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Johann F, Wöll S, Gieseler H. "Negative" Impact: The Role of Payload Charge in the Physicochemical Stability of Auristatin Antibody-Drug Conjugates. J Pharm Sci 2024; 113:2433-2442. [PMID: 38679233 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2024.04.023] [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: 12/24/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) tend to be less stable than their parent antibodies, which is often attributed to the hydrophobic nature of their drug payloads. This study investigated how the payload charge affects ADC stability by comparing two interchain cysteine ADCs that had matched drug-to-antibody ratios and identical linkers but differently charged auristatin payloads, vcMMAE (neutral) and vcMMAF (negative). Both ADCs exhibited higher aggregation than their parent antibody under shaking stress and thermal stress conditions. However, conjugation with vcMMAF increased the aggregation rates to a greater extent than conjugation with uncharged but more hydrophobic vcMMAE. Consistent with the payload logD values, ADC-vcMMAE showed the greatest increase in hydrophobicity but minor changes in charge compared with the parent antibody, as indicated by hydrophobic interaction chromatography and capillary electrophoresis data. In contrast, ADC-vcMMAF showed a decrease in net charge and isoelectric point along with an increase in charge heterogeneity. This charge alteration likely contributed to a reduced electrostatic repulsion and increased surface activity in ADC-vcMMAF, thus affecting its aggregation propensity. These findings suggest that not only the hydrophobicity of the payload, but also its charge should be considered as a critical factor affecting the stability of ADCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Johann
- Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy, Freeze Drying Focus Group (FDFG), Cauerstraße 4, 91058 Erlangen, Germany; Merck KGaA, Global CMC Development, Frankfurter Straße 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Steffen Wöll
- Merck KGaA, Global CMC Development, Frankfurter Straße 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Henning Gieseler
- Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy, Freeze Drying Focus Group (FDFG), Cauerstraße 4, 91058 Erlangen, Germany; GILYOS GmbH, Friedrich-Bergius-Ring 15, 97076 Würzburg, Germany.
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2
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Karunaratne SP, Moussa EM, Mills BJ, Weis DD. Understanding the Effects of Site-Specific Light Chain Conjugation on Antibody Structure Using Hydrogen Exchange-Mass Spectrometry (HX-MS). J Pharm Sci 2024; 113:2065-2071. [PMID: 38761863 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2024.05.008] [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: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) represent one of the fastest growing classes of cancer therapeutics. Drug incorporation through site-specific conjugation in ADCs leads to uniform drug load and distribution. These site-specific modifications may have an impact on ADC quality attributes including protein higher order structure (HOS), which might impact safety and efficacy. In this study, we conducted a side-by-side comparison between the conjugated and unconjugated mAb. In the ADC, the linker-pyrrolobenzodiazepine was site specifically conjugated to an engineered unpaired C215 residue within the Fab domain of the light chain. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF) indicated a decrease in thermal stability for the CH2 transition of the ADC. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) analysis showed that conjugation of the mAb resulted in earlier aggregation onset and increased aggregation propensity after 4 weeks at 40 °C. Differential hydrogen-exchange mass spectrometry (HX-MS) indicated that upon conjugation, light chain residues 150-155 and 197-204, close to the conjugation site, showed significantly faster HX kinetics, suggesting an increase in backbone flexibility within this region, while heavy chain residues 32-44 exhibited significantly slower kinetics, suggesting distal stabilization of the mAb backbone.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ehab M Moussa
- CMC Biologics Drug Product Development, AbbVie, North Chicago, IL 60061 USA
| | - Brittney J Mills
- CMC Biologics Drug Product Development, AbbVie, North Chicago, IL 60061 USA
| | - David D Weis
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045 USA.
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Johann F, Wöll S, Gieseler H. Evaluating the Potential of Cyclodextrins in Reducing Aggregation of Antibody-Drug Conjugates with Different Payloads. J Pharm Sci 2024; 113:2443-2453. [PMID: 38679234 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2024.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Cyclodextrins (CDs) are versatile agents used to solubilize small drugs and stabilize proteins. This dual functionality may be particularly beneficial for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), as CDs may "mask" the hydrophobicity of the drug payloads. In this study, we explored the effect of CDs on the physical stability of ADCs composed of the same antibody but with different payloads (maytansinoid, auristatin, and fluorophore payloads). The aggregation of ADCs was evaluated under shaking stress conditions and elevated temperatures using size-exclusion chromatography, turbidity, and backgrounded membrane imaging. Our results showed that hydroxypropyl-(HP)-CDs effectively stabilized all ADCs during shaking stress, with increasing stabilization in the order of HPαCD < HPγCD < HPβCD at concentrations of 7.5 mM and (near) complete stabilization at 75 mM. Native CDs without surface activity also stabilized certain ADCs, although less effectively than HP-CDs under agitation stress. During quiescent incubation, the HP-CD effects were small for most ADCs. However, for an ADC with a fluorophore payload that rapidly aggregated after conjugation, HPγCD substantially reduced aggregate levels, in line with fluorescence data supporting CD-ADC interactions. In contrast, sulfobutylether-β-CD (SBEβCD) increased the aggregation rates in all ADCs under all stress conditions. In conclusion, this study highlights the potential of appropriate CD formulations to improve the physical stability of ADCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Johann
- Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy, Freeze Drying Focus Group (FDFG), Cauerstraße 4, 91058 Erlangen, Germany; Merck KGaA, Global CMC Development, Frankfurter Straße 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Steffen Wöll
- Merck KGaA, Global CMC Development, Frankfurter Straße 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Henning Gieseler
- Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy, Freeze Drying Focus Group (FDFG), Cauerstraße 4, 91058 Erlangen, Germany; GILYOS GmbH, Friedrich-Bergius-Ring 15, 97076 Würzburg, Germany.
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Zhang B, Wang M, Sun L, Liu J, Yin L, Xia M, Zhang L, Liu X, Cheng Y. Recent Advances in Targeted Cancer Therapy: Are PDCs the Next Generation of ADCs? J Med Chem 2024; 67:11469-11487. [PMID: 38980167 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) comprise antibodies, cytotoxic payloads, and linkers, which can integrate the advantages of antibodies and small molecule drugs to achieve targeted cancer treatment. However, ADCs also have some shortcomings, such as non-negligible drug resistance, a low therapeutic index, and payload-related toxicity. Many studies have focused on changing the composition of ADCs, and some have even further extended the concept and types of targeted conjugated drugs by replacing the targeted antibodies in ADCs with peptides, revolutionarily introducing peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs). This Perspective summarizes the current research status of ADCs and PDCs and highlights the structural innovations of ADC components. In particular, PDCs are regarded as the next generation of potential targeted drugs after ADCs, and the current challenges of PDCs are analyzed. Our aim is to offer fresh insights for the efficient design and expedited development of innovative targeted conjugated drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baochen Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Anti-Tumor Molecular Target Technology Innovation Center, Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline of Cell Biology, College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, P.R. China
| | - Mo Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Anti-Tumor Molecular Target Technology Innovation Center, Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline of Cell Biology, College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, P.R. China
| | - Li Sun
- School of Chemical Technology, Shijiazhuang University, Shijiazhuang 050035, P.R. China
| | - Jiawei Liu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Anti-Tumor Molecular Target Technology Innovation Center, Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline of Cell Biology, College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, P.R. China
| | - Libinghan Yin
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Anti-Tumor Molecular Target Technology Innovation Center, Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline of Cell Biology, College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, P.R. China
| | - Mingjing Xia
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Anti-Tumor Molecular Target Technology Innovation Center, Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline of Cell Biology, College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, P.R. China
| | - Ling Zhang
- School of Chemical Technology, Shijiazhuang University, Shijiazhuang 050035, P.R. China
| | - Xifu Liu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Anti-Tumor Molecular Target Technology Innovation Center, Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline of Cell Biology, College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, P.R. China
| | - Yu Cheng
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Hebei Anti-Tumor Molecular Target Technology Innovation Center, Hebei Research Center of the Basic Discipline of Cell Biology, College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, P.R. China
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Wu G, Yu C, Yin S, Du J, Zhang Y, Fu Z, Wang L, Wang J. A native SEC-MS workflow and validation for analyzing drug-to-antibody ratio and drug load distribution in cysteine-linked antibody-drug conjugates. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2024; 1241:124167. [PMID: 38823148 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2024.124167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
The development and optimization of Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) hinge on enhanced analytical and bioanalytical characterization, particularly in assessing critical quality attributes (CQAs). The ADC's potency is largely determined by the average number of drugs attached to the monoclonal antibody (mAb), known as the drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR). Furthermore, the drug load distribution (DLD) influences the therapeutic window of the ADC, defining the range of dosages effective in treating diseases without causing toxic effects. Among CQAs, DAR and DLD are vital; their control is essential for ensuring manufacturing consistency and product quality. Typically, hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) or reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) with UV detector have been used to quantitate DAR and DLD in quality control (QC) environment. Recently, Native size-exclusion chromatography-mass spectrometry (nSEC-MS) proves the potential as a platformable quantitative method for characterizing DAR and DLD across various cysteine-linked ADCs in research or early preclinical development. In this work, we established and assessed a streamlined nSEC-MS workflow with a benchtop LC-MS platform, to quantitatively monitor DAR and DLD of different chemotype and drug load level cysteine-linked ADCs. Moreover, to deploy this workflow in QC environment, complete method validation was conducted in three independent laboratories, adhering to the International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) Q2(R1) guidelines. The results met the predefined analytical target profile (ATP) and performance criteria, encompassing specificity/selectivity, accuracy, precision, linearity, range, quantification/detection limit, and robustness. Finally, the method validation design offers a reference for other nSEC-MS methods that are potentially used to determine the DAR and DLD on cysteine-linker ADCs. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first reported systematic validation of the nSEC-MS method for detecting DAR and DLD. The results indicated that the co-validated nSEC-MS workflow is suitable for DAR and DLD routine analysis in ADC quality control, release, and stability testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Wu
- School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Chuanfei Yu
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, China
| | - Sicheng Yin
- Shanghai Fudan-Zhangjiang Bio-Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | - Jialiang Du
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, China
| | - Yifan Zhang
- Shanghai Fudan-Zhangjiang Bio-Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China
| | - Zhihao Fu
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, China
| | - Lan Wang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Health for Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, China
| | - Junzhi Wang
- School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China.
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Huang Z, Braunstein Z, Chen J, Wei Y, Rao X, Dong L, Zhong J. Precision Medicine in Rheumatic Diseases: Unlocking the Potential of Antibody-Drug Conjugates. Pharmacol Rev 2024; 76:579-598. [PMID: 38622001 DOI: 10.1124/pharmrev.123.001084] [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: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
In the era of precision medicine, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) have emerged as a cutting-edge therapeutic strategy. These innovative compounds combine the precision of monoclonal antibodies with the potent cell-killing or immune-modulating abilities of attached drug payloads. This unique strategy not only reduces off-target toxicity but also enhances the therapeutic effectiveness of drugs. Beyond their well established role in oncology, ADCs are now showing promising potential in addressing the unmet needs in the therapeutics of rheumatic diseases. Rheumatic diseases, a diverse group of chronic autoimmune diseases with varying etiologies, clinical presentations, and prognoses, often demand prolonged pharmacological interventions, creating a pressing need for novel, efficient, and low-risk treatment options. ADCs, with their ability to precisely target the immune components, have emerged as a novel therapeutic strategy in this context. This review will provide an overview of the core components and mechanisms behind ADCs, a summary of the latest clinical trials of ADCs for the treatment of rheumatic diseases, and a discussion of the challenges and future prospects faced by the development of next-generation ADCs. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: There is a lack of efficient and low-risk targeted therapeutics for rheumatic diseases. Antibody-drug conjugates, a class of cutting-edge therapeutic drugs, have emerged as a promising targeted therapeutic strategy for rheumatic disease. Although there is limited literature summarizing the progress of antibody-drug conjugates in the field of rheumatic disease, updating the advancements in this area provides novel insights into the development of novel antirheumatic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwen Huang
- Departments of Rheumatology and Immunology (Z.H., Y.W., L.D., J.Z.) and Cardiology (X.R.), Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio (Z.B.); Sinopharm Dongfeng General Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China (J.C.); Key Laboratory of Vascular Aging (HUST), Ministry of Education, Wuhan, China (J.Z.); and Institute of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China (J.Z.)
| | - Zachary Braunstein
- Departments of Rheumatology and Immunology (Z.H., Y.W., L.D., J.Z.) and Cardiology (X.R.), Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio (Z.B.); Sinopharm Dongfeng General Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China (J.C.); Key Laboratory of Vascular Aging (HUST), Ministry of Education, Wuhan, China (J.Z.); and Institute of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China (J.Z.)
| | - Jun Chen
- Departments of Rheumatology and Immunology (Z.H., Y.W., L.D., J.Z.) and Cardiology (X.R.), Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio (Z.B.); Sinopharm Dongfeng General Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China (J.C.); Key Laboratory of Vascular Aging (HUST), Ministry of Education, Wuhan, China (J.Z.); and Institute of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China (J.Z.)
| | - Yingying Wei
- Departments of Rheumatology and Immunology (Z.H., Y.W., L.D., J.Z.) and Cardiology (X.R.), Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio (Z.B.); Sinopharm Dongfeng General Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China (J.C.); Key Laboratory of Vascular Aging (HUST), Ministry of Education, Wuhan, China (J.Z.); and Institute of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China (J.Z.)
| | - Xiaoquan Rao
- Departments of Rheumatology and Immunology (Z.H., Y.W., L.D., J.Z.) and Cardiology (X.R.), Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio (Z.B.); Sinopharm Dongfeng General Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China (J.C.); Key Laboratory of Vascular Aging (HUST), Ministry of Education, Wuhan, China (J.Z.); and Institute of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China (J.Z.)
| | - Lingli Dong
- Departments of Rheumatology and Immunology (Z.H., Y.W., L.D., J.Z.) and Cardiology (X.R.), Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio (Z.B.); Sinopharm Dongfeng General Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China (J.C.); Key Laboratory of Vascular Aging (HUST), Ministry of Education, Wuhan, China (J.Z.); and Institute of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China (J.Z.)
| | - Jixin Zhong
- Departments of Rheumatology and Immunology (Z.H., Y.W., L.D., J.Z.) and Cardiology (X.R.), Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio (Z.B.); Sinopharm Dongfeng General Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China (J.C.); Key Laboratory of Vascular Aging (HUST), Ministry of Education, Wuhan, China (J.Z.); and Institute of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China (J.Z.)
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7
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Johann F, Wöll S, Winzer M, Gieseler H. Agitation-Induced Aggregation of Lysine- And Interchain Cysteine-Linked Antibody-Drug Conjugates. J Pharm Sci 2024; 113:1265-1274. [PMID: 38070776 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2023.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Drug conjugation to an antibody can affect its stability, which depends on factors such as the conjugation technique used, drug-linker properties, and stress encountered. This study focused on the effects of agitation stress on the physical stability of two lysine (ADC-K) and two interchain cysteine (ADC-C) conjugates of an IgG1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) linked to either ∼4 MMAE or DM1 payloads. During agitation, all antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) exhibited higher aggregation than the mAb, which was dependent on the conjugation technique (aggregation of ADC-Ks > ADC-Cs) and drug-linker (aggregation of ADCs with MMAE > ADCs with DM1). The aggregation propensities correlated well with higher self-interaction, hydrophobicity, and surface activity of ADCs relative to the mAb. The intermediate reduced mAb (mAb-SH) showed even higher aggregation than the final product ADC-Cs. However, blocking mAb-SH's free thiols with N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) strongly reduced its aggregation, suggesting that free thiols should be minimized in cysteine ADCs. Further, this study demonstrates that a low-volume surface tension method can be used for estimating agitation-induced aggregation of ADCs in early development phases. Identifying liabilities to agitation stress and their relationship to biophysical properties may help optimize ADC stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Johann
- Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Department of Pharmaceutics, Freeze Drying Focus Group (FDFG), Cauerstraße 4, 91058 Erlangen, Germany; Merck KGaA, Global CMC Development, Frankfurter Straße 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Steffen Wöll
- Merck KGaA, Global CMC Development, Frankfurter Straße 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Matthias Winzer
- Merck KGaA, Global CMC Development, Frankfurter Straße 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Henning Gieseler
- Friedrich-Alexander University (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Department of Pharmaceutics, Freeze Drying Focus Group (FDFG), Cauerstraße 4, 91058 Erlangen, Germany; GILYOS GmbH, Friedrich-Bergius-Ring 15, 97076 Würzburg, Germany.
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Khalikova M, Jireš J, Horáček O, Douša M, Kučera R, Nováková L. What is the role of current mass spectrometry in pharmaceutical analysis? MASS SPECTROMETRY REVIEWS 2024; 43:560-609. [PMID: 37503656 DOI: 10.1002/mas.21858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
The role of mass spectrometry (MS) has become more important in most application domains in recent years. Pharmaceutical analysis is specific due to its stringent regulation procedures, the need for good laboratory/manufacturing practices, and a large number of routine quality control analyses to be carried out. The role of MS is, therefore, very different throughout the whole drug development cycle. While it dominates within the drug discovery and development phase, in routine quality control, the role of MS is minor and indispensable only for selected applications. Moreover, its role is very different in the case of analysis of small molecule pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals. Our review explains the role of current MS in the analysis of both small-molecule chemical drugs and biopharmaceuticals. Important features of MS-based technologies being implemented, method requirements, and related challenges are discussed. The differences in analytical procedures for small molecule pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals are pointed out. While a single method or a small set of methods is usually sufficient for quality control in the case of small molecule pharmaceuticals and MS is often not indispensable, a large panel of methods including extensive use of MS must be used for quality control of biopharmaceuticals. Finally, expected development and future trends are outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Khalikova
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Charles University, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Hradec Králové, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Jireš
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemical Engineering, UCT Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Development, Zentiva, k. s., Praha, Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Horáček
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Analysis, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Charles University, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Douša
- Department of Development, Zentiva, k. s., Praha, Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Radim Kučera
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Analysis, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Charles University, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Lucie Nováková
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Charles University, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
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9
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Li M, Zhao X, Yu C, Wang L. Antibody-Drug Conjugate Overview: a State-of-the-art Manufacturing Process and Control Strategy. Pharm Res 2024; 41:419-440. [PMID: 38366236 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-023-03649-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) comprise an antibody, linker, and drug, which direct their highly potent small molecule drugs to target tumor cells via specific binding between the antibody and surface antigens. The antibody, linker, and drug should be properly designed or selected to achieve the desired efficacy while minimizing off-target toxicity. With a unique and complex structure, there is inherent heterogeneity introduced by product-related variations and the manufacturing process. Here this review primarily covers recent key advances in ADC history, clinical development status, molecule design, manufacturing processes, and quality control. The manufacturing process, especially the conjugation process, should be carefully developed, characterized, validated, and controlled throughout its lifecycle. Quality control is another key element to ensure product quality and patient safety. A patient-centric strategy has been well recognized and adopted by the pharmaceutical industry for therapeutic proteins, and has been successfully implemented for ADCs as well, to ensure that ADC products maintain their quality until the end of their shelf life. Deep product understanding and process knowledge defines attribute testing strategies (ATS). Quality by design (QbD) is a powerful approach for process and product development, and for defining an overall control strategy. Finally, we summarize the current challenges on ADC development and provide some perspectives that may help to give related directions and trigger more cross-functional research to surmount those challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Li
- NHC Key Laboratory of Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Research and Evaluation of Biological Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xueyu Zhao
- The Engineering Research Center of Synthetic Polypeptide Drug Discovery and Evaluation of Jiangsu Province, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Chuanfei Yu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Research and Evaluation of Biological Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Lan Wang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Research on Quality and Standardization of Biotech Products, NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Research and Evaluation of Biological Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
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10
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Zhou L, Lu Y, Liu W, Wang S, Wang L, Zheng P, Zi G, Liu H, Liu W, Wei S. Drug conjugates for the treatment of lung cancer: from drug discovery to clinical practice. Exp Hematol Oncol 2024; 13:26. [PMID: 38429828 PMCID: PMC10908151 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-024-00493-8] [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: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
A drug conjugate consists of a cytotoxic drug bound via a linker to a targeted ligand, allowing the targeted delivery of the drug to one or more tumor sites. This approach simultaneously reduces drug toxicity and increases efficacy, with a powerful combination of efficient killing and precise targeting. Antibody‒drug conjugates (ADCs) are the best-known type of drug conjugate, combining the specificity of antibodies with the cytotoxicity of chemotherapeutic drugs to reduce adverse reactions by preferentially targeting the payload to the tumor. The structure of ADCs has also provided inspiration for the development of additional drug conjugates. In recent years, drug conjugates such as ADCs, peptide‒drug conjugates (PDCs) and radionuclide drug conjugates (RDCs) have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The scope and application of drug conjugates have been expanding, including combination therapy and precise drug delivery, and a variety of new conjugation technology concepts have emerged. Additionally, new conjugation technology-based drugs have been developed in industry. In addition to chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy, drug conjugate therapy has undergone continuous development and made significant progress in treating lung cancer in recent years, offering a promising strategy for the treatment of this disease. In this review, we discuss recent advances in the use of drug conjugates for lung cancer treatment, including structure-based drug design, mechanisms of action, clinical trials, and side effects. Furthermore, challenges, potential approaches and future prospects are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Zhou
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, National Health Commission (NHC) Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yunlong Lu
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, School of Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Wei Liu
- Department of Geriatrics, Key Laboratory of Vascular Aging, Ministry of Education, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Shanglong Wang
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, School of Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Lingling Wang
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, National Health Commission (NHC) Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Pengdou Zheng
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, National Health Commission (NHC) Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Guisha Zi
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, National Health Commission (NHC) Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Huiguo Liu
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, National Health Commission (NHC) Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Wukun Liu
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, School of Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China.
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030000, China.
| | - Shuang Wei
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, National Health Commission (NHC) Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030000, China.
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11
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Chen H, Qiu D, Shi J, Wang N, Li M, Wu Y, Tian Y, Bu X, Liu Q, Jiang Y, Hamilton SE, Han P, Sun S. In-Depth Structure and Function Characterization of Heterogeneous Interchain Cysteine-Conjugated Antibody-Drug Conjugates. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2024; 7:212-221. [PMID: 38230295 PMCID: PMC10789146 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.3c00235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), integrating high specificity of antigen-targeting antibodies and high potency of cell-killing chemical drugs, have become one of the most rapidly expanding therapeutic biologics in oncology. Although ADCs were widely studied from multiple aspects, overall structural elucidation with comprehensive understanding of variants is scarcely reported. Here, for the first time, we present a holistic and in-depth characterization of an interchain cysteine-conjugated ADC, focusing on conjugation and charge heterogeneity, and in vitro biological activities. Conjugation mapping utilized a bottom-up approach, unraveled positional isomer composition, provided insights into the conjugation process, and elucidated how conjugation affects the physicochemical and biological properties of an ADC. Charge profiling combined bottom-up and top-down approaches to interrogate the origin of charge heterogeneity, its impact on function, and best practice for characterization. Specifically, we pioneered the utilization of capillary isoelectric focusing-mass spectrometry to decode not only critical post-translational modifications but also drug load and positional isomer distribution. The study design provides general guidance for in-depth characterization of ADCs, and the analytical findings in turn benefit the discovery and development of future ADCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huijie Chen
- Analytical
Sciences, WuXi Biologics, 31 Yiwei Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, China
| | - Danye Qiu
- Analytical
Sciences, WuXi Biologics, 1150 Lanfeng Road, Fengxian District, Shanghai 201403, China
| | - Jian Shi
- Analytical
Sciences, WuXi Biologics, 31 Yiwei Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, China
| | - Ningning Wang
- WuXi
Process Development Analytical Science, WuXi Biologics, 200
Meiliang Road, Binhu District, WuXi, Jiangsu 214092, China
| | - Muchen Li
- WuXi
Process Development Analytical Science, WuXi Biologics, 200
Meiliang Road, Binhu District, WuXi, Jiangsu 214092, China
| | - Ying Wu
- Analytical
Sciences, WuXi Biologics, 31 Yiwei Road, Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, China
| | - Yu Tian
- Biologics
Innovation & Discovery, WuXi Biologics, 227 Meisheng Road, Waigaoqiao Free
Trade Zone, Shanghai 200131, China
| | - Xiaodong Bu
- Analytical
Research & Development, Merck &
Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln
Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
| | - Qingyuan Liu
- Analytical
Research & Development, Merck &
Co., Inc., 2000 Galloping
Hill Road, Kenilworth, New
Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Yanrui Jiang
- Analytical
Research & Development, MSD, Industrie Nord 1, Schachen (Luzern) CH-6105, Switzerland
| | - Simon E. Hamilton
- Analytical
Research & Development, MSD, 120 Moorgate, London EC2M 6UR, U.K.
| | - Ping Han
- Analytical
Research & Development, Merck &
Co., Inc., 2000 Galloping
Hill Road, Kenilworth, New
Jersey 07033, United States
| | - Shuwen Sun
- Analytical
Research & Development, Merck &
Co., Inc., 126 E. Lincoln
Avenue, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States
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12
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Ebrahimi SB, Hong X, Ludlow J, Doucet D, Thirumangalathu R. Studying Intermolecular Interactions in an Antibody-Drug Conjugate Through Chemical Screening and Computational Modeling. J Pharm Sci 2023; 112:2621-2628. [PMID: 37572780 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2023.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023]
Abstract
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) combine the selectivity of antibodies with the cytotoxicity of drug payloads to yield highly targeted and potent therapeutics. Owing to the need to chemically modify residues for attachment of the payload and their more complex structure compared to either component alone, ADCs can present additional challenges related to stability of the final drug product. Here, we report for the first time the use of high-throughput experimental screens and computational techniques to tune the conformational and colloidal behavior of a monomethyl auristatin F-based ADC. The ADC, which exhibits high opalescence with strongly attractive protein-protein interactions, is transformed into a more stable structure by experimentally traversing a library of more than ∼100 formulations. A significant reduction in turbidity and increase in diffusion interaction parameter is observed by varying properties such as pH and ionic strength. Computational modeling rationalized these changes and pointed to the presence of attractive electrostatic interactions between ADC molecules facilitated by the drug payload and histidine residues. Taken together, the experimental and computational work presented provides a general roadmap of studies to perform during ADC development to find stable formulations, while the mechanistic learnings can be applied towards the design and stabilization of other IgG1-based ADCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sasha B Ebrahimi
- Drug Product Development, Steriles, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA 19426, United States.
| | - Xuan Hong
- Computational Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA 19426, United States
| | - James Ludlow
- Drug Product Development, Steriles, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA 19426, United States
| | - Dany Doucet
- Drug Product Development Packaging, Device and Design Solutions, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA 19426, United States
| | - Renuka Thirumangalathu
- Drug Product Development, Steriles, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA 19426, United States
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13
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Kondrashov A, Sapkota S, Sharma A, Riano I, Kurzrock R, Adashek JJ. Antibody-Drug Conjugates in Solid Tumor Oncology: An Effectiveness Payday with a Targeted Payload. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2160. [PMID: 37631374 PMCID: PMC10459723 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15082160] [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: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are at the forefront of the drug development revolution occurring in oncology. Formed from three main components-an antibody, a linker molecule, and a cytotoxic agent ("payload"), ADCs have the unique ability to deliver cytotoxic agents to cells expressing a specific antigen, a great leap forward from traditional chemotherapeutic approaches that cause widespread effects without specificity. A variety of payloads can be used, including most frequently microtubular inhibitors (auristatins and maytansinoids), as well as topoisomerase inhibitors and alkylating agents. Finally, linkers play a critical role in the ADCs' effect, as cleavable moieties that serve as linkers impact site-specific activation as well as bystander killing effects, an upshot that is especially important in solid tumors that often express a variety of antigens. While ADCs were initially used in hematologic malignancies, their utility has been demonstrated in multiple solid tumor malignancies, including breast, gastrointestinal, lung, cervical, ovarian, and urothelial cancers. Currently, six ADCs are FDA-approved for the treatment of solid tumors: ado-trastuzumab emtansine and trastuzumab deruxtecan, both anti-HER2; enfortumab-vedotin, targeting nectin-4; sacituzuzmab govitecan, targeting Trop2; tisotumab vedotin, targeting tissue factor; and mirvetuximab soravtansine, targeting folate receptor-alpha. Although they demonstrate utility and tolerable safety profiles, ADCs may become ineffective as tumor cells undergo evolution to avoid expressing the specific antigen being targeted. Furthermore, the current cost of ADCs can be limiting their reach. Here, we review the structure and functions of ADCs, as well as ongoing clinical investigations into novel ADCs and their potential as treatments of solid malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksei Kondrashov
- Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Agnes Hospital, Baltimore, MD 21229, USA; (A.K.); (S.S.)
| | - Surendra Sapkota
- Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Agnes Hospital, Baltimore, MD 21229, USA; (A.K.); (S.S.)
| | - Aditya Sharma
- Department of Internal Medicine, Dartmouth Health, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA; (A.S.); (I.R.)
| | - Ivy Riano
- Department of Internal Medicine, Dartmouth Health, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA; (A.S.); (I.R.)
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Dartmouth Cancer Center, Lebanon, NH 03755, USA
| | - Razelle Kurzrock
- WIN Consortium, 94550 Paris, France;
- MCW Cancer Center, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Division of Oncology and Hematology, University of Nebraska, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
- Department of Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Jacob J. Adashek
- Department of Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
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14
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Mills BJ, Godamudunage MP, Ren S, Laha M. Predictive Nature of High-Throughput Assays in ADC Formulation Screening. J Pharm Sci 2023; 112:1821-1831. [PMID: 37037342 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2023.03.021] [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: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
Utilization of high-throughput biophysical screening techniques during early screening studies is warranted due to the limited amount of material and large number of samples. But the predictability of the data to longer-term storage stability is critical as the high-throughput methods assist in defining the design space for the longer-term studies. In this study, the biophysical properties of two ADCs in 16 formulation conditions were evaluated using high-throughput techniques. Conformational stability and colloidal stability were evaluated by determining Tm values, kD, B22, and Tagg. In addition, the samples were placed on stability and the extent of aggregate formation over the 8-week interval was determined. The rank order of the 16 different formulations in the high-throughput assays was compared to the rank order observed during the stability studies to assess the predictive capabilities of the screening methods. It was demonstrated that similar rank orders can be expected between high-throughput physical stability indicating assays such as Tagg and B22 and traditional aggregation by SEC data, whereas conformational stability read-outs (Tm) are less predictive. In addition, the high-throughput assays appropriately identified the poor performing formulation conditions, which is ultimately what is desired of screening assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittney J Mills
- Biologics CMC Drug Product Development, AbbVie Inc., 1 N Waukegan Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, United States.
| | - Malika P Godamudunage
- Biologics CMC Drug Product Development, AbbVie Inc., 1 N Waukegan Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, United States
| | - Siyuan Ren
- Biologics CMC Drug Product Development, AbbVie Inc., 1 N Waukegan Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, United States
| | - Malabika Laha
- Biologics CMC Drug Product Development, AbbVie Inc., 1 N Waukegan Road, North Chicago, IL 60064, United States
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15
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Ebrahimi SB, Samanta D. Engineering protein-based therapeutics through structural and chemical design. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2411. [PMID: 37105998 PMCID: PMC10132957 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38039-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein-based therapeutics have led to new paradigms in disease treatment. Projected to be half of the top ten selling drugs in 2023, proteins have emerged as rivaling and, in some cases, superior alternatives to historically used small molecule-based medicines. This review chronicles both well-established and emerging design strategies that have enabled this paradigm shift by transforming protein-based structures that are often prone to denaturation, degradation, and aggregation in vitro and in vivo into highly effective therapeutics. In particular, we discuss strategies for creating structures with increased affinity and targetability, enhanced in vivo stability and pharmacokinetics, improved cell permeability, and reduced amounts of undesired immunogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sasha B Ebrahimi
- Drug Product Development-Steriles, GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, PA, 19426, USA.
| | - Devleena Samanta
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
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16
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Samantasinghar A, Sunildutt NP, Ahmed F, Soomro AM, Salih ARC, Parihar P, Memon FH, Kim KH, Kang IS, Choi KH. A comprehensive review of key factors affecting the efficacy of antibody drug conjugate. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 161:114408. [PMID: 36841027 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibody Drug Conjugate (ADC) is an emerging technology to overcome the limitations of chemotherapy by selectively targeting the cancer cells. ADC binds with an antigen, specifically over expressed on the surface of cancer cells, results decrease in bystander effect and increase in therapeutic index. The potency of an ideal ADC is entirely depending on several physicochemical factors such as site of conjugation, molecular weight, linker length, Steric hinderance, half-life, conjugation method, binding energy and so on. Inspite of the fact that there is more than 100 of ADCs are in clinical trial only 14 ADCs are approved by FDA for clinical use. However, to design an ideal ADC is still challenging and there is much more to be done. Here in this review, we have discussed the key components along with their significant role or contribution towards the efficacy of an ADC. Moreover, we also explained about the recent advancement in the conjugation method. Additionally, we spotlit the mode of action of an ADC, recent challenges, and future perspective regarding ADC. The profound knowledge regarding key components and their properties will help in the synthesis or production of different engineered ADCs. Therefore, contributes to develop an ADC with low safety concern and high therapeutic index. We hope this review will improve the understanding and encourage the practicing of research in anticancer ADCs development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Faheem Ahmed
- Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Jeju National University, the Republic of Korea
| | | | | | - Pratibha Parihar
- Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Jeju National University, the Republic of Korea
| | - Fida Hussain Memon
- Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Jeju National University, the Republic of Korea
| | | | - In Suk Kang
- Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Jeju National University, the Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung Hyun Choi
- Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Jeju National University, the Republic of Korea.
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17
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van den Berg EBA, Hendriks JCW, Elsinga EW, Eggink M, Dirksen EHC. Switching positions: Assessing the dynamics of conjugational heterogeneity in antibody-drug conjugates using CE-SDS. Electrophoresis 2023; 44:62-71. [PMID: 35907250 PMCID: PMC10086850 DOI: 10.1002/elps.202200140] [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: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are a prospective class of new oncology therapeutics with the ability to deliver a cytotoxic drug to a targeted location. The concept appears simple, but ADCs are highly complex due to their intrinsic heterogeneity. Randomly conjugated ADCs, for instance, are composed of conjugated species carrying between 0 and 8 linker-drug molecules, with several positional isomers that vary in drug distribution across the antibody. The drug load, expressed as drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR), is a critical quality attribute and should be well controlled, together with the distribution of drug molecules. Here, the impact of the duration of disulfide bond reduction on the DAR was investigated by quantitating the (isomeric) DAR species in ADCs produced with varying reduction times. Although hydrophobic interaction chromatography showed a constant DAR value as a function of reduction time, data obtained by non-reducing CE-SDS revealed an unexpected dynamic in the positional conjugated isomers. The insights obtained have improved our understanding of the correlation between the disulfide bond reduction, an important step in the manufacturing of a cysteine-conjugated ADC, and the conjugational heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jaap C. W. Hendriks
- Analytical Development and Quality Control (ADQC), Byondis B.V.NijmegenThe Netherlands
| | | | - Mark Eggink
- Analytical Development and Quality Control (ADQC), Byondis B.V.NijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Eef H. C. Dirksen
- Analytical Development and Quality Control (ADQC), Byondis B.V.NijmegenThe Netherlands
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18
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Hwang D, Nilchan N, Park H, Roy RN, Roush WR, Rader C. Sculpting a Uniquely Reactive Cysteine Residue for Site-Specific Antibody Conjugation. Bioconjug Chem 2022; 33:1192-1200. [PMID: 35584359 PMCID: PMC10153793 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.2c00146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Catalytic antibody 38C2 and its humanized version h38C2 harbor a uniquely reactive lysine at the bottom of a 11 Å deep pocket that permits site-specific conjugation of β-diketone-, β-lactam-, and heteroaryl methylsulfonyl-functionalized small and large molecules. Various dual variable domain formats pair a tumor-targeting antibody with h38C2 to enable precise, fast, and stable assembly of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). Here, we expand the scope of this ADC assembly strategy by mutating h38C2's reactive lysine to a cysteine. X-ray crystallography of this point mutant, h38C2_K99C, confirmed a deeply buried unpaired cysteine. Probing h38C2_K99C with maleimide, monobromomaleimide, and dibromomaleimide derivatives of a fluorophore revealed highly disparate conjugation efficiencies and stabilities. Dibromomaleimide emerged as a suitable electrophile for the precise, fast, efficient, and stable assembly of ADCs with the h38C2_K99C module. Mass spectrometry indicated the presence of a thio-monobromomaleimide linkage which was further supported by in silico docking studies. Using a dibromomaleimide derivative of the highly potent tubulin polymerization inhibitor monomethyl auristatin F, h38C2_K99C-based ADCs were found to be as potent as h38C2-based ADCs and afford a new assembly route for ADCs with single and dual payloads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dobeen Hwang
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
| | - Napon Nilchan
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
| | - HaJeung Park
- X-Ray Crystallography Core, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
| | - Raktim N Roy
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
| | - William R Roush
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
| | - Christoph Rader
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida 33458, United States
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19
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Fu Z, Li S, Han S, Shi C, Zhang Y. Antibody drug conjugate: the "biological missile" for targeted cancer therapy. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2022; 7:93. [PMID: 35318309 PMCID: PMC8941077 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-022-00947-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 468] [Impact Index Per Article: 234.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) is typically composed of a monoclonal antibody (mAbs) covalently attached to a cytotoxic drug via a chemical linker. It combines both the advantages of highly specific targeting ability and highly potent killing effect to achieve accurate and efficient elimination of cancer cells, which has become one of the hotspots for the research and development of anticancer drugs. Since the first ADC, Mylotarg® (gemtuzumab ozogamicin), was approved in 2000 by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there have been 14 ADCs received market approval so far worldwide. Moreover, over 100 ADC candidates have been investigated in clinical stages at present. This kind of new anti-cancer drugs, known as "biological missiles", is leading a new era of targeted cancer therapy. Herein, we conducted a review of the history and general mechanism of action of ADCs, and then briefly discussed the molecular aspects of key components of ADCs and the mechanisms by which these key factors influence the activities of ADCs. Moreover, we also reviewed the approved ADCs and other promising candidates in phase-3 clinical trials and discuss the current challenges and future perspectives for the development of next generations, which provide insights for the research and development of novel cancer therapeutics using ADCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwen Fu
- Department of Pharmacy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People's Republic of China
- Hubei Province Clinical Research Center for Precision Medicine for Critical Illness, Wuhan, 430022, People's Republic of China
| | - Shijun Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People's Republic of China
- Hubei Province Clinical Research Center for Precision Medicine for Critical Illness, Wuhan, 430022, People's Republic of China
| | - Sifei Han
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, (Parkville Campus) 381 Royal Parade,, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Faculty of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 639 Longmian Avenue, Jiangning District, Nanjing, 211198, People's Republic of China
| | - Chen Shi
- Department of Pharmacy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People's Republic of China.
- Hubei Province Clinical Research Center for Precision Medicine for Critical Illness, Wuhan, 430022, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, People's Republic of China.
- Hubei Province Clinical Research Center for Precision Medicine for Critical Illness, Wuhan, 430022, People's Republic of China.
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20
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Chiu D, Pan L, Fay L, Eakin C, Valliere-Douglass J. Structural characterization of a monomethylauristatin-E based ADC that contains 8 drugs conjugated at interchain cysteine residues. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2021; 205:114309. [PMID: 34403866 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2021.114309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) with a drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR) of 8 are attractive as therapeutic anti-cancer agents due to the higher levels of cytotoxic payload delivered to tumors. Biophysical characterization of a DAR 8 ADC fully conjugated at all interchain cysteine residues was carried out to determine if IgG1 interchain disulfide reduction and conjugation led to structural perturbations that impacted product stability. Comparisons between the DAR 8 ADC and the unconjugated parent antibody identified minor tertiary and quaternary structural changes localized to the CL, CH1, and CH2 domains and CH2-CH3 domain interface. Stability studies of the DAR 8 ADC indicated that the structural changes had minimal impacts to product stability as demonstrated by low levels of fragmentation and aggregation under nominal storage and temperature stress stability conditions. Additionally, no detectable higher order structural changes were observed by CD or DSC in the DAR 8 ADC after 3 months at (25 °C) stability conditions. The structural and stability results support the developability of DAR 8 ADCs fully conjugated to interchain cysteines residues with an optimized and clinically relevant second generation monomethylauristatin-E (MMAE) drug-linker.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Chiu
- Quality Control, Seagen Inc., 21823 30th Drive Southeast, Bothell, WA, 98021, United States.
| | - Lucy Pan
- Quality Control, Seagen Inc., 21823 30th Drive Southeast, Bothell, WA, 98021, United States.
| | - Lindsay Fay
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Seagen Inc., 21823 30th Drive Southeast, Bothell, WA, 98021, United States.
| | - Catherine Eakin
- Analytical Sciences, Seagen Inc., 21823 30th Drive Southeast, Bothell, WA, 98021, United States.
| | - John Valliere-Douglass
- Analytical Sciences, Seagen Inc., 21823 30th Drive Southeast, Bothell, WA, 98021, United States.
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21
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Lundahl MLE, Fogli S, Colavita PE, Scanlan EM. Aggregation of protein therapeutics enhances their immunogenicity: causes and mitigation strategies. RSC Chem Biol 2021; 2:1004-1020. [PMID: 34458822 PMCID: PMC8341748 DOI: 10.1039/d1cb00067e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein aggregation in biotherapeutics has been identified to increase immunogenicity, leading to immune-mediated adverse effects, such as severe allergic responses including anaphylaxis. The induction of anti-drug antibodies (ADAs) moreover enhances drug clearance rates, and can directly block therapeutic function. In this review, identified immune activation mechanisms triggered by protein aggregates are discussed, as well as physicochemical properties of aggregates, such as size and shape, which contribute to immunogenicity. Furthermore, factors which contribute to protein stability and aggregation are considered. Lastly, with these factors in mind, we encourage an innovative and multidisciplinary approach with regard to further research in the field, with the overall aim to avoid immunogenic aggregation in future drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mimmi L E Lundahl
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin Dublin 2 Ireland
| | - Silvia Fogli
- Glycome Biopharma, Unit 4, Joyce House, Barrack Square, Ballincollig Co Cork P31 HW35 Ireland
| | - Paula E Colavita
- School of Chemistry and Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin Dublin 2 Ireland
| | - Eoin M Scanlan
- School of Chemistry and Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin Dublin 2 Ireland
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22
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Campuzano IDG, Sandoval W. Denaturing and Native Mass Spectrometric Analytics for Biotherapeutic Drug Discovery Research: Historical, Current, and Future Personal Perspectives. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MASS SPECTROMETRY 2021; 32:1861-1885. [PMID: 33886297 DOI: 10.1021/jasms.1c00036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Mass spectrometry (MS) plays a key role throughout all stages of drug development and is now as ubiquitous as other analytical techniques such as surface plasmon resonance, nuclear magnetic resonance, and supercritical fluid chromatography, among others. Herein, we aim to discuss the history of MS, both electrospray and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization, specifically for the analysis of antibodies, evolving through to denaturing and native-MS analysis of newer biologic moieties such as antibody-drug conjugates, multispecific antibodies, and interfering nucleic acid-based therapies. We discuss challenging therapeutic target characterization such as membrane protein receptors. Importantly, we compare and contrast the MS and hyphenated analytical chromatographic methods used to characterize these therapeutic modalities and targets within biopharmaceutical research and highlight the importance of appropriate MS deconvolution software and its essential contribution to project progression. Finally, we describe emerging applications and MS technologies that are still predominantly within either a development or academic stage of use but are poised to have significant impact on future drug development within the biopharmaceutic industry once matured. The views reflected herein are personal and are not meant to be an exhaustive list of all relevant MS performed within biopharmaceutical research but are what we feel have been historically, are currently, and will be in the future the most impactful for the drug development process.
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MESH Headings
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/analysis
- Automation, Laboratory
- Biopharmaceutics/methods
- Chromatography, Liquid
- Drug Discovery/methods
- Drug Industry/history
- History, 20th Century
- History, 21st Century
- Humans
- Immunoconjugates/analysis
- Immunoconjugates/chemistry
- Protein Denaturation
- Protein Processing, Post-Translational
- Proteins/analysis
- Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization/history
- Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization/instrumentation
- Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization/methods
- Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization/history
- Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization/instrumentation
- Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization/methods
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Affiliation(s)
- Iain D G Campuzano
- Discovery Attribute Sciences, Amgen Research, 1 Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, California 92130, United States
| | - Wendy Sandoval
- Department of Microchemistry, Proteomics and Lipidomics, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
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23
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Kaempffe A, Dickgiesser S, Rasche N, Paoletti A, Bertotti E, De Salve I, Sirtori FR, Kellner R, Könning D, Hecht S, Anderl J, Kolmar H, Schröter C. Effect of Conjugation Site and Technique on the Stability and Pharmacokinetics of Antibody-Drug Conjugates. J Pharm Sci 2021; 110:3776-3785. [PMID: 34363839 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2021.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Appropriate selection of conjugation sites and conjugation technologies is now widely accepted as crucial for the success of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). Herein, we present ADCs conjugated by different conjugation methods to different conjugation positions being systematically characterized by multiple in vitro assays as well as in vivo pharmacokinetic (PK) analyses in transgenic Tg276 mice. Conjugation to cysteines, genetically introduced at positions N325, L328, S239, D265, and S442, was compared to enzymatic conjugation via microbial transglutaminase (mTG) either to C-terminal light (LC) or heavy chain (HC) recognition motifs or to endogenous position Q295 of a native antibody. All conjugations yielded homogeneous DAR 2 ADCs with similar hydrophobicity, thermal stability, human neonatal Fc receptor (huFcRn) binding, and serum stability properties, but with pronounced differences in their PK profiles. mTG-conjugated ADC variants conjugated either to Q295 or to LC recognition motifs showed superior PK behavior. Within the panel of engineered cysteine variants L328 showed a similar PK profile compared to previously described S239 but superior PK compared to S442, D265, and N325. While all positions were first tested with trastuzumab, L328 and mTG LC were further evaluated with additional antibody scaffolds derived from clinically evaluated monoclonal antibodies (mAb). Based on PK analyses, this study confirms the newly described position L328 as favorable site for cysteine conjugation, comparable to the well-established engineered cysteine position S239, and emphasizes the favorable position Q295 of native antibodies and the tagged LC antibody variant for enzymatic conjugations via mTG. In addition, hemizygous Tg276 mice are evaluated as an adequate model for ADC pharmacokinetics, facilitating the selection of suitable ADC candidates early in the drug discovery process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Kaempffe
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Alarich-Weiss-Straße 4, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany; Antibody Drug Conjugates & Targeted NBE Therapeutics, Merck KGaA, Frankfurter Strasse 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Stephan Dickgiesser
- Antibody Drug Conjugates & Targeted NBE Therapeutics, Merck KGaA, Frankfurter Strasse 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Nicolas Rasche
- Antibody Drug Conjugates & Targeted NBE Therapeutics, Merck KGaA, Frankfurter Strasse 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Andrea Paoletti
- NBE-DMPK Discovery and Preclinical Bioanalytics, Merck KGaA, RBM S.p.A., Via Ribes 1, 10010 Colleretto Giacosa (TO), Italy
| | - Elisa Bertotti
- NBE-DMPK Discovery and Preclinical Bioanalytics, Merck KGaA, RBM S.p.A., Via Ribes 1, 10010 Colleretto Giacosa (TO), Italy
| | - Ilse De Salve
- NBE-DMPK Discovery and Preclinical Bioanalytics, Merck KGaA, RBM S.p.A., Via Ribes 1, 10010 Colleretto Giacosa (TO), Italy
| | - Federico Riccardi Sirtori
- NBE-DMPK Discovery and Preclinical Bioanalytics, Merck KGaA, RBM S.p.A., Via Ribes 1, 10010 Colleretto Giacosa (TO), Italy
| | - Roland Kellner
- Antibody Drug Conjugates & Targeted NBE Therapeutics, Merck KGaA, Frankfurter Strasse 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Doreen Könning
- Antibody Drug Conjugates & Targeted NBE Therapeutics, Merck KGaA, Frankfurter Strasse 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Stefan Hecht
- Antibody Drug Conjugates & Targeted NBE Therapeutics, Merck KGaA, Frankfurter Strasse 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Jan Anderl
- Antibody Drug Conjugates & Targeted NBE Therapeutics, Merck KGaA, Frankfurter Strasse 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Harald Kolmar
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Alarich-Weiss-Straße 4, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Christian Schröter
- Antibody Drug Conjugates & Targeted NBE Therapeutics, Merck KGaA, Frankfurter Strasse 250, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany.
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24
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Alpert AJ. Online Hydrophobic Interaction Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (HIC–MS) Analysis of Proteins. LCGC NORTH AMERICA 2021. [DOI: 10.56530/lcgc.na.bi6281a9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) is widely used for protein analysis. Its use of nonvolatile salts has precluded direct flow to mass spectrometers. Recent advances in stationary phases have overcome that obstacle and permit HIC–MS analysis of intact antibodies and other proteins.
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25
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Shi X, Zhang XN, Chen J, Cheng Q, Pei H, Louie SG, Zhang Y. A poly-ADP-ribose polymer-based antibody-drug conjugate. Chem Sci 2020; 11:9303-9308. [PMID: 33623656 PMCID: PMC7871713 DOI: 10.1039/d0sc01795g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein poly-ADP-ribosylation (PARylation) plays vital roles in many aspects of physiology and pathophysiology. This posttranslational modification is catalyzed by poly-ADP-ribose polymerases (PARPs) through additions of ADP-ribose from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) to protein residues, forming linear or branched poly-ADP-ribose (PAR) polymers. In this study, we explored a new concept of utilizing functionalized PAR polymers for targeted drug delivery. This was achieved by rapid and efficient generation of auto-PARylated PARP1 with 3'-azido ADP-riboses and subsequent conjugations of anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) antibodies and monomethyl auristatin F (MMAF) payloads. This designed PARylated PARP1-antibody-MMAF conjugate could potently kill HER2-expressing cancer cells in high specificity. This proof-of-principle work demonstrates the feasibility of production of PAR polymer-based antibody-drug conjugate and its application in targeted delivery. The PAR polymer-based conjugates may lead to new types of therapeutics with potentially improved physicochemical and pharmacological properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojing Shi
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences , School of Pharmacy , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA 90089 , USA
| | - Xiao-Nan Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences , School of Pharmacy , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA 90089 , USA
| | - Jingwen Chen
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences , School of Pharmacy , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA 90089 , USA
| | - Qinqin Cheng
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences , School of Pharmacy , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA 90089 , USA
| | - Hua Pei
- Titus Family Department of Clinical Pharmacy , School of Pharmacy , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA 90089 , USA
| | - Stan G Louie
- Titus Family Department of Clinical Pharmacy , School of Pharmacy , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA 90089 , USA
| | - Yong Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences , School of Pharmacy , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA 90089 , USA
- Department of Chemistry , Dornsife College of Letters , Arts and Sciences , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA 90089 , USA
- Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA 90089 , USA
- Research Center for Liver Diseases , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA 90089 , USA .
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26
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Akaiwa M, Dugal-Tessier J, Mendelsohn BA. Antibody-Drug Conjugate Payloads; Study of Auristatin Derivatives. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) 2020; 68:201-211. [PMID: 32115527 DOI: 10.1248/cpb.c19-00853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Auristatins are important payloads used in antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), and the most well-known compound family member, monomethyl auristatin (MMAE), is used in two Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved ADCs, Adcetris® and Polivy®. Multiple other auristatin-based ADCs are currently being evaluated in human clinical trials and further studies on this class of molecule are underway by several academic and industrial research groups. Our group's main focus is to investigate the structure-activity relationships (SAR) of novel auristatins with the goal of applying these to next generation ADCs. Modifications of the auristatin backbone scaffold have been widely reported in the chemical literature focusing on the terminal subunits: P1 (N-terminus) and P5 (C-terminus). Our approach was to modulate the activity and hydrophilic character through modifications of the central subunits P2-P3-P4 and thorough SAR study on the P5 subunit. Novel hydrophilic auristatins were observed to have greater potency in vitro and displayed enhanced in vivo antitumor activity when conjugated via protease-cleavable linkers and delivered intracellularly. Analysis of ADC aggregation also indicated that novel hydrophilic payloads enabled the synthesis of high-drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR) ADCs that were resistant to aggregation. Modification of the central peptide subunits also resulted in auristatins with potent cytotoxic activity in vitro and these azide-modified auristatins contain a handle for linker attachment from the central portion of the auristatin backbone.
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27
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Chen Y, Yang W, Wu J, Sun W, Loh TP, Jiang Y. 2H-Azirines as Potential Bifunctional Chemical Linkers of Cysteine Residues in Bioconjugate Technology. Org Lett 2020; 22:2038-2043. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.0c00415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Chen
- Institute of Advanced Synthesis, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, P. R. China
| | - Wenjie Yang
- Institute of Advanced Synthesis, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, P. R. China
| | - Jiamin Wu
- Institute of Advanced Synthesis, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, P. R. China
| | - Wangbin Sun
- Institute of Advanced Synthesis, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, P. R. China
| | - Teck-Peng Loh
- Institute of Advanced Synthesis, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, P. R. China
- Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637616, Singapore
| | - Yaojia Jiang
- Institute of Advanced Synthesis, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, P. R. China
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28
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Mills BJ, Kruger T, Bruncko M, Zhang X, Jameel F. Effect of Linker-Drug Properties and Conjugation Site on the Physical Stability of ADCs. J Pharm Sci 2020; 109:1662-1672. [PMID: 32027921 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2020.01.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The physical stability of antibody drug conjugates is dictated by the properties of the antibody, linker-drug, and conjugation site. Two linker-drugs were chosen that are different in terms of hydrophobicity and polar surface area to evaluate the effect of linker-drug properties on antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) behavior. Site-specific and non-site-specific conjugation was used to investigate the role of conjugation site in conformational and colloidal stability. Finally, 2 antibodies were selected to determine if the observed results were antibody-specific. The conformational stability is affected, with the highest degree of destabilization observed when conjugation results in the removal of interchain disulfide bonds. Although conformational destabilization occurred in the domain in which conjugation occurred and domains distinct from the conjugation site, no correlation could be drawn between linker-drug properties and conformational stability. Evaluation of aggregation by size exclusion HPLC confirmed a relationship between linker-drug hydrophobicity and aggregation propensity under thermal stress in all ADCs tested. The extent of aggregation was far greater in the conjugates generated with a more hydrophobic antibody, illustrating that the properties of both the antibody and linker-drug contribute to aggregation. These studies emphasize that the distinct properties of the molecule as a whole warrant a case-by-case evaluation of each ADC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittney J Mills
- Drug Product Development, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, Illinois 60064.
| | - Terra Kruger
- Drug Product Development, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, Illinois 60064; Division of Pharmaceutics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242
| | - Milan Bruncko
- Global Biologics, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, Illinois 60064
| | - Xinxin Zhang
- Global Biologics, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, Illinois 60064
| | - Feroz Jameel
- Drug Product Development, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, Illinois 60064
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29
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Antibody Conjugates-Recent Advances and Future Innovations. Antibodies (Basel) 2020; 9:antib9010002. [PMID: 31936270 PMCID: PMC7148502 DOI: 10.3390/antib9010002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies have evolved from research tools to powerful therapeutics in the past 30 years. Clinical success rates of antibodies have exceeded expectations, resulting in heavy investment in biologics discovery and development in addition to traditional small molecules across the industry. However, protein therapeutics cannot drug targets intracellularly and are limited to soluble and cell-surface antigens. Tremendous strides have been made in antibody discovery, protein engineering, formulation, and delivery devices. These advances continue to push the boundaries of biologics to enable antibody conjugates to take advantage of the target specificity and long half-life from an antibody, while delivering highly potent small molecule drugs. While the "magic bullet" concept produced the first wave of antibody conjugates, these entities were met with limited clinical success. This review summarizes the advances and challenges in the field to date with emphasis on antibody conjugation, linker-payload chemistry, novel payload classes, absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME), and product developability. We discuss lessons learned in the development of oncology antibody conjugates and look towards future innovations enabling other therapeutic indications.
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30
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Alteration of Physicochemical Properties for Antibody-Drug Conjugates and Their Impact on Stability. J Pharm Sci 2020; 109:161-168. [DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2019.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Revised: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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31
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Assessing localized conformational stability of antibody-drug conjugate by protein conformation assay. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2019; 179:113020. [PMID: 31835127 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2019.113020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are a class of attractive therapeutic agents to fight cancer with conjugation of potent chemical agents on target-selective antibodies. The conceptually elegant approach has encountered mounting practical challenges in combining the mAb and potent drug while maintaining the conformational and physiochemical stability of the bioconjugates. The attachment of hydrophobic drug-linker with antibody could potentially alter the antibody conformational scaffold, locally or globally. Here we propose to use a protein conformation assay (PCA) to measure the higher-order structure of antibodies upon drug-linker conjugation. The PCA analysis provides insights into the formation of partially unfolded ADCs, which may correlate with protein stability and aggregation propensity. To further elucidate the cause of the unfolding events, in-depth peptide mapping combined with the PCA conformational footprints were performed on a commercial ADC trastuzumab emtansine in this study. The locally altered conformational hot-spots observed in PCA matched with conjugation sites with high occupancy rate identified in peptide mapping. In summary, by combining PCA and in-depth peptide mapping, a snapshot of ADC structural conformation and stability profile could be obtained and provide a swift and convenient measurement of the 'fitness' of ADC to facilitate payload selection, conjugation process development and early predictive developability assessment.
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32
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Biophysical Methods for Characterization of Antibody-Drug Conjugates. Methods Mol Biol 2019. [PMID: 31643067 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9929-3_22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) are made up of three components: (1) a mAb specific to cells of choice, (2) a small molecule with desired end goal, and (3) a linker to covalently link drug molecule to the antibody. Bringing together the mAb, drug molecule, and the linker results in the formation of an immunoconjugate designed to selectively deliver the drug molecule to a cell of interest. Synergic effects of the mAb and drug molecule lead to destroying the target tumor cells while leaving the normal cells unharmed. However, the development of ADCs is associated with challenges due to the heterogeneity of the ADC molecules created from the conjugation process. Addition of the linker and drug moieties during processing as well as the hydrophobicity of the drug itself can lead to structural changes that may affect the stability and functional profile of the conjugated molecule. Furthermore, linkers site of attachment plays a major role in determining the conformational and colloidal properties of the ADCs. In this chapter, several characterization methods are introduced to determine the biophysical characteristics of the ADC. Protocols, data analysis as well as notes for circular dichroism, intrinsic fluorescence, ANS fluorescence, differential scanning calorimetry, and dynamic scanning fluorimetry are outlined in detail.
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33
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Li K, Lin ZJ, Shi H, Ma Y. Characterization of Positional Isomers of Interchain Cysteine Linked Antibody−Drug Conjugates by High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry. Anal Chem 2019; 91:8558-8563. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b01808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ke Li
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Biomedical Research, Missouri University of Science and Technonlogy, Rolla, Missouri 65409, United States
| | - Zhongping John Lin
- Department of Bioanalysis, Frontage Laboratories, Inc., Exton, Pennsylvania 19341, United States
| | - Honglan Shi
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Biomedical Research, Missouri University of Science and Technonlogy, Rolla, Missouri 65409, United States
| | - Yinfa Ma
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Biomedical Research, Missouri University of Science and Technonlogy, Rolla, Missouri 65409, United States
- Department of Chemistry, California State University, Sacramento, California 95819, United States
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34
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Benjamin SR, Jackson CP, Fang S, Carlson DP, Guo Z, Tumey LN. Thiolation of Q295: Site-Specific Conjugation of Hydrophobic Payloads without the Need for Genetic Engineering. Mol Pharm 2019; 16:2795-2807. [PMID: 31067063 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.9b00323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Site-specific conjugation technology frequently relies on antibody engineering to incorporate rare or non-natural amino acids into the primary sequence of the protein. However, when the primary sequence is unknown or when antibody engineering is not feasible, there are very limited options for site-specific protein modification. We have developed a transglutaminase-mediated conjugation that incorporates a thiol at a "privileged" location on deglycosylated antibodies (Q295). Perhaps surprisingly, this conjugation employs a reported transglutaminase inhibitor, cystamine, as the key enzyme substrate. The chemical incorporation of a thiol at the Q295 site allows for the site-specific attachment of a plethora of commonly used and commercially available payloads via maleimide chemistry. Herein, we demonstrate the utility of this method by comparing the conjugatability, plasma stability, and in vitro potency of these site-specific antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) with analogous endogenous cysteine conjugates. Cytotoxic ADCs prepared using this methodology are shown to exhibit comparable in vitro efficacy to stochastic cysteine conjugates while displaying dramatically improved plasma stability and conjugatability. In particular, we note that this technique appears to be useful for the incorporation of highly hydrophobic linker payloads without the addition of PEG modifiers. We postulate a possible mechanism for this feature by probing the local environment of the Q295 site with two fluorescent probes that are known to be sensitive to the local hydrophobic environment. In summary, we describe a highly practical method for the site-specific conjugation of genetically nonengineered antibodies, which results in plasma-stable ADCs with low intrinsic hydrophobicity. We believe that this technology will find broad utility in the ADC community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha R Benjamin
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences , Binghamton University , P.O. Box 6000, Binghamton , New York 13902 , United States
| | - Courtney P Jackson
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences , Binghamton University , P.O. Box 6000, Binghamton , New York 13902 , United States
| | - Siteng Fang
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences , Binghamton University , P.O. Box 6000, Binghamton , New York 13902 , United States
| | - Dane P Carlson
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences , Binghamton University , P.O. Box 6000, Binghamton , New York 13902 , United States
| | - Zhongyuan Guo
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences , Binghamton University , P.O. Box 6000, Binghamton , New York 13902 , United States
| | - L Nathan Tumey
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences , Binghamton University , P.O. Box 6000, Binghamton , New York 13902 , United States
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35
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Svilenov H, Winter G. The ReFOLD assay for protein formulation studies and prediction of protein aggregation during long-term storage. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2019; 137:131-139. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2019.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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36
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Buecheler JW, Winzer M, Weber C, Gieseler H. Oxidation-Induced Destabilization of Model Antibody-Drug Conjugates. J Pharm Sci 2019; 108:1236-1245. [DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2018.10.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Revised: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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37
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Wöll S, Dickgiesser S, Rasche N, Schiller S, Scherließ R. Sortagged anti-EGFR immunoliposomes exhibit increased cytotoxicity on target cells. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2019; 136:203-212. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2019.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Revised: 01/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Gandhi AV, Randolph TW, Carpenter JF. Conjugation of Emtansine Onto Trastuzumab Promotes Aggregation of the Antibody-Drug Conjugate by Reducing Repulsive Electrostatic Interactions and Increasing Hydrophobic Interactions. J Pharm Sci 2019; 108:1973-1983. [PMID: 30735687 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2019.01.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Revised: 01/27/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The impact of drug conjugation on intra- and intermolecular interactions of trastuzumab (TmAb) was determined by comparing the conformational and colloidal stabilities of TmAb and trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1). In low ionic strength formulations, drug conjugation to native lysine residues of TmAb significantly reduced the repulsive electrostatic interactions between T-DM1 molecules. When these electrostatic interactions were screened in solutions with high ionic strength, intermolecular interactions between T-DM1 molecules were found to be more attractive than those between TmAb molecules. Drug conjugation lowered the colloidal stability of T-DM1 compared to TmAb, making T-DM1 more susceptible to agitation-induced aggregation. The presence of polysorbate-20 in the formulations inhibited aggregation of TmAb and T-DM1 induced by the hydrophobic air-water interface. Furthermore, the effect of increased hydrophobic interactions between T-DM1 molecules was studied by monitoring aggregation in TmAb and T-DM1 solutions that were incubated at 4°C, 25°C, and 50°C. Conjugating DM1 to TmAb increased the hydrophobicity of the molecule, and faster aggregation of T-DM1 at 50°C could be attributed to a temperature-dependent increase in hydrophobic interactions between T-DM1 molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya V Gandhi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado 80045
| | - Theodore W Randolph
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309
| | - John F Carpenter
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado 80045.
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Khera E, Thurber GM. Pharmacokinetic and Immunological Considerations for Expanding the Therapeutic Window of Next-Generation Antibody-Drug Conjugates. BioDrugs 2019; 32:465-480. [PMID: 30132210 DOI: 10.1007/s40259-018-0302-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) development has evolved greatly over the last 3 decades, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of several new drugs. However, translating ADCs from the design stage and preclinical promise to clinical success has been a major hurdle for the field, particularly for solid tumors. The challenge in clinical development can be attributed to the difficulty in connecting the design of these multifaceted agents with the impact on clinical efficacy, especially with the accelerated development of 'next-generation' ADCs containing a variety of innovative biophysical developments. Given their complex nature, there is an urgent need to integrate holistic ADC characterization approaches. This includes comprehensive in vivo assessment of systemic, intratumoral and cellular pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, toxicodynamics, and interactions with the immune system, with the aim of optimizing the ADC therapeutic window. Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic factors influencing the ADC therapeutic window include (1) selecting optimal target and ADC components for prolonged and stable plasma circulation to increase tumoral uptake with minimal non-specific systemic toxicity, (2) balancing homogeneous intratumoral distribution with efficient cellular uptake, and (3) translating improved ADC potency to better clinical efficacy. Balancing beneficial immunological effects such as Fc-mediated and payload-mediated immune cell activation against harmful immunogenic/toxic effects is also an emerging concern for ADCs. Here, we review practical considerations for tracking ADC efficacy and toxicity, as aided by high-resolution biomolecular and immunological tools, quantitative pharmacology, and mathematical models, all of which can elucidate the relative contributions of the multitude of interactions governing the ADC therapeutic window.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eshita Khera
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, 2800 Plymouth Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Greg M Thurber
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, 2800 Plymouth Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA. .,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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Liu-Shin LPY, Fung A, Malhotra A, Ratnaswamy G. Evidence of disulfide bond scrambling during production of an antibody-drug conjugate. MAbs 2018; 10:1190-1199. [PMID: 30339473 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2018.1521128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) that are formed using thiol-maleimide chemistry are commonly produced by reactions that occur at or above neutral pHs. Alkaline environments can promote disulfide bond scrambling, and may result in the reconfiguration of interchain disulfide bonds in IgG antibodies, particularly in the IgG2 and IgG4 subclasses. IgG2-A and IgG2-B antibodies generated under basic conditions yielded ADCs with comparable average drug-to-antibody ratios and conjugate distributions. In contrast, the antibody disulfide configuration affected the distribution of ADCs generated under acidic conditions. The similarities of the ADCs derived from alkaline reactions were attributed to the scrambling of interchain disulfide bonds during the partial reduction step, where conversion of the IgG2-A isoform to the IgG2-B isoform was favored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lily Pei-Yao Liu-Shin
- a Analytical and Formulation Development , Agensys, Inc., an affiliate of Astellas, Inc , Santa Monica , CA , USA.,b Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology , University of Miami Miller School of Medicine , Miami , FL , USA
| | - Adam Fung
- a Analytical and Formulation Development , Agensys, Inc., an affiliate of Astellas, Inc , Santa Monica , CA , USA
| | - Arun Malhotra
- b Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology , University of Miami Miller School of Medicine , Miami , FL , USA
| | - Gayathri Ratnaswamy
- a Analytical and Formulation Development , Agensys, Inc., an affiliate of Astellas, Inc , Santa Monica , CA , USA
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41
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Lakayan D, Haselberg R, Gahoual R, Somsen GW, Kool J. Affinity profiling of monoclonal antibody and antibody-drug-conjugate preparations by coupled liquid chromatography-surface plasmon resonance biosensing. Anal Bioanal Chem 2018; 410:7837-7848. [PMID: 30328504 PMCID: PMC6244757 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-018-1414-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Revised: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are highly potent biopharmaceuticals designed for targeted cancer therapies. mAbs and ADCs can undergo modifications during production and storage which may affect binding to target receptors, potentially altering drug efficacy. In this work, liquid chromatography was coupled online to surface plasmon resonance (LC-SPR) to allow label-free affinity evaluation of mAb and ADC sample constituents (size and charge variants), under near-native conditions. Trastuzumab and its ADC trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) were used as a test sample and were analyzed by aqueous size-exclusion chromatography (SEC)-SPR before and after exposure to aggregate-inducing conditions. SEC-SPR allowed separation of the formed aggregates and measurement of their affinity towards the ligand-binding domain of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) receptor immobilized on the surface of the SPR sensor chip. The monomer and aggregates of the mAb and ADC were shown to have similar antigen affinity. Conjugation of drugs to trastuzumab appeared to accelerate the aggregate formation. In addition, cation-exchange chromatography (CEX) was coupled to SPR enabling monitoring the maximum ligand-analyte binding capacity (Rmax) of individual charge variants present in mAbs. Deamidated species and lysine variants in trastuzumab sample were separated but did not show different binding affinities to the immobilized HER2-binding domain. In order to allow protein variant assignment, parallel MS detection was added to the LC-SPR setup using a column effluent split. The feasibility of the LC-MS/SPR system was demonstrated by analysis of trastuzumab and T-DM1 providing information on antibody glycoforms and/or determination of the drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR), while simultaneously monitoring binding of eluting species to HER2. ᅟ ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Dina Lakayan
- Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute for Molecules, Medicines and Systems, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,TI-COAST, Science Park 904, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rob Haselberg
- Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute for Molecules, Medicines and Systems, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rabah Gahoual
- Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute for Molecules, Medicines and Systems, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Unité de Technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université Paris Descartes, 4 avenue de l'observatoire, 75270, Paris Cedex 06, France
| | - Govert W Somsen
- Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute for Molecules, Medicines and Systems, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Kool
- Division of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Amsterdam Institute for Molecules, Medicines and Systems, Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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42
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Wang W, Roberts CJ. Protein aggregation – Mechanisms, detection, and control. Int J Pharm 2018; 550:251-268. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2018.08.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Revised: 08/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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43
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Datta-Mannan A, Choi H, Stokell D, Tang J, Murphy A, Wrobleski A, Feng Y. The Properties of Cysteine-Conjugated Antibody-Drug Conjugates Are Impacted by the IgG Subclass. AAPS JOURNAL 2018; 20:103. [DOI: 10.1208/s12248-018-0263-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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44
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Gandhi AV, Arlotta KJ, Chen HN, Owen SC, Carpenter JF. Biophysical Properties and Heating-Induced Aggregation of Lysine-Conjugated Antibody-Drug Conjugates. J Pharm Sci 2018; 107:1858-1869. [DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2018.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Revised: 03/17/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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45
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Stéen EJL, Edem PE, Nørregaard K, Jørgensen JT, Shalgunov V, Kjaer A, Herth MM. Pretargeting in nuclear imaging and radionuclide therapy: Improving efficacy of theranostics and nanomedicines. Biomaterials 2018; 179:209-245. [PMID: 30007471 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2018.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2018] [Revised: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Pretargeted nuclear imaging and radiotherapy have recently attracted increasing attention for diagnosis and treatment of cancer with nanomedicines. This is because it conceptually offers better imaging contrast and therapeutic efficiency while reducing the dose to radiosensitive tissues compared to conventional strategies. In conventional imaging and radiotherapy, a directly radiolabeled nano-sized vector is administered and allowed to accumulate in the tumor, typically on a timescale of several days. In contrast, pretargeting is based on a two-step approach. First, a tumor-accumulating vector carrying a tag is administered followed by injection of a fast clearing radiolabeled agent that rapidly recognizes the tag of the tumor-bound vector in vivo. Therefore, pretargeting circumvents the use of long-lived radionuclides that is a necessity for sufficient tumor accumulation and target-to-background ratios using conventional approaches. In this review, we give an overview of recent advances in pretargeted imaging strategies. We will critically reflect on the advantages and disadvantages of current state-of-the-art conventional imaging approaches and compare them to pretargeted strategies. We will discuss the pretargeted imaging concept and the involved chemistry. Finally, we will discuss the steps forward in respect to clinical translation, and how pretargeted strategies could be applied to improve state-of-the-art radiotherapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Johanna L Stéen
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 160, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Patricia E Edem
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 160, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; Cluster for Molecular Imaging, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kamilla Nørregaard
- Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; Cluster for Molecular Imaging, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jesper T Jørgensen
- Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; Cluster for Molecular Imaging, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Vladimir Shalgunov
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 160, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Andreas Kjaer
- Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; Cluster for Molecular Imaging, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Matthias M Herth
- Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Jagtvej 160, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej 9, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
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46
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Barnett GV, Balakrishnan G, Chennamsetty N, Meengs B, Meyer J, Bongers J, Ludwig R, Tao L, Das TK, Leone A, Kar SR. Enhanced Precision of Circular Dichroism Spectral Measurements Permits Detection of Subtle Higher Order Structural Changes in Therapeutic Proteins. J Pharm Sci 2018; 107:2559-2569. [PMID: 29913140 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2018.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Revised: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Protein higher order structure (HOS) is an essential quality attribute to ensure protein stability and proper biological function. Protein HOS characterization is performed during comparability assessments for product consistency as well as during forced degradation studies for structural alteration upon stress. Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy is a widely used technique for measuring protein HOS, but it remains difficult to assess HOS with a high degree of accuracy and precision. Moreover, once spectral changes are detected, interpreting the differences in terms of specific structural attributes is challenging. Spectral normalization by the protein concentration remains one of the largest sources of error and reduces the ability to confidently detect differences in CD spectra. This work develops a simple method to enhance the precision of the CD spectral measurements through normalization of the CD spectra by the protein concentration determined directly from the CD measurement. This method is implemented to successfully detect small CD spectral changes in multiple forced degradation studies as well as comparability assessments during biologics drug development. Furthermore, the interpretation of CD spectral changes in terms of HOS differences are provided based on orthogonal data in conjunction with structural insights gained through in silico homology modeling of the protein structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory V Barnett
- Biologics Molecular and Analytical Development, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Hopewell, New Jersey 08534.
| | - Gurusamy Balakrishnan
- Biologics Molecular and Analytical Development, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Hopewell, New Jersey 08534
| | - Naresh Chennamsetty
- Biologics Molecular and Analytical Development, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Hopewell, New Jersey 08534
| | - Brent Meengs
- Analytical Development, ZymoGenetics (A Bristol-Myers Squibb Company), Seattle, Washington 98102
| | - Jeffery Meyer
- Analytical Development, ZymoGenetics (A Bristol-Myers Squibb Company), Seattle, Washington 98102
| | - Jacob Bongers
- Biologics Molecular and Analytical Development, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Hopewell, New Jersey 08534
| | - Richard Ludwig
- Biologics Molecular and Analytical Development, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Hopewell, New Jersey 08534
| | - Li Tao
- Biologics Molecular and Analytical Development, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Hopewell, New Jersey 08534
| | - Tapan K Das
- Biologics Molecular and Analytical Development, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Hopewell, New Jersey 08534
| | - Anthony Leone
- Biologics Molecular and Analytical Development, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Hopewell, New Jersey 08534
| | - Sambit R Kar
- Biologics Molecular and Analytical Development, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Hopewell, New Jersey 08534
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47
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Buecheler JW, Winzer M, Tonillo J, Weber C, Gieseler H. Impact of Payload Hydrophobicity on the Stability of Antibody–Drug Conjugates. Mol Pharm 2018; 15:2656-2664. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.8b00177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jakob W. Buecheler
- Division of Pharmaceutics, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Discovery and Development Technologies, Merck KGaA, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Matthias Winzer
- Discovery and Development Technologies, Merck KGaA, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Jason Tonillo
- Discovery and Development Technologies, Merck KGaA, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Christian Weber
- Discovery and Development Technologies, Merck KGaA, 64293 Darmstadt, Germany
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48
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Liu-Shin L, Fung A, Malhotra A, Ratnaswamy G. Influence of disulfide bond isoforms on drug conjugation sites in cysteine-linked IgG2 antibody-drug conjugates. MAbs 2018; 10:583-595. [PMID: 29436897 PMCID: PMC5973704 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2018.1440165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Cysteine-linked antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) produced from IgG2 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are more heterogeneous than ADCs generated from IgG1 mAbs, as IgG2 ADCs are composed of a wider distribution of molecules, typically containing 0 – 12 drug-linkers per antibody. The three disulfide isoforms (A, A/B, and B) of IgG2 antibodies confer differences in solvent accessibilities of the interchain disulfides and contribute to the structural heterogeneity of cysteine-linked ADCs. ADCs derived from either IgG2-A or IgG2-B mAbs were compared to better understand the role of disulfide isoforms on attachment sites and distribution of conjugated species. Our characterization of these ADCs demonstrated that the disulfide configuration affects the kinetics of disulfide bond reduction, but has minimal effect on the primary sites of reduction. The IgG2-A mAbs yielded ADCs with higher drug-to-antibody ratios (DARs) due to the easier reduction of its interchain disulfides. However, hinge-region cysteines were the primary conjugation sites for both IgG2-A and IgG2-B mAbs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lily Liu-Shin
- a Analytical and Formulation Development, Agensys, Inc., an affiliate of Astellas, Inc. , Santa Monica , CA.,b Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology , University of Miami Miller School of Medicine , Miami , FL
| | - Adam Fung
- a Analytical and Formulation Development, Agensys, Inc., an affiliate of Astellas, Inc. , Santa Monica , CA
| | - Arun Malhotra
- b Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology , University of Miami Miller School of Medicine , Miami , FL
| | - Gayathri Ratnaswamy
- a Analytical and Formulation Development, Agensys, Inc., an affiliate of Astellas, Inc. , Santa Monica , CA
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49
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A Polar Sulfamide Spacer Significantly Enhances the Manufacturability, Stability, and Therapeutic Index of Antibody-Drug Conjugates. Antibodies (Basel) 2018; 7:antib7010012. [PMID: 31544864 PMCID: PMC6698870 DOI: 10.3390/antib7010012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Revised: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite tremendous efforts in the field of targeted cancer therapy with antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs), attrition rates have been high. Historically, the priority in ADC development has been the selection of target, antibody, and toxin, with little focus on the nature of the linker. We show here that a short and polar sulfamide spacer (HydraSpace™, Oss, The Netherlands) positively impacts ADC properties in various ways: (a) efficiency of conjugation; (b) stability; and (c) therapeutic index. Different ADC formats are explored in terms of drug-to-antibody ratios (DAR2, DAR4) and we describe the generation of a DAR4 ADC by site-specific attachment of a bivalent linker–payload construct to a single conjugation site in the antibody. A head-to-head comparison of HydraSpace™-containing DAR4 ADCs to marketed drugs, derived from the same antibody and toxic payload components, indicated a significant improvement in both the efficacy and safety of several vivo models, corroborated by in-depth pharmacokinetic analysis. Taken together, HydraSpace™ technology based on a polar sulfamide spacer provides significant improvement in manufacturability, stability, and ADC design, and is a powerful platform to enable next-generation ADCs with enhanced therapeutic index.
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50
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Nadkarni DV, Jiang Q, Friese O, Bazhina N, Meng H, Guo J, Kutlik R, Borgmeyer J. Process Development and Structural Characterization of an Anti-Notch 3 Antibody–Drug Conjugate. Org Process Res Dev 2018. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.oprd.7b00337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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