Analytical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Rebecca Shrubsall
- Analytical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Lee Carman
- Analytical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Alexander Holt
- Analytical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Giordana Lepore
- Analytical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Rahul Mishra
- Analytical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Laura Sewell
- Analytical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Matt Gothard
- Analytical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Matthew Cheeks
- Cell Culture & Fermentation Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Viv Lindo
- Analytical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK.
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13
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Yu B, Williams S, Yang Z, Young G. Identification of sorbitol esterification of glutamic acid by LC-MS/MS in a monoclonal antibody stability assessment. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0295735. [PMID: 38696486 PMCID: PMC11065200 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The stability of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is vital for their therapeutic success. Sorbitol, a common mAb stabilizer used to prevent aggregation, was evaluated for any potential adverse effects on the chemical stability of mAb X. An LC-MS/MS based analysis focusing on the post-translational modifications (PTMs) of mAb X was conducted on samples that had undergone accelerated aging at 40°C. Along with PTMs that are known to affect mAbs' structure function and stability (such as deamidation and oxidation), a novel mAb PTM was discovered, the esterification of glutamic acid by sorbitol. Incubation of mAb X with a 1:1 ratio of unlabeled sorbitol and isotopically labeled sorbitol (13C6) further corroborated that the modification was the consequence of the esterification of glutamic acid by sorbitol. Levels of esterification varied across glutamic acid residues and correlated with incubation time and sorbitol concentration. After 4 weeks of accelerated stability with isotopically labeled sorbitol, it was found that 16% of the total mAb possesses an esterified glutamic acid. No esterification was observed at aspartic acid sites despite the free carboxylic acid side chain. This study unveils a unique modification of mAbs, emphasizing its potential significance for formulation and drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Yu
- Analytical Development Department, Coherus BioSciences, Camarillo, California, United States of America
| | - Shannon Williams
- Analytical Development Department, Coherus BioSciences, Camarillo, California, United States of America
| | - Zhengdong Yang
- Analytical Development Department, Coherus BioSciences, Camarillo, California, United States of America
| | - Glen Young
- Analytical Development Department, Coherus BioSciences, Camarillo, California, United States of America
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14
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Makey DM, Ruotolo BT. Liquid-phase separations coupled with ion mobility-mass spectrometry for next-generation biopharmaceutical analysis. Expert Rev Proteomics 2024; 21:259-270. [PMID: 38934922 PMCID: PMC11299228 DOI: 10.1080/14789450.2024.2373707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The pharmaceutical industry continues to expand its search for innovative biotherapeutics. The comprehensive characterization of such therapeutics requires many analytical techniques to fully evaluate critical quality attributes, making analysis a bottleneck in discovery and development timelines. While thorough characterization is crucial for ensuring the safety and efficacy of biotherapeutics, there is a need to further streamline analytical characterization and expedite the overall timeline from discovery to market. AREAS COVERED This review focuses on recent developments in liquid-phase separations coupled with ion mobility-mass spectrometry (IM-MS) for the development and characterization of biotherapeutics. We cover uses of IM-MS to improve the characterization of monoclonal antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, host cell proteins, glycans, and nucleic acids. This discussion is based on an extensive literature search using Web of Science, Google Scholar, and SciFinder. EXPERT OPINION IM-MS has the potential to enhance the depth and efficiency of biotherapeutic characterization by providing additional insights into conformational changes, post-translational modifications, and impurity profiles. The rapid timescale of IM-MS positions it well to enhance the information content of existing assays through its facile integration with standard liquid-phase separation techniques that are commonly used for biopharmaceutical analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devin M Makey
- Department of Chemistry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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15
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Sharma R, Gupta S, Rathore AS. Novel purification platform based on multimodal preparative scale separation of mAb fragments and aggregates. J Chromatogr A 2024; 1721:464806. [PMID: 38518514 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2024.464806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) continue to dominate the biopharmaceutical industry. Certain mAbs are prone to fragmentation and clipping and in these cases, adequate removal of these species is critical during manufacturing. Fragments can be generated during fermentation, purification, storage, formulation, and administration. Their addition to the acidic charge-variant of the purified mAb has been reported to decrease stability and potency of the final product. However, contrary to mAb aggregation, manufacturers have not given much attention to removal of fragments and clipped species and as a result most conventional mAb platforms offer at best limited capabilities for their removal. In this study, we propose a novel purification platform that uses multimodal chromatography and achieves complete removal of a range of mAb fragments and clipped products (25-120 kDa). The utility of the platform has been successfully demonstrated for 2 IgG1s and 2 IgG4s. Further, adequate removal of the various host cell impurities such as host cell proteins (<10 ppm) and host cell DNA (<5 ppb) has been achieved. Finally, the platform was able to deliver adequate removal of high molecular weight impurities (<1 %) and a 30 % clearance of the acidic charge variant. The proposed single step has been shown to deliver what the polishing chromatography and intermediate purification chromatography steps deliver in a traditional mAb platform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rashmi Sharma
- School of Interdisciplinary Research, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India
| | - Surbhi Gupta
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India
| | - Anurag S Rathore
- School of Interdisciplinary Research, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India; Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India.
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16
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Sarin D, Krishna K, Nejadnik MR, Suryanarayanan R, Rathore AS. Impact of Excipient Extraction and Buffer Exchange on Recombinant Monoclonal Antibody Stability. Mol Pharm 2024; 21:1872-1883. [PMID: 38422397 PMCID: PMC10988557 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c01157] [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: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
The foundation of a biosimilar manufacturer's regulatory filing is the demonstration of analytical and functional similarity between the biosimilar product and the pertinent originator product. The excipients in the formulation may interfere with characterization using typical analytical and functional techniques during this biosimilarity exercise. Consequently, the producers of biosimilar products resort to buffer exchange to isolate the biotherapeutic protein from the drug product formulation. However, the impact that this isolation has on the product stability is not completely known. This study aims to elucidate the extent to which mAb isolation via ultrafiltration-diafiltration-based buffer exchange impacts mAb stability. It has been demonstrated that repeated extraction cycles do result in significant changes in higher-order structure (red-shift of 5.0 nm in fluorescence maxima of buffer exchanged samples) of the mAb and also an increase in formation of basic variants from 19.1 to 26.7% and from 32.3 to 36.9% in extracted innovator and biosimilar Tmab samples, respectively. It was also observed that under certain conditions of tertiary structure disruptions, Tmab could be restabilized depending on formulation composition. Thus, mAb isolation through extraction with buffer exchange impacts the product stability. Based on the observations reported in this paper, we recommend that biosimilar manufacturers take into consideration these effects of excipients on protein stability when performing biosimilarity assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepika Sarin
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute
of Technology, Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Kunal Krishna
- School
of Interdisciplinary Research, Indian Institute
of Technology, Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - M. Reza Nejadnik
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Experimental Therapeutics, College
of Pharmacy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, United States
| | - Raj Suryanarayanan
- Department
of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University
of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Anurag S. Rathore
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute
of Technology, Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India
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17
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Liang G, Madhavarao CN, Morris C, O'Connor T, Ashraf M, Yoon S. Effects of process intensification on homogeneity of an IgG1:κ monoclonal antibody during perfusion culture. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:274. [PMID: 38530495 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-024-13110-9] [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: 11/12/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
The pharmaceutical industry employs various strategies to improve cell productivity. These strategies include process intensification, culture media improvement, clonal selection, media supplementation and genetic engineering of cells. However, improved cell productivity has inherent risk of impacting product quality attributes (PQA). PQAs may affect the products' efficacy via stability, bioavailability, or in vivo bioactivity. Variations in manufacturing process may introduce heterogeneity in the products by altering the type and extent of N-glycosylation, which is a PQA of therapeutic proteins. We investigated the effect of different cell densities representing increasing process intensification in a perfusion cell culture on the production of an IgG1-κ monoclonal antibody from a CHO-K1 cell line. This antibody is glycosylated both on light chain and heavy chain. Our results showed that the contents of glycosylation of IgG1-κ mAb increased in G0F and fucosylated type glycans as a group, whereas sialylated type glycans decreased, for the mAb whole protein. Overall, significant differences were observed in amounts of G0F, G1F, G0, G2FS1, and G2FS2 type glycans across all process intensification levels. G2FS2 and G2 type N-glycans were predominantly quantifiable from light chain rather than heavy chain. It may be concluded that there is a potential impact to product quality attributes of therapeutic proteins during process intensification via perfusion cell culture that needs to be assessed. Since during perfusion cell culture the product is collected throughout the duration of the process, lot allocation needs careful attention to process parameters, as PQAs are affected by the critical process parameters (CPPs). KEY POINTS: • Molecular integrity may suffer with increasing process intensity. • Galactosylated and sialylated N-glycans may decrease. • Perfusion culture appears to maintain protein charge structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Liang
- Division of Product Quality Research, OTR/OPQ, CDER/FDA, Silver Spring, MD, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, USA
| | | | - Caitlin Morris
- Division of Product Quality Research, OTR/OPQ, CDER/FDA, Silver Spring, MD, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, USA
| | - Thomas O'Connor
- Division of Product Quality Research, OTR/OPQ, CDER/FDA, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Muhammad Ashraf
- Division of Product Quality Research, OTR/OPQ, CDER/FDA, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Seongkyu Yoon
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, USA
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18
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Floyd JA, Gillespie AJ, Nightlinger NS, Siska C, Kerwin BA. The Development of a Novel Aflibercept Formulation for Ocular Delivery. J Pharm Sci 2024; 113:366-376. [PMID: 38042344 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2023.11.022] [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: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023]
Abstract
Aflibercept is a recombinant fusion protein that is commercially available for several ocular diseases impacting millions of people worldwide. Here, we use a case study approach to examine alternative liquid formulations for aflibercept for ocular delivery, utilizing different stabilizers, buffering agents, and surfactants with the goal of improving the thermostability to allow for limited storage outside the cold chain. The formulations were developed by studying the effects of pH changes, substituting amino acids for sucrose and salt, and using polysorbate 80 or poloxamer 188 instead of polysorbate 20. A formulation containing acetate, proline, and poloxamer 188 had lower rates of aggregate formation at 4, 30, and 40°C when compared to the marketed commercial formulation containing phosphate, sucrose, sodium chloride, and polysorbate 20. Further studies examining subvisible particles after exposure to a transport stress and long-term stability at 4°C, post-translational modifications by multi-attribute method, purity by reduced and non-reduced capillary electrophoresis, and potency by cell proliferation also demonstrated a comparable or improved stability for the enhanced formulation of acetate, proline, and poloxamer 188. This enhanced stability could enable limited storage outside of the cold chain, allowing for easier distribution in low to middle income countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Alaina Floyd
- Just- Evotec Biologics, 401 Terry Ave N., Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
| | | | | | - Christine Siska
- Just- Evotec Biologics, 401 Terry Ave N., Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Bruce A Kerwin
- Just- Evotec Biologics, 401 Terry Ave N., Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
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19
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Geng SL, Zhao XJ, Zhang X, Zhang JH, Mi CL, Wang TY. Recombinant therapeutic proteins degradation and overcoming strategies in CHO cells. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:182. [PMID: 38285115 PMCID: PMC10824870 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-024-13008-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Mammalian cell lines are frequently used as the preferred host cells for producing recombinant therapeutic proteins (RTPs) having post-translational modified modification similar to those observed in proteins produced by human cells. Nowadays, most RTPs approved for marketing are produced in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Recombinant therapeutic antibodies are among the most important and promising RTPs for biomedical applications. One of the issues that occurs during development of RTPs is their degradation, which caused by a variety of factors and reducing quality of RTPs. RTP degradation is especially concerning as they could result in reduced biological functions (antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and complement-dependent cytotoxicity) and generate potentially immunogenic species. Therefore, the mechanisms underlying RTP degradation and strategies for avoiding degradation have regained an interest from academia and industry. In this review, we outline recent progress in this field, with a focus on factors that cause degradation during RTP production and the development of strategies for overcoming RTP degradation. KEY POINTS: • The recombinant therapeutic protein degradation in CHO cell systems is reviewed. • Enzymatic factors and non-enzymatic methods influence recombinant therapeutic protein degradation. • Reducing the degradation can improve the quality of recombinant therapeutic proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shao-Lei Geng
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Biopharmaceutical Innovation, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
| | - Xiao-Jie Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
| | - Xi Zhang
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
- School of Pharmacy, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
| | - Ji-Hong Zhang
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
| | - Chun-Liu Mi
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Biopharmaceutical Innovation, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China
| | - Tian-Yun Wang
- International Joint Research Laboratory for Recombinant Pharmaceutical Protein Expression System of Henan, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China.
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China.
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Biopharmaceutical Innovation, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, Henan, China.
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20
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Urbano A, Plaza J, Picado C, de Mora F. Combined analytical assays for the characterization of drugs binding to human IgE: Applicability to omalizumab-bearing biosimilar candidates assessment. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 169:115848. [PMID: 37976893 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Analytical and functional comparison is key for substantiating the level of convergence (essential sameness) or divergence between versions or variants of a given biological medicine. Accordingly, an overlapping biological activity between products meant to be equal probably reflects a highly similar structure and anticipates a comparable pharmacodynamic behavior. We developed an orthogonal approach to compare the human IgE binding features of different lots and versions of Xolair® (omalizumab), an anti-human IgE monoclonal antibody. The IgE binding affinity and kinetics were measured by surface plasmon resonance. Ability to prevent mast cell activity was assessed in vitro and in vivo in mast cell-based models. The variability of monoclonal antibodies with identical amino acid sequences produced either in Chinese hamster ovarian cells or in human HEK293 cells, was compared. Monoclonal antibodies from the two sources exhibited slightly different human IgE binding and neutralizing features. A known variant exhibiting a three amino acid replacement in the Fab region had lower IgE binding affinity than the original omalizumab. The lower binding affinity translated into reduced IgE neutralizing capacity and, in turn, a difference in the ability to prevent mast cell activation in vitro and in vivo. The proposed set of analytical and functional assays was sensitive enough to detect Fab-linked differences between anti-IgE antibody versions exhibiting an identical aminoacid sequence. In addition to add value to the comparative assessment of biosimilar candidates bearing omalizumab, these methods can aid pre-assessments of new anti-IgE agents that aim to improve therapeutic performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrián Urbano
- Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Judith Plaza
- Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - César Picado
- Department of Pneumology and Respiratory Allergy, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS (Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques Agust Pi i Sunyer), Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; CIBERES (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Fernando de Mora
- Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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21
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Coliat P, Erb S, Diemer H, Karouby D, Martin T, Banerjee M, Zhu C, Demarchi M, Cianférani S, Detappe A, Pivot X. Influence of pneumatic transportation on the stability of monoclonal antibodies. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21875. [PMID: 38072852 PMCID: PMC10710995 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49235-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Pneumatic transportation systems (PTS) were recently proposed as a method to carry ready-for-injection diluted monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) from the pharmacy to the bedside of patients. This method reduces transportation time and improves the efficiency of drug distribution process. However, mAbs are highly sensitive molecules for which subtle alterations may lead to deleterious clinical effects. These alterations can be caused by various external factors such as temperature, pH, pressure, and mechanical forces that may occur during transportation. Hence, it is essential to ensure that the mAbs transported by PTS remain stable and active throughout the transportation process. This study aims to determine the safety profile of PTS to transport 11 routinely used mAbs in a clinical setting through assessment of critical quality attributes (CQA) and orthogonal analysis. Hence, we performed aggregation/degradation profiling, post-translational modifications identification using complementary mass spectrometry-based methods, along with visible and subvisible particle formation determination by light absorbance and light obscuration analysis. Altogether, these results highlight that PTS can be safely used for this purpose when air is removed from the bags during preparation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Coliat
- Institut de Cancérologie Strasbourg Europe, ICANS, 17 Rue Albert Calmette, Strasbourg, France.
| | - Stéphane Erb
- Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, CNRS UMR7178, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- Institut du Médicament Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- Infrastructure Nationale de Protéomique ProFI-FR2048, Strasbourg, France
| | - Hélène Diemer
- Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, CNRS UMR7178, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- Institut du Médicament Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- Infrastructure Nationale de Protéomique ProFI-FR2048, Strasbourg, France
| | - Dan Karouby
- Institut de Cancérologie Strasbourg Europe, ICANS, 17 Rue Albert Calmette, Strasbourg, France
| | - Tristan Martin
- Institut de Cancérologie Strasbourg Europe, ICANS, 17 Rue Albert Calmette, Strasbourg, France
| | - Mainak Banerjee
- Institut de Cancérologie Strasbourg Europe, ICANS, 17 Rue Albert Calmette, Strasbourg, France
| | - Chen Zhu
- Institut de Cancérologie Strasbourg Europe, ICANS, 17 Rue Albert Calmette, Strasbourg, France
| | - Martin Demarchi
- Institut de Cancérologie Strasbourg Europe, ICANS, 17 Rue Albert Calmette, Strasbourg, France
| | - Sarah Cianférani
- Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, CNRS UMR7178, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- Institut du Médicament Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- Infrastructure Nationale de Protéomique ProFI-FR2048, Strasbourg, France
| | - Alexandre Detappe
- Institut de Cancérologie Strasbourg Europe, ICANS, 17 Rue Albert Calmette, Strasbourg, France
- Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, CNRS UMR7178, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- Institut du Médicament Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Xavier Pivot
- Institut de Cancérologie Strasbourg Europe, ICANS, 17 Rue Albert Calmette, Strasbourg, France
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22
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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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23
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Liu Y, VanAernum Z, Zhang Y, Gao X, Vlad M, Feng B, Cross R, Kilgore B, Newman A, Wang D, Schuessler HA, Richardson DD, Chadwick JS. LC-MS Approach to Decipher a Light Chain Chromatographic Peak Splitting of a Monoclonal Antibody. Pharm Res 2023; 40:3087-3098. [PMID: 37936013 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-023-03631-9] [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: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), like other protein therapeutics, are prone to various forms of degradation, some of which are difficult to distinguish from the native form yet may alter potency. A generalizable LC-MS approach was developed to enable quantitative analysis of isoAsp. In-depth understanding of product quality attributes (PQAs) enables optimization of the manufacturing process, better formulation selection, and decreases risk associated with product handling in the clinic or during shipment. METHODS Reversed-phase chromatographic peak splitting was observed when a mAb was exposed to elevated temperatures. Multiple LC-MS based methods were applied to identify the reason for peak splitting. The approach involved the use of complementary HPLC columns, multiple enzymatic digestions and different MS/MS ion dissociation methods. In addition, mAb potency was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS The split peaks had identical masses, and the root cause of the peak splitting was identified as isomerization of an aspartic acid located in the complementarity-determining region (CDR) of the light chain. And the early eluting and late eluting peaks were collected and performed enzymatic digestion to confirm the isoAsp enrichment in the early eluting peak. In addition, decreased potency was observed in the same heat-stressed sample, and the increased isoAsp levels in the CDR correlate well with a decrease of potency. CONCLUSION Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) has been utilized extensively to assess PQAs of biological therapeutics. In this study, a generalizable LC-MS-based approach was developed to enable identification and quantitation of the isoAsp-containing peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjun Liu
- ProtaGene US, Inc. was Formerly BioAnalytix Inc., 4 Burlington Woods Dr., Burlington, MA, 01803, USA.
| | - Zac VanAernum
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA.
| | - Yue Zhang
- ProtaGene US, Inc. was Formerly BioAnalytix Inc., 4 Burlington Woods Dr., Burlington, MA, 01803, USA
- Biogen, 225 Binney Street, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Xinliu Gao
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | - Mariana Vlad
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | - Bo Feng
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | - Robert Cross
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | - Bruce Kilgore
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | - Alice Newman
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | - Dongdong Wang
- ProtaGene US, Inc. was Formerly BioAnalytix Inc., 4 Burlington Woods Dr., Burlington, MA, 01803, USA
- Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, 35 Landsdowne St, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Hillary A Schuessler
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | - Douglas D Richardson
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln Ave, Rahway, NJ, 07065, USA
| | - Jennifer S Chadwick
- ProtaGene US, Inc. was Formerly BioAnalytix Inc., 4 Burlington Woods Dr., Burlington, MA, 01803, USA
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24
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De Sciscio M, Nardi AN, Centola F, Rossi M, Guarnera E, D’Abramo M. Molecular Modeling of the Deamidation Reaction in Solution: A Theoretical-Computational Study. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:9550-9559. [PMID: 37903302 PMCID: PMC10641835 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c04662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023]
Abstract
In this work, a theoretical-computational method is applied to study the deamidation reaction, a critical post-translational modification in proteins, using a simple model molecule in solution. The method allows one to comprehensively address the environmental effect, thereby enabling one to accurately derive the kinetic rate constants for the three main steps of the deamidation process. The results presented, in rather good agreement with the available experimental data, underline the necessity for a rigorous treatment of environmental factors and a precise kinetic model to correctly assess the overall kinetics of the deamidation reaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria
Laura De Sciscio
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Rome, Sapienza, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Fabio Centola
- Global
Analytical Development, Merck Serono S.p.A., 00012 Guidonia Montecelio, Italy
| | - Mara Rossi
- Global
Analytical Development, Merck Serono S.p.A., 00012 Guidonia Montecelio, Italy
| | - Enrico Guarnera
- Global
Analytical Development, Merck Serono S.p.A., 00012 Guidonia Montecelio, Italy
- Antibody
Discovery and Protein Engineering, Merck
Healthcare KGaA, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Marco D’Abramo
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Rome, Sapienza, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
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25
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Quiñonez-Alvarado MG, Chávez-Hurtado P, Caro-Palomera JC, Niño-Trejo OL, Jiménez-Dolores JI, Muñoz-Villegas P, Baiza-Durán L, Quintana-Hau JD. Glycosylation differences of an anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody (PRO-169) and its extensive comparison with Bevacizumab. Biologicals 2023; 84:101711. [PMID: 37748325 DOI: 10.1016/j.biologicals.2023.101711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
PRO-169 is an anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody developed by Laboratorios Sophia that shares its sequence with Bevacizumab (BVZ); though, PRO-169 is intended for intravitreal administration. In this study, analytical characterization showed that PRO-169 had glycosylation differences in comparison to BVZ reference product (RP); since it had more content of G1F, G2F, sialic acid and high mannose. Further investigation was performed to evaluate if differences between both products would affect the efficacy and safety profile of PRO-169. PRO-169 had no alteration in its in vitro biological activity; moreover, no cytotoxicity or immunogenicity concerns should be expected as demonstrated by different orthogonal methods at analytical, in vitro and in vivo assays. These results support moving to the clinical testing of PRO-169 since no major complications will be expected with its clinical use for the treatment of ophthalmic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayra G Quiñonez-Alvarado
- Research and Development Department, Centro de Investigación Sophia S.A. de C.V, Paseo Del Norte 4896, Guadalajara Technology Park, Zapopan, 45010, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Paulina Chávez-Hurtado
- Research and Development Department, Centro de Investigación Sophia S.A. de C.V, Paseo Del Norte 4896, Guadalajara Technology Park, Zapopan, 45010, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Jesús C Caro-Palomera
- Research and Development Department, Centro de Investigación Sophia S.A. de C.V, Paseo Del Norte 4896, Guadalajara Technology Park, Zapopan, 45010, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Oriana L Niño-Trejo
- Research and Development Department, Centro de Investigación Sophia S.A. de C.V, Paseo Del Norte 4896, Guadalajara Technology Park, Zapopan, 45010, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - José I Jiménez-Dolores
- Research and Development Department, Centro de Investigación Sophia S.A. de C.V, Paseo Del Norte 4896, Guadalajara Technology Park, Zapopan, 45010, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Patricia Muñoz-Villegas
- Regional Medical Affairs Department, Laboratorios Sophia S.A. de C.V, Paseo Del Norte 5255, Guadalajara Technology Park, Zapopan, 45010, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Leopoldo Baiza-Durán
- Regional Medical Affairs Department, Laboratorios Sophia S.A. de C.V, Paseo Del Norte 5255, Guadalajara Technology Park, Zapopan, 45010, Jalisco, Mexico
| | - Juan D Quintana-Hau
- Research and Development Department, Centro de Investigación Sophia S.A. de C.V, Paseo Del Norte 4896, Guadalajara Technology Park, Zapopan, 45010, Jalisco, Mexico.
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26
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Cao M, Hussmann GP, Tao Y, O’Connor E, Parthemore C, Zhang-Hulsey D, Liu D, Jiao Y, de Mel N, Prophet M, Korman S, Sonawane J, Grigoriadou C, Huang Y, Umlauf S, Chen X. Atypical Asparagine Deamidation of NW Motif Significantly Attenuates the Biological Activities of an Antibody Drug Conjugate. Antibodies (Basel) 2023; 12:68. [PMID: 37987246 PMCID: PMC10660493 DOI: 10.3390/antib12040068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Asparagine deamidation is a post-translational modification (PTM) that converts asparagine residues into iso-aspartate and/or aspartate. Non-enzymatic asparagine deamidation is observed frequently during the manufacturing, processing, and/or storage of biotherapeutic proteins. Depending on the site of deamidation, this PTM can significantly impact the therapeutic's potency, stability, and/or immunogenicity. Thus, deamidation is routinely monitored as a potential critical quality attribute. The initial evaluation of an asparagine's potential to deamidate begins with identifying sequence liabilities, in which the n + 1 amino acid is of particular interest. NW is one motif that occurs frequently within the complementarity-determining region (CDR) of therapeutic antibodies, but according to the published literature, has a very low risk of deamidating. Here we report an unusual case of this NW motif readily deamidating within the CDR of an antibody drug conjugate (ADC), which greatly impacts the ADC's biological activities. Furthermore, this NW motif solely deamidates into iso-aspartate, rather than the typical mixture of iso-aspartate and aspartate. Interestingly, biological activities are more severely impacted by the conversion of asparagine into iso-aspartate via deamidation than by conversion into aspartate via mutagenesis. Here, we detail the discovery of this unusual NW deamidation occurrence, characterize its impact on biological activities, and utilize structural data and modeling to explain why conversion to iso-aspartate is favored and impacts biological activities more severely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingyan Cao
- Department of Process and Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Development, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA; (M.C.); (Y.J.); (N.d.M.); (C.G.)
| | - G. Patrick Hussmann
- Department of Process and Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Development, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA; (M.C.); (Y.J.); (N.d.M.); (C.G.)
| | - Yeqing Tao
- Department of Process and Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Development, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA; (M.C.); (Y.J.); (N.d.M.); (C.G.)
| | - Ellen O’Connor
- Department of Process and Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Development, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA; (M.C.); (Y.J.); (N.d.M.); (C.G.)
| | - Conner Parthemore
- Department of Process and Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Development, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA; (M.C.); (Y.J.); (N.d.M.); (C.G.)
| | - Diana Zhang-Hulsey
- Department of Process and Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Development, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA; (M.C.); (Y.J.); (N.d.M.); (C.G.)
| | - Dengfeng Liu
- Department of Process and Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Development, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA; (M.C.); (Y.J.); (N.d.M.); (C.G.)
| | - Yang Jiao
- Department of Process and Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Development, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA; (M.C.); (Y.J.); (N.d.M.); (C.G.)
| | - Niluka de Mel
- Department of Process and Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Development, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA; (M.C.); (Y.J.); (N.d.M.); (C.G.)
| | - Meagan Prophet
- Department of Process and Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Development, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA; (M.C.); (Y.J.); (N.d.M.); (C.G.)
| | - Samuel Korman
- Department of Process and Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Development, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA; (M.C.); (Y.J.); (N.d.M.); (C.G.)
| | - Jaytee Sonawane
- Department of Process and Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Development, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA; (M.C.); (Y.J.); (N.d.M.); (C.G.)
| | - Christina Grigoriadou
- Department of Process and Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Development, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA; (M.C.); (Y.J.); (N.d.M.); (C.G.)
| | - Yue Huang
- Department of Integrated Bioanalysis, Clinical Pharmacology & Safety Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, 121 Oyster Point Boulevard, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Scott Umlauf
- Department of Process and Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Development, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA; (M.C.); (Y.J.); (N.d.M.); (C.G.)
| | - Xiaoyu Chen
- Department of Process and Analytical Sciences, Biopharmaceutical Development, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, One Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA; (M.C.); (Y.J.); (N.d.M.); (C.G.)
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27
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Elsayed A, Jaber N, Al-Remawi M, Abu-Salah K. From cell factories to patients: Stability challenges in biopharmaceuticals manufacturing and administration with mitigation strategies. Int J Pharm 2023; 645:123360. [PMID: 37657507 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2023.123360] [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: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
Active ingredients of biopharmaceuticals consist of a wide array of biomolecular structures, including those of enzymes, monoclonal antibodies, nucleic acids, and recombinant proteins. Recently, these molecules have dominated the pharmaceutical industry owing to their safety and efficacy. However, their manufacturing is hindered by high cost, inadequate batch-to-batch equivalence, inherent instability, and other quality issues. This article is an up-to-date review of the challenges encountered during different stages of biopharmaceutical production and mitigation of problems arising during their development, formulation, manufacturing, and administration. It is a broad overview discussion of stability issues encountered during product life cycle i.e., upstream processing (aggregation, solubility, host cell proteins, color change), downstream bioprocessing (aggregation, fragmentation), formulation, manufacturing, and delivery to patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amani Elsayed
- College of Pharmacy, Taif University, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nisrein Jaber
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Al Zaytoonah University of Jordan, Amman 11733, Jordan
| | - Mayyas Al-Remawi
- Faculty of Pharmacy & Medical Sciences, University of Petra, Amman 1196, Jordan.
| | - Khalid Abu-Salah
- King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Department of Nanomedicine, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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28
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Ren X, Su D, Shi D, Xiang X. The improving strategies and applications of nanotechnology-based drugs in hepatocellular carcinoma treatment. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1272850. [PMID: 37811369 PMCID: PMC10557528 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1272850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of tumor-related death worldwide. Conventional treatments for HCC include drugs, radiation, and surgery. Despite the unremitting efforts of researchers, the curative effect of HCC has been greatly improved, but because HCC is often found in the middle and late stages, the curative effect is still not satisfactory, and the 5-year survival rate is still low. Nanomedicine is a potential subject, which has been applied to the treatment of HCC and has achieved promising results. Here, we summarized the factors affecting the efficacy of drugs in HCC treatment and the strategies for improving the efficacy of nanotechnology-based drugs in HCC, reviewed the recent applications' progress on nanotechnology-based drugs in HCC treatment, and discussed the future perspectives and challenges of nanotechnology-based drugs in HCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyang Ren
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Danyang Su
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Doudou Shi
- The Ninth Hospital of Xi’an, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiaohong Xiang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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29
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Lippold S, Mistry K, Lenka S, Whang K, Liu P, Pitschi S, Kuhne F, Reusch D, Cadang L, Knaupp A, Izadi S, Dunkle A, Yang F, Schlothauer T. Function-structure approach reveals novel insights on the interplay of Immunoglobulin G 1 proteoforms and Fc gamma receptor IIa allotypes. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1260446. [PMID: 37790943 PMCID: PMC10544997 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1260446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Human Fc gamma receptor IIa (FcγRIIa) or CD32a has two major allotypes with a single amino acid difference at position 131 (histidine or arginine). Differences in FcγRIIa allotypes are known to impact immunological responses such as the clinical outcome of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). FcγRIIa is involved in antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP), which is an important contributor to the mechanism-of-action of mAbs by driving phagocytic clearance of cancer cells. Hence, understanding the impact of individual mAb proteoforms on the binding to FcγRIIa, and its different allotypes, is crucial for defining meaningful critical quality attributes (CQAs). Here, we report a function-structure based approach guided by novel FcγRIIa affinity chromatography-mass spectrometry (AC-MS) assays to assess individual IgG1 proteoforms. This allowed to unravel allotype-specific differences of IgG1 proteoforms on FcγRIIa binding. FcγRIIa AC-MS confirmed and refined structure-function relationships of IgG1 glycoform interactions. For example, the positive impact of afucosylation was higher than galactosylation for FcγRIIa Arg compared to FcγRIIa His. Moreover, we observed FcγRIIa allotype-opposing and IgG1 proteoform integrity-dependent differences in the binding response of stress-induced IgG1 proteoforms comprising asparagine 325 deamidation. The FcγRIIa-allotype dependent binding differences resolved by AC-MS were in line with functional ADCP-surrogate bioassay models. The molecular basis of the observed allotype specificity and proteoform selectivity upon asparagine 325 deamidation was elucidated using molecular dynamics. The observed differences were attributed to the contributions of an inter-molecular salt bridge between IgG1 and FcγRIIa Arg and the contribution of an intra-molecular hydrophobic pocket in IgG1. Our work highlights the unprecedented structural and functional resolution of AC-MS approaches along with predictive biological significance of observed affinity differences within relevant cell-based methods. This makes FcγRIIa AC-MS an invaluable tool to streamline the CQA assessment of therapeutic mAbs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Lippold
- Protein Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, A Member of the Roche Group, South San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Karishma Mistry
- Biological Technologies, Genentech, A Member of the Roche Group, South San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Sunidhi Lenka
- Pharmaceutical Development, Genentech, A Member of The Roche Group, South San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Kevin Whang
- Biological Technologies, Genentech, A Member of the Roche Group, South San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Peilu Liu
- Protein Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, A Member of the Roche Group, South San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Sebastian Pitschi
- Pharma Technical Development Europe, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Felix Kuhne
- Pharma Technical Development Europe, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Dietmar Reusch
- Pharma Technical Development Europe, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Lance Cadang
- Protein Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, A Member of the Roche Group, South San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Alexander Knaupp
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Munich, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Saeed Izadi
- Pharmaceutical Development, Genentech, A Member of The Roche Group, South San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Alexis Dunkle
- Biological Technologies, Genentech, A Member of the Roche Group, South San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Feng Yang
- Protein Analytical Chemistry, Genentech, A Member of the Roche Group, South San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Tilman Schlothauer
- Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Munich, Penzberg, Germany
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30
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Bhattacharya S, Rathore AS. Assessment of structural and functional similarity of biosimilar products: Bevacizumab as a case study. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2023; 1229:123896. [PMID: 37776677 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2023.123896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
The antiangiogenic drug bevacizumab is a blockbuster therapeutic pharmaceutical product that is used to treat many different types of cancer including kidney, colon, rectum, lung, and breast cancer. As a result, multiple biosimilars have been approved across the various regulatory jurisdictions in India (>20 in number till date). The rapidly growing market and acceptance of biosimilars was the motivation to perform comparability study of bevacizumab biosimilars that are presently available in the Indian market. A comprehensive analytical and functional biosimilarity assessment has been performed to examine and compare innovator product of bevacizumab (Avastin-innovator product, Roche Products (India) Pvt Ltd) and six biosimilars that are being marketed in India (Abevmy from Mylan Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd, Bevazza from Lupin Ltd, Bryxta from Zydus Cadila, Krabeva from Biocon, Ivzumab from RPG Life Sciences Ltd, and Advamab from Alkem Laboratories Ltd). Physiochemical characterization of drug products was performed with respect to their primary structure (intact mass, reduced mass, peptide mapping by LC-MS), higher order structure (secondary structure by FTIR, Far-UV-CD, and tertiary structure by Near-UV-CD, intrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy), impurity profile (SE-HPLC, SEC-MALS, extrinsic fluorescence: size heterogenicity, degradation, stability; DLS: hydrodynamic radius; WCX-HPLC: charge variants analysis) and post-translational modifications by measuring reduced glycans through fluorescence dye analysis. Functional characterization was performed by SPR and cell proliferation assay. Further, chemometrics based quantitative evaluation of biosimilarity has been performed by combining the data obtained from analytical characterization platform. The analysis of the analytical, functional and chemometric results revealed significant levels of similarity, with biosimilar4 being the sole exception. Despite being within product specifications, Biosimilar4 displayed significant deviations with respect to critical quality attributes, including a lower proportion of monomer content, a larger percentage of basic charge variant species, and a lower proportion of aglycosylated glycoform.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anurag S Rathore
- Chemical Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India.
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31
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Yang J, Li D, Zhang M, Lin G, Hu S, Xu H. From the updated landscape of the emerging biologics for IBDs treatment to the new delivery systems. J Control Release 2023; 361:568-591. [PMID: 37572962 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2023.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023]
Abstract
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) treatments have shifted from small-molecular therapeutics to the oncoming biologics. The first-line biologics against the moderate-to-severe IBDs are mainly involved in antibodies against integrins, cytokines and cell adhesion molecules. Besides, other biologics including growth factors, antioxidative enzyme, anti-inflammatory peptides, nucleic acids, stem cells and probiotics have also been explored at preclinical or clinical studies. Biologics with variety of origins have their unique potentials in attenuating immune inflammation or gut mucosa healing. Great advances in use of biologics for IBDs treatments have been archived in recent years. But delivering issues for biologic have also been confronted due to their liable nature. In this review, we will focus on biologics for IBDs treatments in the recent publications; summarize the current landscapes of biologics and their promise to control disease progress. Alternatively, the confronted challenges for delivering biologics will also be analyzed. To combat these drawbacks, some new delivering strategies are provided: firstly, designing the functional materials with high affinity toward biologics; secondly, the delivering vehicle systems to encapsulate the liable biologics; thirdly, the topical adhering delivery systems as enema. To our knowledge, this review is the first study to summarize the updated usage of the oncoming biologics for IBDs, their confronted challenges in term of delivery and the potential combating strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaojiao Yang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province 325035, China
| | - Dingwei Li
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province 325035, China
| | - Mengjiao Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province 325035, China
| | - Gaolong Lin
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province 325035, China
| | - Sunkuan Hu
- Department of Gastroenterology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province 325000, China
| | - Helin Xu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province 325035, China.
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De Fauw K, Umelo IA, Teng X, Vlyminck S, Rivera G, Brigé A, Delangle A. Theoretical charge plots as a tool for targeted and accelerated ion exchange chromatography method development of NANOBODY Ⓡ molecules. J Chromatogr A 2023; 1705:464137. [PMID: 37356365 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2023.464137] [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: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
NANOBODYⓇ molecules are an innovative class of biotherapeutics based on heavy chain only VHH immunoglobulins. Much like canonical antibodies, they are prone to the formation of charge variants and other post-translational modifications, which can potentially impact their critical quality attributes. Therefore, establishing high-resolution product-specific methods, such as IEX chromatography, is essential for evaluating the purity of these molecules. However, due to the lower surface charge of NANOBODYⓇ molecules, their charge-based elution behavior can differ considerably from that of classical antibodies, resulting in a more extensive method development set-up for these smaller molecules. Using an initial pH screening gradient based on theoretical protein charge plots, we investigated the IEX retention behavior of eight NANOBODYⓇ molecules with a wide range of pI values (pI 5.0 to 10.0). Our findings reveal that the charge-based chromatographic behavior of NANOBODYⓇ molecules cannot be solely attributed to the isoelectric point (pI) of the protein. Rather, a molecule-specific charge threshold was identified as a critical parameter for NANOBODYⓇ molecule retention. Furthermore, the protein charge plot also showed that NANOBODYⓇ molecule elution can be characterized by a charge plateau where the net charge of the protein remains constant over a certain pH range (∼ pH 5.5 to pH 8.0), further challenging the paradigm that elution pH and pI are fixed values. The application of this theoretical approach using protein charge plots to define NANOBODYⓇ molecule charge threshold and charge plateau parameters, can reduce overall IEX method development turnaround time by at least 2-fold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken De Fauw
- Sanofi Large Molecules Research, NANOBODY(Ⓡ) Research Platform, Analytics, Technologiepark 21, 9052 Zwijnaarde (Ghent), Belgium
| | - Ijeoma A Umelo
- Sanofi Large Molecules Research, NANOBODY(Ⓡ) Research Platform, Analytics, Technologiepark 21, 9052 Zwijnaarde (Ghent), Belgium
| | - Xia Teng
- Sanofi Large Molecules Research, NANOBODY(Ⓡ) Research Platform, Analytics, Technologiepark 21, 9052 Zwijnaarde (Ghent), Belgium
| | - Silke Vlyminck
- Sanofi Large Molecules Research, NANOBODY(Ⓡ) Research Platform, Analytics, Technologiepark 21, 9052 Zwijnaarde (Ghent), Belgium
| | - Gustavo Rivera
- Sanofi Large Molecules Research, NANOBODY(Ⓡ) Research Platform, Analytics, Technologiepark 21, 9052 Zwijnaarde (Ghent), Belgium
| | - Ann Brigé
- Sanofi Large Molecules Research, NANOBODY(Ⓡ) Research Platform, Analytics, Technologiepark 21, 9052 Zwijnaarde (Ghent), Belgium
| | - Aurélie Delangle
- Sanofi Large Molecules Research, NANOBODY(Ⓡ) Research Platform, Analytics, Technologiepark 21, 9052 Zwijnaarde (Ghent), Belgium.
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Schöneich C. Primary Processes of Free Radical Formation in Pharmaceutical Formulations of Therapeutic Proteins. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1142. [PMID: 37509177 PMCID: PMC10376966 DOI: 10.3390/biom13071142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxidation represents a major pathway for the chemical degradation of pharmaceutical formulations. Few specific details are available on the mechanisms that trigger oxidation reactions in these formulations, specifically with respect to the formation of free radicals. Hence, these mechanisms must be formulated based on information on impurities and stress factors resulting from manufacturing, transportation and storage. In more detail, this article focusses on autoxidation, metal-catalyzed oxidation, photo-degradation and radicals generated from cavitation as a result of mechanical stress. Emphasis is placed on probable rather than theoretically possible pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Schöneich
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Kansas, 2093 Constant Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66047, USA
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34
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Arauzo-Aguilera K, Buscajoni L, Koch K, Thompson G, Robinson C, Berkemeyer M. Yields and product comparison between Escherichia coli BL21 and W3110 in industrially relevant conditions: anti-c-Met scFv as a case study. Microb Cell Fact 2023; 22:104. [PMID: 37208750 PMCID: PMC10197847 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-023-02111-4] [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: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In the biopharmaceutical industry, Escherichia coli is one of the preferred expression hosts for large-scale production of therapeutic proteins. Although increasing the product yield is important, product quality is a major factor in this industry because greatest productivity does not always correspond with the highest quality of the produced protein. While some post-translational modifications, such as disulphide bonds, are required to achieve the biologically active conformation, others may have a negative impact on the product's activity, effectiveness, and/or safety. Therefore, they are classified as product associated impurities, and they represent a crucial quality parameter for regulatory authorities. RESULTS In this study, fermentation conditions of two widely employed industrial E. coli strains, BL21 and W3110 are compared for recombinant protein production of a single-chain variable fragment (scFv) in an industrial setting. We found that the BL21 strain produces more soluble scFv than the W3110 strain, even though W3110 produces more recombinant protein in total. A quality assessment on the scFv recovered from the supernatant was then performed. Unexpectedly, even when our scFv is correctly disulphide bonded and cleaved from its signal peptide in both strains, the protein shows charge heterogeneity with up to seven distinguishable variants on cation exchange chromatography. Biophysical characterization confirmed the presence of altered conformations of the two main charged variants. CONCLUSIONS The findings indicated that BL21 is more productive for this specific scFv than W3110. When assessing product quality, a distinctive profile of the protein was found which was independent of the E. coli strain. This suggests that alterations are present in the recovered product although the exact nature of them could not be determined. This similarity between the two strains' generated products also serves as a sign of their interchangeability. This study encourages the development of innovative, fast, and inexpensive techniques for the detection of heterogeneity while also provoking a debate about whether intact mass spectrometry-based analysis of the protein of interest is sufficient to detect heterogeneity in a product.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luisa Buscajoni
- Biopharma Austria, Process Science, Boehringer-Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, Dr. Boehringer-Gasse 5-11, 1121 Vienna, Austria
| | - Karin Koch
- Biopharma Austria, Process Science, Boehringer-Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, Dr. Boehringer-Gasse 5-11, 1121 Vienna, Austria
| | - Gary Thompson
- Wellcome Trust Biological NMR Facility, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NJ UK
| | - Colin Robinson
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NJ UK
| | - Matthias Berkemeyer
- Biopharma Austria, Process Science, Boehringer-Ingelheim RCV GmbH & Co KG, Dr. Boehringer-Gasse 5-11, 1121 Vienna, Austria
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Waldenmaier HE, Gorre E, Poltash ML, Gunawardena HP, Zhai XA, Li J, Zhai B, Beil EJ, Terzo JC, Lawler R, English AM, Bern M, Mahan AD, Carlson E, Nanda H. "Lab of the Future"─Today: Fully Automated System for High-Throughput Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Biotherapeutics. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2023. [PMID: 37186948 DOI: 10.1021/jasms.3c00036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Here we describe a state-of-the-art, integrated, multi-instrument automated system designed to execute methods involved in mass spectrometry characterization of biotherapeutics. The system includes liquid and microplate handling robotics and utilities, integrated LC-MS, along with data analysis software, to perform sample purification, preparation, and analysis as a seamless integrated unit. The automated process begins with tip-based purification of target proteins from expression cell-line supernatants, which is initiated once the samples are loaded onto the automated system and the metadata are retrieved from our corporate data aggregation system. Subsequently, the purified protein samples are prepared for MS, including deglycosylation and reduction steps for intact and reduced mass analysis, and proteolytic digestions, desalting, and buffer exchange via centrifugation for peptide map analysis. The prepared samples are then loaded into the LC-MS instrumentation for data acquisition. The acquired raw data are initially stored on a local area network storage system that is monitored by watcher scripts that then upload the raw MS data to a network of cloud-based servers. The raw MS data are processed with the appropriately configured analysis workflows such as database search for peptide mapping or charge deconvolution for undigested proteins. The results are verified and formatted for expert curation directly in the cloud. Finally, the curated results are appended to sample metadata in the corporate data aggregation system to accompany the biotherapeutic cell lines in subsequent processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans E Waldenmaier
- Janssen Research & Development, The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, United States
| | - Elsa Gorre
- Janssen Research & Development, The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, United States
| | - Michael L Poltash
- Janssen Research & Development, The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, United States
| | - Harsha P Gunawardena
- Janssen Research & Development, The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, United States
| | | | - Jing Li
- Protein Metrics LLC., Cupertino, California 95014, United States
| | - Bo Zhai
- Janssen Research & Development, The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, United States
| | - Eric J Beil
- Janssen Research & Development, The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, United States
| | - Joseph C Terzo
- Janssen Research & Development, The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, United States
| | - Rose Lawler
- Protein Metrics LLC., Cupertino, California 95014, United States
| | | | - Marshall Bern
- Protein Metrics LLC., Cupertino, California 95014, United States
| | - Andrew D Mahan
- Janssen Research & Development, The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, United States
| | - Eric Carlson
- Protein Metrics LLC., Cupertino, California 95014, United States
| | - Hirsh Nanda
- Janssen Research & Development, The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, United States
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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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Butré CI, D'Atri V, Diemer H, Colas O, Wagner E, Beck A, Cianferani S, Guillarme D, Delobel A. Interlaboratory Evaluation of a User-Friendly Benchtop Mass Spectrometer for Multiple-Attribute Monitoring Studies of a Monoclonal Antibody. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28062855. [PMID: 36985827 PMCID: PMC10053224 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28062855] [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: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
In the quest to market increasingly safer and more potent biotherapeutic proteins, the concept of the multi-attribute method (MAM) has emerged from biopharmaceutical companies to boost the quality-by-design process development. MAM strategies rely on state-of-the-art analytical workflows based on liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to identify and quantify a selected series of critical quality attributes (CQA) in a single assay. Here, we aimed at evaluating the repeatability and robustness of a benchtop LC-MS platform along with bioinformatics data treatment pipelines for peptide mapping-based MAM studies using standardized LC-MS methods, with the objective to benchmark MAM methods across laboratories, taking nivolumab as a case study. Our results evidence strong interlaboratory consistency across LC-MS platforms for all CQAs (i.e., deamidation, oxidation, lysine clipping and glycosylation). In addition, our work uniquely highlights the crucial role of bioinformatics postprocessing in MAM studies, especially for low-abundant species quantification. Altogether, we believe that MAM has fostered the development of routine, robust, easy-to-use LC-MS platforms for high-throughput determination of major CQAs in a regulated environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire I Butré
- Quality Assistance sa, Technoparc de Thudinie 2, 6536 Thuin, Belgium
| | - Valentina D'Atri
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, CMU-Rue Michel Servet 1, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, University of Geneva, CMU-Rue Michel Servet 1, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Hélène Diemer
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse BioOrganique, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 67000 Strasbourg, France
- Infrastructure Nationale de Protéomique ProFI-FR2048, 67087 Strasbourg, France
| | - Olivier Colas
- Biologics CMC and Developability, IRPF, Centre d'Immunologie Pierre Fabre, 5 Avenue Napoleon III, 74160 Saint-Julien en Genevois, France
| | - Elsa Wagner
- Biologics CMC and Developability, IRPF, Centre d'Immunologie Pierre Fabre, 5 Avenue Napoleon III, 74160 Saint-Julien en Genevois, France
| | - Alain Beck
- Biologics CMC and Developability, IRPF, Centre d'Immunologie Pierre Fabre, 5 Avenue Napoleon III, 74160 Saint-Julien en Genevois, France
| | - Sarah Cianferani
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse BioOrganique, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 67000 Strasbourg, France
- Infrastructure Nationale de Protéomique ProFI-FR2048, 67087 Strasbourg, France
| | - Davy Guillarme
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, CMU-Rue Michel Servet 1, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Western Switzerland, University of Geneva, CMU-Rue Michel Servet 1, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Arnaud Delobel
- Quality Assistance sa, Technoparc de Thudinie 2, 6536 Thuin, Belgium
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38
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Direct bioanalysis or indirect calculation of target engagement and free drug exposure: do we apply double standards? Bioanalysis 2023; 15:5-16. [PMID: 36762451 DOI: 10.4155/bio-2022-0246] [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: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Analysis of "free" drug/target concentrations is important to set up appropriate pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic models, to evaluate active-drug exposure and target engagement. Such "free-analyte" determination could be done by direct bioanalysis using an appropriate "free-analyte" assay. Development of "free" assays is often considered challenging from a technological and regulatory perspective. The application of a "total-total" approach, where the "free-analyte" concentration is determined mathematically, is considered a more convenient option. In this perspective, we examine and discuss the challenges of this "total-total" approach, from the affinity data, the importance of applying an appropriate "total" assay, the impact of additional binding partners and the variability of the total drug/target assays and their impact on the quality and variability of the final "free-analyte" dataset.
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39
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Lawson KE, Evans MN, Dekle JK, Adamczyk AJ. Computing the Differences between Asn-X and Gln-X Deamidation and Their Impact on Pharmaceutical and Physiological Proteins: A Theoretical Investigation Using Model Dipeptides. J Phys Chem A 2023; 127:57-70. [PMID: 36549007 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.2c06511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Protein deamidation is a degradation mechanism that significantly impacts both pharmaceutical and physiological proteins. Deamidation impacts two amino acids, Asn and Gln, where the net neutral residues are converted into their acidic forms. While there are multiple similarities between the reaction mechanisms of the two residues, the impact of Gln deamidation has been noted to be most significant on physiological proteins while Asn deamidation has been linked to both pharmaceutical and physiological proteins. For this purpose, we sought to analyze the thermochemical and kinetic properties of the different reactions of Gln deamidation relative to Asn deamidation. In this study, we mapped the deamidation of Gln-X dipeptides into Glu-X dipeptides using density functional theory (DFT). Full network mapping facilitated the prediction of reaction selectivity between the two primary pathways, as well as between the two products of Gln-X deamidation as a function of solvent dielectric. To achieve this analysis, we studied a total of 77 dipeptide reactions per solvent dielectric (308 total reactions). Modeled at a neutral pH and using quantum chemical and statistical thermodynamic methods, we computed the following values: enthalpy of reaction (ΔHRXN), entropy (ΔSRXN), Gibbs free energy of reaction (ΔGRXN), activation energy (EA), and the Arrhenius preexponential factor (log(A)) for each dipeptide. Additionally, using chemical reaction principles, we generated a database of computed rate coefficients for all possible N-terminus Gln-X deamidation reactions at a neutral pH, predicted the most likely deamidation reaction mechanism for each dipeptide reaction, analyzed our results against our prior study on Asn-X deamidation, and matched our results against qualitative trends previously noted by experimental literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E Lawson
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama36830, United States
| | - Megan N Evans
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama36830, United States
| | - Joseph K Dekle
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama36830, United States
| | - Andrew J Adamczyk
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama36830, United States
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40
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Svilenov HL, Arosio P, Menzen T, Tessier P, Sormanni P. Approaches to expand the conventional toolbox for discovery and selection of antibodies with drug-like physicochemical properties. MAbs 2023; 15:2164459. [PMID: 36629855 PMCID: PMC9839375 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2022.2164459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibody drugs should exhibit not only high-binding affinity for their target antigens but also favorable physicochemical drug-like properties. Such drug-like biophysical properties are essential for the successful development of antibody drug products. The traditional approaches used in antibody drug development require significant experimentation to produce, optimize, and characterize many candidates. Therefore, it is attractive to integrate new methods that can optimize the process of selecting antibodies with both desired target-binding and drug-like biophysical properties. Here, we summarize a selection of techniques that can complement the conventional toolbox used to de-risk antibody drug development. These techniques can be integrated at different stages of the antibody development process to reduce the frequency of physicochemical liabilities in antibody libraries during initial discovery and to co-optimize multiple antibody features during early-stage antibody engineering and affinity maturation. Moreover, we highlight biophysical and computational approaches that can be used to predict physical degradation pathways relevant for long-term storage and in-use stability to reduce the need for extensive experimentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hristo L. Svilenov
- Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Paolo Arosio
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Tim Menzen
- Coriolis Pharma Research GmbH, Martinsried, 82152, Germany
| | - Peter Tessier
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Pietro Sormanni
- Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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41
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Lietz CB, Deyanova E, Cho Y, Cordia J, Franc S, Kabro S, Wang S, Mikolon D, Banks DD. Identification of tyrosine sulfation in the variable region of a bispecific antibody and its effect on stability and biological activity. MAbs 2023; 15:2259289. [PMID: 37742207 PMCID: PMC10519368 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2023.2259289] [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: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite tyrosine sulfation being a relatively common post-translational modification (PTM) on the secreted proteins of higher eukaryotic organisms, there have been surprisingly few reports of this modification occurring in recombinant monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) expressed by mammalian cell lines and even less information regarding its potential impact on mAb efficacy and stability. This discrepancy is likely due to the extreme lability of this modification using many of the mass spectrometry methods typically used within the biopharmaceutical industry for PTM identification, as well as the possible misidentification as phosphorylation. Here, we identified sulfation on a single tyrosine residue located within the identical variable region sequence of a 2 + 1 bispecific mAbs heavy and heavy-heavy chains using a multi-enzymatic approach in combination with mass spectrometry analysis and examined its impact on binding, efficacy, and physical stability. Unlike previous reports, we found that tyrosine sulfation modestly decreased the mAb cell binding and T cell-mediated killing, primarily by increasing the rate of antigen disassociation as determined from surface plasmon resonance-binding experiments. We also found that, while this acidic modification had no significant impact on the mAb thermal stability, sulfation did modestly increase its rate of aggregation, presumably by lowering the mAb's colloidal stability as indicated by polyethylene glycol induced liquid-liquid phase separation experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher B. Lietz
- Department of Pharmaceutical Candidate Optimization - DMPK, Bristol Myers Squibb, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Ekaterina Deyanova
- Department of Pharmaceutical Candidate Optimization - DPAS, Bristol Myers Squibb, Lawrenceville, NJ, USA
| | - Younhee Cho
- Department of Pharmaceutical Candidate Optimization - DPAS, Bristol Myers Squibb, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Jon Cordia
- Department of Pharmaceutical Candidate Optimization - DPAS, Bristol Myers Squibb, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Sarah Franc
- Department of Pharmaceutical Candidate Optimization - DPAS, Bristol Myers Squibb, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Sally Kabro
- Department of Pharmaceutical Candidate Optimization - DPAS, Bristol Myers Squibb, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Steven Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Candidate Optimization - DPAS, Bristol Myers Squibb, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - David Mikolon
- Department of Biotherapeutics, Bristol Myers Squibb, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Douglas D. Banks
- Department of Pharmaceutical Candidate Optimization - DPAS, Bristol Myers Squibb, San Diego, CA, USA
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42
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Mieczkowski C, Zhang X, Lee D, Nguyen K, Lv W, Wang Y, Zhang Y, Way J, Gries JM. Blueprint for antibody biologics developability. MAbs 2023; 15:2185924. [PMID: 36880643 PMCID: PMC10012935 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2023.2185924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Large-molecule antibody biologics have revolutionized medicine owing to their superior target specificity, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, safety and toxicity profiles, and amenability to versatile engineering. In this review, we focus on preclinical antibody developability, including its definition, scope, and key activities from hit to lead optimization and selection. This includes generation, computational and in silico approaches, molecular engineering, production, analytical and biophysical characterization, stability and forced degradation studies, and process and formulation assessments. More recently, it is apparent these activities not only affect lead selection and manufacturability, but ultimately correlate with clinical progression and success. Emerging developability workflows and strategies are explored as part of a blueprint for developability success that includes an overview of the four major molecular properties that affect all developability outcomes: 1) conformational, 2) chemical, 3) colloidal, and 4) other interactions. We also examine risk assessment and mitigation strategies that increase the likelihood of success for moving the right candidate into the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl Mieczkowski
- Department of Protein Sciences, Hengenix Biotech, Inc, Milpitas, CA, USA
| | - Xuejin Zhang
- Department of Protein Sciences, Hengenix Biotech, Inc, Milpitas, CA, USA
| | - Dana Lee
- Department of Protein Sciences, Hengenix Biotech, Inc, Milpitas, CA, USA
| | - Khanh Nguyen
- Department of Protein Sciences, Hengenix Biotech, Inc, Milpitas, CA, USA
| | - Wei Lv
- Department of Protein Sciences, Hengenix Biotech, Inc, Milpitas, CA, USA
| | - Yanling Wang
- Department of Protein Sciences, Hengenix Biotech, Inc, Milpitas, CA, USA
| | - Yue Zhang
- Department of Protein Sciences, Hengenix Biotech, Inc, Milpitas, CA, USA
| | - Jackie Way
- Department of Protein Sciences, Hengenix Biotech, Inc, Milpitas, CA, USA
| | - Jean-Michel Gries
- President, Discovery Research, Hengenix Biotech, Inc, Milpitas, CA, USA
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Hipper E, Lehmann F, Kaiser W, Hübner G, Buske J, Blech M, Hinderberger D, Garidel P. Protein photodegradation in the visible range? Insights into protein photooxidation with respect to protein concentration. Int J Pharm X 2022; 5:100155. [PMID: 36798831 PMCID: PMC9926095 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpx.2022.100155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Visible light (400-800 nm) can lead to photooxidation of protein formulations, which might impair protein integrity. However, the relevant mechanism of photooxidation upon visible light exposure is still unclear for therapeutic proteins, since proteinogenic structures do not absorb light in the visible range. Here, we show that exposure of monoclonal antibody formulations to visible light, lead to the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which subsequently induce specific protein degradations. The formation of ROS and singlet oxygen upon visible light exposure is investigated using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. We describe the initial formation of ROS, most likely after direct reaction of molecular oxygen with a triplet state photosensitizer, generated from intersystem crossing of the excited singlet state. Since these radicals affect the oxygen content in the headspace of the vial, we monitored photooxidation of these mAb formulations. With increasing protein concentrations, we found (i) a decreasing headspace oxygen content in the sample, (ii) a higher relative number of radicals in solution and (iii) a higher protein degradation. Thus, the protein concentration dependence indicates the presence of higher concentration of a currently unknown photosensitizer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Hipper
- Institute of Chemistry, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, von-Danckelmann-Platz 4, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Florian Lehmann
- Institute of Chemistry, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, von-Danckelmann-Platz 4, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Kaiser
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Innovation Unit, PDB-TIP, Birkendorfer Strasse 65, 88397 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Göran Hübner
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Innovation Unit, ADB, Birkendorfer Strasse 65, 88397 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Julia Buske
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Innovation Unit, PDB-TIP, Birkendorfer Strasse 65, 88397 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Michaela Blech
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Innovation Unit, PDB-TIP, Birkendorfer Strasse 65, 88397 Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Dariush Hinderberger
- Institute of Chemistry, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, von-Danckelmann-Platz 4, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Patrick Garidel
- Institute of Chemistry, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, von-Danckelmann-Platz 4, 06120 Halle, Germany,Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Innovation Unit, PDB-TIP, Birkendorfer Strasse 65, 88397 Biberach an der Riss, Germany,Corresponding author at: Institute of Chemistry, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, von-Danckelmann-Platz 4, 06120 Halle, Germany; Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Innovation Unit, PDB-TIP, Birkendorfer Strasse 65, 88397 Biberach an der Riss, Germany.
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Zarei M, Jonveaux J, Wang P, Haller FM, Gu B, Koulov AV, Jahn M. Proteomic Analysis of Adenovirus 5 by UHPLC-MS/MS: Development of a Robust and Reproducible Sample Preparation Workflow. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:36825-36835. [PMID: 36278084 PMCID: PMC9583333 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c05325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Adenoviruses (AdVs) have recently become widely used therapeutic vectors for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine. AdVs are large, nonenveloped viruses with an icosahedral capsid formed from several proteins that encloses double-stranded DNA. These proteins are the main components and key players in initial stages of infection by the virus particles, so their heterogeneity and content must be evaluated to ensure product and process consistency. Peptide mapping can provide detailed information on these proteins, e.g., their amino acid sequences and post-translational modifications (PTMs), which is crucial for the development and optimization of the manufacturing processes. However, sample preparation remains the main bottleneck for successful proteomic analysis of the viral proteins (VPs) of AdVs due to their low concentrations and vast stoichiometric ranges. To address this problem, we have developed a fast and efficient protocol for preparing samples for proteomic analysis of VPs of AdV5 that requires no cleaning step prior to liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The approach enabled identification of 92% of amino acids in AdV5 VPs on average and quantification of 53 PTMs in a single LC-MS/MS experiment using trypsin protease. The data obtained demonstrate the method's potential utility for supporting the development of novel AdV-based gene therapy products (GTPs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mostafa Zarei
- Drug
Product Services, Lonza AG, Hochbergerstrasse 60G, CH-4057 Basel, Switzerland
- . Tel: +41 613168798. Fax: +41 61 316 9162
| | - Jérôme Jonveaux
- Drug
Product Services, Lonza AG, Hochbergerstrasse 60G, CH-4057 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Peng Wang
- Lonza
Houston, Inc. 14905 Kirby
Drive, Houston, Texas 77047, United States
| | | | - Bingnan Gu
- Lonza
Houston, Inc. 14905 Kirby
Drive, Houston, Texas 77047, United States
| | - Atanas V. Koulov
- Drug
Product Services, Lonza AG, Hochbergerstrasse 60G, CH-4057 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Michael Jahn
- Drug
Product Services, Lonza AG, Hochbergerstrasse 60G, CH-4057 Basel, Switzerland
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Ai Y, Gunawardena HP, Li X, Kim YI, Dewald HD, Chen H. Standard-Free Absolute Quantitation of Antibody Deamidation Degradation and Host Cell Proteins by Coulometric Mass Spectrometry. Anal Chem 2022; 94:12490-12499. [PMID: 36018377 PMCID: PMC10492508 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c02709] [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] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Proteomic absolute quantitation strategies mainly rely on the use of synthetic stable isotope-labeled peptides or proteins as internal standards, which are highly costly and time-consuming to synthesize. To circumvent this limitation, we recently developed a coulometric mass spectrometry (CMS) approach for absolute quantitation of proteins without the use of standards, based on the electrochemical oxidation of oxidizable surrogate peptides, followed by mass spectrometry measurement of the peptide oxidation yield. Previously, CMS was only applied for single-protein quantitation. In this study, first, we demonstrated absolute quantitation of multiple proteins in a mixture (e.g., β-lactoglobulin B, α-lactalbumin, and carbonic anhydrase) by CMS in one run, without using any standards. The CMS quantitation result was validated with a traditional isotope dilution method. Second, CMS can be used for absolute quantitation of a low-level target protein in a mixture; for instance, 500 ppm of PLBL2, a problematic host cell protein (HCP), in the presence of a highly abundant monoclonal antibody (mAb) was successfully quantified by CMS with no use of standards. Third, taking one step further, this study demonstrated the unprecedented quantitative analysis of deamidated peptide products arising from the mAb heavy chain deamidation reaction. In particular, absolute quantitation of the deamidation succinimide intermediate which had not been performed before due to the lack of standard was conducted by CMS, for the first time. Overall, our data suggest that CMS has potential utilities for quantitative proteomics and biotherapeutic drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongling Ai
- Department of Chemistry & Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States
| | - Harsha P Gunawardena
- Janssen Research & Development, The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, United States
| | - Xuanwen Li
- Analytical Research & Development, Merck & Co., Inc., 2000 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Yong-Ick Kim
- Department of Chemistry & Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States
| | - Howard D Dewald
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ohio University, Chemistry Building, 133 University Terrace, Athens, Ohio 45701, United States
| | - Hao Chen
- Department of Chemistry & Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States
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Ai Y, Xu J, Gunawardena HP, Zare RN, Chen H. Investigation of Tryptic Protein Digestion in Microdroplets and in Bulk Solution. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2022; 33:1238-1249. [PMID: 35647885 PMCID: PMC10512443 DOI: 10.1021/jasms.2c00072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have shown that ultrafast enzymatic digestion of proteins can be achieved in microdroplet within 250 μs. Further investigation of peptides resulting from microdroplet digestion (MD) would be necessary to evaluate it as an alternative to the conventional bulk digestion for bottom-up and biotherapeutic protein characterization. Herein we examined and compared protein tryptic digestion in both MD and bulk solution. In the case of MD of β-lactoglobulin B, the preservation of long peptides was observed due to the short digestion time. In addition, MD is applicable to digest both high- and low-abundance proteins in mixture. In the case of digesting NIST 8671 mAb antibody containing a low level of commonly encountered host cell protein (HCP) PLBL2 (mAb:PLBL2 = 100:1 by weight), MD produced lower levels of digestion-induced chemical modifications of asparagine/glutamine deamidation, compared with overnight digestion. No significant difference between MD and bulk digestion was observed in terms of trypsin digestion specificity based on examination of semi- and unspecific-cleaved peptides. Our study suggests that MD, a fast digestion approach, could be adopted for bottom-up proteomics research and for peptide mapping of mAbs to characterize site-specific deamidation and glycosylation, for the purpose of development of biopharmaceuticals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongling Ai
- Department of Chemistry & Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, USA
| | - Jeffrey Xu
- Department of Chemistry & Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, USA
| | - Harsha P. Gunawardena
- Janssen Research & Development, The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, Spring House, Pennsylvania 19477, USA
| | - Richard N. Zare
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-5080, USA
| | - Hao Chen
- Department of Chemistry & Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, USA
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Nupur N, Rathore AS. Elucidating chemical and disulfide heterogeneities in rituximab using reduced and non-reduced peptide mapping. J Sep Sci 2022; 45:2887-2900. [PMID: 35670633 DOI: 10.1002/jssc.202200290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Peptide mapping by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry is the gold standard to characterize post-translational modifications and disulfide bonds. The structural integrity, heterogeneity, and quality of biotherapeutic proteins are evaluated via reduced and non-reduced peptide mapping methods. However, non-enzymatic artifacts are often induced during sample preparation when alkaline pH conditions are used. To minimize these artifacts, methods using various acidic pH conditions have been developed by multiple researchers. However, these may lead to missed and non-specific cleavages during the analysis. In this study, improved reduced and non-reduced peptide mapping method has been proposed to characterize endogenous chemical modifications and native disulfide bonds of monoclonal antibody -based products. Solubilization has been carried out at acidic pH conditions under high temperature, followed by the addition of tris (2-carboxyethyl) phosphine as a reducing agent and a low alkylating agent. It was observed that the non-enzymatic post-translational modifications and non-native disulfide scrambled peptides significantly reduced under trypsin plus Lys-C digestion conditions at acidic pH as compared to the traditional methods. The results demonstrate that the proposed peptide mapping method using trypsin plus Lys-C could identify and quantify various chemical and disulfide heterogeneities with minimal artifacts. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neh Nupur
- Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India.,DBT Center of Excellence for Biopharmaceutical Technology, IIT Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India
| | - Anurag S Rathore
- Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India.,DBT Center of Excellence for Biopharmaceutical Technology, IIT Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India
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48
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Fongaro B, Cian V, Gabaldo F, De Paoli G, Miolo G, Polverino de Laureto P. Managing antibody stability: effects of stressors on Ipilimumab from the commercial formulation to diluted solutions. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2022; 176:54-74. [PMID: 35595030 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2022.05.005] [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: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The stability of the monoclonal antibody Ipilimumab, the active ingredient of Yervoy®, used for the treatment of different types of cancer, has been investigated. Shaking/temperature, light exposure and dilution, protein drug renowned stressors, were applied on a 30-45-day series of experiments to observe the physicochemical and biological behavior of the molecule. Ipilimumab demonstrated stability under shaking and heat up to 45 days, without any unfolding during the induced combined stressors. Under artificial sunlight, the mAb showed to be sensitive even under the minimum dose tested (720 kJ/m2) with formation of aggregates, particularly when diluted in glucose solution. The light-induced soluble aggregates were higher in the case of diluted samples irradiated with much higher light doses (10460 kJ/m2). The aggregation of Ipilimumab took place also by irradiating the non-diluted formulation, indicating that the excipients did not protect completely the drug from photodegradation. Amino acid oxidation and deamidation were found. Anyway, after irradiation with both light doses, soluble Ipilimumab maintained its typical β-sheets structure, and the tertiary structure was nearly maintained compared to the dark. As an additional stressor test, the effect of dilution on the formulation was monitored by using a saline solution (1 mg/mL Ipilimumab) applied during hospital infusion. After two days from dilution, the protein exhibited aggregation and chemical modifications including oxidation and deamidation. When stability conditions were compromised, the viability of human cell lines treated with the stressed formulation slight decreased suggesting low potential biological toxicity of the modified mAb. As this study has demonstrated the susceptibility of Ipilimumab to light, specific solutions, and excipients as well as the use of safe light in manufacturing, handling, and storage of this drug should be promoted. Moreover, the use of proper primary and secondary packaging should be indicated to avoid the detrimental effect of light on the mAb structure and efficacy. A detailed understanding of Ipilimumab physicochemical properties, integrity, and stability could assure the best storage and manipulation conditions for its safe and successful application in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedetta Fongaro
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Via Marzolo, 5, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Valentina Cian
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Via Marzolo, 5, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Francesca Gabaldo
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Via Marzolo, 5, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Giorgia De Paoli
- Molecular and Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee Nethergate, Dundee, Scotland DD1 4HN, UK
| | - Giorgia Miolo
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Via Marzolo, 5, 35131 Padova, Italy.
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Zhang Z, Chow SY, De Guzman R, Joh NH, Joubert MK, Richardson J, Shah B, Wikström M, Zhou ZS, Wypych J. A Mass Spectrometric Characterization of Light-Induced Modifications in Therapeutic Proteins. J Pharm Sci 2022; 111:1556-1564. [DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2022.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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50
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Lawson KE, Dekle JK, Evans MN, Adamczyk AJ. Deamidation reaction network mapping of pharmacologic and related proteins: impact of solvation dielectric on the degradation energetics of asparagine dipeptides. REACT CHEM ENG 2022. [DOI: 10.1039/d2re00110a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Asn-X deamidation pathways in the FV region of the monoclonal antibody (mAb).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joseph K. Dekle
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Megan N. Evans
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
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