The Evolution of Commercial Antibody Formulations

Development of an ELISA-based device to quantify antibody adsorption directly on medical plastic surfaces

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) encounter numerous interfaces during manufacturing, storage, and administration. While protein adsorption at the solid/liquid interface has been widely explored on model surfaces, a key challenge remains - the detection of very small amounts of adsorbed mAb directly on real medical surfaces. This study introduces a novel ELISA-based device, ELIBAG, a new tool for measuring mAb adsorption on medical bags. The efficacy of this device was highlighted by successfully confirming the adsorption of an IgG1 on two medical bag types: a polypropylene IV administration bag and a low-density polyethylene pharmaceutical manufacturing bag. We also investigated IgG1 adsorption on plastic model surfaces, revealing a similar range of mAb bulk concentration for surface saturation on both model and bag surfaces. This innovative device, characterized by its high-throughput and rapid approach, paves the way for extensive investigations into therapeutic proteins, such as mAbs, adsorption on a variety of medical or pharmaceutical surfaces, diverse adsorption conditions, and the influence of excipients employed in mAb formulation, which could enhance the knowledge of mAb interactions with plastic surfaces throughout their lifecycle.

Charge Variants Characterization of Co-Formulated Antibodies by Three-Dimensional Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

Co-formulated antibodies can bring clinical benefits to patients by combining two or more antibodies in a single dosage form. However, the quality analysis of co-formulated antibodies raises additional challenges, compared to individual antibodies, due to the need for accurate analysis of multiple antibodies in one solution. It is extremely difficult to effectively separate the charge variants of the two co-formulated antibodies using one ion exchange chromatography (IEC) method because of their similar characteristics. In this study, a novel method was developed for the charge variants characterization of co-formulated antibodies using three-dimensional liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (3D-LC-MS). Hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) was used as the first dimension to separate and collect the two co-formulated antibodies. The two collections were then injected into the second-dimension IEC separately for charge variants separation and analysis. Subsequently, the separated charge variants underwent on-line desalting in the third-dimension reverse-phase chromatography (RPC) and subsequent mass spectroscopy analysis. The novel method could simultaneously provide a charge variants ratio and post-translational modification (PTM) data for the two co-formulated antibodies. Therefore, it could be used for release testing and stability studies of co-formulated antibodies, making up for the shortcomings of the existing approaches. It was the first time that charge variants of co-formulated antibodies were characterized by the 3D-LC-MS method, to the best of our knowledge.

A Review on Commercial Oligonucleotide Drug Products

Oligonucleotide drug products commercially approved in the US and the EU are reviewed. A total of 20 products that includes 1 aptamer, 12 antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), 6 small interfering ribonucleic acids (siRNAs), and 1 mixture of single-stranded and double-stranded polydeoxyribonucleotides have been identified. A typical oligonucleotide formulation is composed of an oligonucleotide with buffering agent(s), pH adjusting agents, and a tonicity adjusting agent. All the products are presented as 2.1 - 200 mg/mL solutions at pH between 6 and 8.7. Majority of the products are approved for intravenous (IV) and subcutaneous (SC) routes, with two for intravitreal (IVT), two for intrathecal (IT), and one for intramuscular (IM) routes. The primary packaging includes vials and prefilled syringes (PFS). Products approved for IV and IT administration routes and requiring >1.5 mL dose volumes are supplied in vials, while those approved for SC, IM, and IVT and requiring ≤1.5 mL dose volume are supplied in PFS. Based on the compiled dataset, we propose a generalized starting point for an oligonucleotide formulation during early phase development for IV, SC, and IT administration routes. Overall, we believe this harmonized evaluation and understanding of various oligonucleotide drug product attributes will help derive platform generalizations and allows for accelerated early phase development for first-in-human studies.

Updates on the mechanisms of toxicities associated with monoclonal antibodies targeting growth factor signaling and immune cells in cancer

Monoclonal antibody (mAb)-based immunotherapy currently is considered to be an optimal therapeutic approach to cancer treatment, either in combination with surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy or alone. Various solid tumors and hematological malignancies have been characterized by distinct molecular targets, which could be utilized as innovative anticancer agents. Notably, receptor tyrosine kinases, including HER2, EGFR, VEGFR, and PDGFR, which act as receptors for growth factors, serve as crucial target proteins, expanding their role in the cancer therapeutic market. In contrast to conventional anticancer agents that directly target cancer cells, the advent of immunotherapy introduces novel approaches, such as immune checkpoint blockers (ICBs) and mAbs targeting surface antigens on immune cells in hematological malignancies and lymphomas. While these immunotherapies have mitigated the acquired resistance observed in traditional targeted therapies, they also exhibit diverse toxicities. Herein, this review focuses on describing the well-established toxicities and newly proposed mechanisms of monoclonal antibody toxicity in recent studies. Understanding these molecular mechanisms is indispensable to overcoming the limitations of mAbs-based therapies, facilitating the development of innovative anticancer agents, and uncovering novel indications for cancer treatment in the future.

Stability of Protein Pharmaceuticals: Recent Advances

There have been significant advances in the formulation and stabilization of proteins in the liquid state over the past years since our previous review. Our mechanistic understanding of protein-excipient interactions has increased, allowing one to develop formulations in a more rational fashion. The field has moved towards more complex and challenging formulations, such as high concentration formulations to allow for subcutaneous administration and co-formulation. While much of the published work has focused on mAbs, the principles appear to apply to any therapeutic protein, although mAbs clearly have some distinctive features. In this review, we first discuss chemical degradation reactions. This is followed by a section on physical instability issues. Then, more specific topics are addressed: instability induced by interactions with interfaces, predictive methods for physical stability and interplay between chemical and physical instability. The final parts are devoted to discussions how all the above impacts (co-)formulation strategies, in particular for high protein concentration solutions.'

Impact of LS Mutation on Pharmacokinetics of Preventive HIV Broadly Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibodies: A Cross-Protocol Analysis of 16 Clinical Trials in People without HIV

Monoclonal antibodies are commonly engineered with an introduction of Met428Leu and Asn434Ser, known as the LS mutation, in the fragment crystallizable region to improve pharmacokinetic profiles. The LS mutation delays antibody clearance by enhancing binding affinity to the neonatal fragment crystallizable receptor found on endothelial cells. To characterize the LS mutation for monoclonal antibodies targeting HIV, we compared pharmacokinetic parameters between parental versus LS variants for five pairs of anti-HIV immunoglobin G1 monoclonal antibodies (VRC01/LS/VRC07-523LS, 3BNC117/LS, PGDM1400/LS PGT121/LS, 10-1074/LS), analyzing data from 16 clinical trials of 583 participants without HIV. We described serum concentrations of these monoclonal antibodies following intravenous or subcutaneous administration by an open two-compartment disposition, with first-order elimination from the central compartment using non-linear mixed effects pharmacokinetic models. We compared estimated pharmacokinetic parameters using the targeted maximum likelihood estimation method, accounting for participant differences. We observed lower clearance rate, central volume, and peripheral volume of distribution for all LS variants compared to parental monoclonal antibodies. LS monoclonal antibodies showed several improvements in pharmacokinetic parameters, including increases in the elimination half-life by 2.7- to 4.1-fold, the dose-normalized area-under-the-curve by 4.1- to 9.5-fold, and the predicted concentration at 4 weeks post-administration by 3.4- to 7.6-fold. Results suggest a favorable pharmacokinetic profile of LS variants regardless of HIV epitope specificity. Insights support lower dosages and/or less frequent dosing of LS variants to achieve similar levels of antibody exposure in future clinical applications.

High throughput multidimensional liquid chromatography approach for online protein removal and characterization of polysorbates and poloxamer in monoclonal antibody formulations

The majority of commercially available monoclonal antibody (mAb) formulations are stabilized with one of three non-ionic surfactants: polysorbate 20 (PS20), polysorbate 80 (PS80), or poloxamer 188 (P188). All three surfactants are susceptible to degradation, which can result in functionality loss and subsequent protein aggregation or free fatty acid particle formation. Consequently, quantitative, and qualitative analysis of surfactants is an integral part of formulation development, stability, and batch release testing. Due to the heterogeneous nature of both polysorbates and poloxamer, online isolation of all the compounds from the protein and other excipients that may disturb the subsequent liquid chromatography with charged aerosol detection (LC-CAD) analysis poses a challenge. Herein, we present an analytical method employing LC-CAD, utilizing a combination of anion and cation exchange columns to completely remove proteins online before infusing the isolated surfactant onto a reversed-phase column. The method allows high throughput analysis of polysorbates within 8 minutes and poloxamer 188 within 12 minutes, providing a separation of the surfactant species of polysorbates (unesterified species, lower esters, and higher esters) and poloxamer 188 (early eluters and main species). Accuracy and precision assessed according to the International Council for harmonisation (ICH) guideline were 96 - 109 % and ≤1 % relative standard deviation respectively for all three surfactants in samples containing up to 110 mg/mL mAb. Subsequently, the method was effectively applied to quantify polysorbate 20 and polysorbate 80 in nine commercial drug products with mAb concentration of up to 180 mg/mL.

Microwave-Assisted Freeze-Drying: Impact of Microwave Radiation on the Quality of High-Concentration Antibody Formulations

Microwave-assisted freeze-drying (MFD) offers significant time savings compared to conventional freeze-drying (CFD). While a few studies have investigated the stability of biopharmaceuticals with low protein concentrations after MFD and storage, the impact of MFD on high-concentration monoclonal antibody (mAb) formulations remains unclear. In this study, we systematically examined the effect of protein concentration in MFD and assessed protein stability following MFD, CFD, and subsequent storage using seven protein formulations with various stabilizers and concentrations. We demonstrated that microwaves directly interact with the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), leading to decreased physical stability, specifically aggregation, in high-concentration antibody formulations. Furthermore, typically used sugar:protein ratios from CFD were insufficient for stabilizing mAbs when applying microwaves. We identified the intermediate drying phase as the most critical for particle formation, and cooling the samples provided some protection for the mAb. Our findings suggest that MFD technology may not be universally applicable to formulations well tested in CFD and could be particularly beneficial for formulations with low API concentrations requiring substantial amounts of glass-forming excipients, such as vaccines and RNA-based products.

Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide Sterilization in the Production of Protein Therapeutics: Uptake and Effects on Product Quality

The aseptic filling of drug products is carried out in pharmaceutical isolators that have been sterilized. A commonly used method for achieving a high level of sterility assurance is vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP) sterilization, which is favorable to other methods, such as ethylene oxide sterilization, due to its low cycle times and nontoxic residuals. While VHP cycles are often employed to create a sterile environment within an isolator, they can leave residual levels of hydrogen peroxide behind that can enter the product during fill-finish operations. Due to the oxidizing potential of hydrogen peroxide and the multiple possible sources of uptake along filling lines, the extent of the potential impact on product quality needs to be understood during pharmaceutical development. Herein, different factors affecting hydrogen peroxide uptake, points of entry along the filling line, and possible impacts on product quality are reviewed.

Primary Processes of Free Radical Formation in Pharmaceutical Formulations of Therapeutic Proteins

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.