1
|
Reusch J, Andersen JT, Rant U, Schlothauer T. Insight into the avidity-affinity relationship of the bivalent, pH-dependent interaction between IgG and FcRn. MAbs 2024; 16:2361585. [PMID: 38849969 PMCID: PMC11164218 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2024.2361585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) as therapeutics necessitate favorable pharmacokinetic properties, including extended serum half-life, achieved through pH-dependent binding to the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn). While prior research has mainly investigated IgG-FcRn binding kinetics with a focus on single affinity values, it has been shown that each IgG molecule can engage two FcRn molecules throughout an endosomal pH gradient. As such, we present here a more comprehensive analysis of these interactions with an emphasis on both affinity and avidity by taking advantage of switchSENSE technology, a surface-based biosensor where recombinant FcRn was immobilized via short DNA nanolevers, mimicking the membranous orientation of the receptor. The results revealed insight into the avidity-to-affinity relationship, where assessing binding through a pH gradient ranging from pH 5.8 to 7.4 showed that the half-life extended IgG1-YTE has an affinity inflection point at pH 7.2, reflecting its engineering for improved FcRn binding compared with the wild-type counterpart. Furthermore, IgG1-YTE displayed a pH switch for the avidity enhancement factor at pH 6.2, reflecting strong receptor binding to both sides of the YTE-containing Fc, while avidity was abolished at pH 7.4. When compared with classical surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technology and complementary methods, the use of switchSENSE demonstrated superior capabilities in differentiating affinity from avidity within a single measurement. Thus, the methodology provides reliable kinetic rate parameters for both binding modes and their direct relationship as a function of pH. Also, it deciphers the potential effect of the variable Fab arms on FcRn binding, in which SPR has limitations. Our study offers guidance for how FcRn binding properties can be studied for IgG engineering strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Reusch
- Dynamic Biosensors GmbH, Munich, Germany
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Therapeutic Modalities, Roche Innovation Center Munich, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Jan Terje Andersen
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Precision Immunotherapy Alliance (PRIMA), University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Tilman Schlothauer
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Therapeutic Modalities, Roche Innovation Center Munich, Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Penzberg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Liu S, Humphreys SC, Cook KD, Conner KP, Correia AR, Jacobitz AW, Yang M, Primack R, Soto M, Padaki R, Lubomirski M, Smith R, Mock M, Thomas VA. Utility of physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling to predict inter-antibody variability in monoclonal antibody pharmacokinetics in mice. MAbs 2023; 15:2263926. [PMID: 37824334 PMCID: PMC10572049 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2023.2263926] [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: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
In this investigation, we tested the hypothesis that a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model incorporating measured in vitro metrics of off-target binding can largely explain the inter-antibody variability in monoclonal antibody (mAb) pharmacokinetics (PK). A diverse panel of 83 mAbs was evaluated for PK in wild-type mice and subjected to 10 in vitro assays to measure major physiochemical attributes. After excluding for target-mediated elimination and immunogenicity, 56 of the remaining mAbs with an eight-fold variability in the area under the curve (A U C 0 - 672 h : 1.74 × 106 -1.38 × 107 ng∙h/mL) and 10-fold difference in clearance (2.55-26.4 mL/day/kg) formed the training set for this investigation. Using a PBPK framework, mAb-dependent coefficients F1 and F2 modulating pinocytosis rate and convective transport, respectively, were estimated for each mAb with mostly good precision (coefficient of variation (CV%) <30%). F1 was estimated to be the mean and standard deviation of 0.961 ± 0.593, and F2 was estimated to be 2.13 ± 2.62. Using principal component analysis to correlate the regressed values of F1/F2 versus the multidimensional dataset composed of our panel of in vitro assays, we found that heparin chromatography retention time emerged as the predictive covariate to the mAb-specific F1, whereas F2 variability cannot be well explained by these assays. A sigmoidal relationship between F1 and the identified covariate was incorporated within the PBPK framework. A sensitivity analysis suggested plasma concentrations to be most sensitive to F1 when F1 > 1. The predictive utility of the developed PBPK model was evaluated against a separate panel of 14 mAbs biased toward high clearance, among which area under the curve of PK data of 12 mAbs was predicted within 2.5-fold error, and the positive and negative predictive values for clearance prediction were 85% and 100%, respectively. MAb heparin chromatography assay output allowed a priori identification of mAb candidates with unfavorable PK.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shufang Liu
- Department of Pharmacokinetics and Drug Metabolism, Amgen Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sara C. Humphreys
- Department of Pharmacokinetics and Drug Metabolism, Amgen Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kevin D. Cook
- Department of Pharmacokinetics and Drug Metabolism, Amgen Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kip P. Conner
- Department of Pharmacokinetics and Drug Metabolism, Amgen Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Melissa Yang
- Therapeutic Discovery, Amgen, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
| | - Ronya Primack
- Department of Pharmacokinetics and Drug Metabolism, Amgen Inc, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
| | - Marcus Soto
- Department of Pharmacokinetics and Drug Metabolism, Amgen Inc, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
| | - Rupa Padaki
- Process Development, Amgen Inc, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
| | | | - Richard Smith
- Department of Pharmacokinetics and Drug Metabolism, Amgen Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Marissa Mock
- Therapeutic Discovery, Amgen, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
| | - Veena A. Thomas
- Department of Pharmacokinetics and Drug Metabolism, Amgen Inc, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Ball K, Bruin G, Escandon E, Funk C, Pereira JN, Yang TY, Yu H. Characterizing the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of therapeutic proteins: an industry white paper. Drug Metab Dispos 2022; 50:858-866. [PMID: 35149542 DOI: 10.1124/dmd.121.000463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Characterization of the pharmacokinetics (PK) and biodistribution of therapeutic proteins (TPs) is a hot topic within the pharmaceutical industry, particularly with an ever-increasing catalog of novel modality TPs. Here, we review the current practices, and provide a summary of extensive cross-company discussions as well as a survey completed by International Consortium for Innovation and Quality (IQ consortium) members on this theme. A wide variety of in vitro, in vivo and in silico techniques are currently used to assess PK and biodistribution of TPs, and we discuss the relevance of these from an industry perspective, focusing on PK/PD understanding at the preclinical stage of development, and translation to human. We consider that the 'traditional in vivo biodistribution study' is becoming insufficient as a standalone tool, and thorough characterization of the interaction of the TP with its target(s), target biology, and off-target interactions at a microscopic scale are key to understand the overall biodistribution at a full-body scale. Our summary of the current challenges and our recommendations to address these issues could provide insight into the implementation of best practices in this area of drug development, and continued cross-company collaboration will be of tremendous value. Significance Statement The Innovation & Quality Consortium (IQ) Translational and ADME Sciences Leadership Group (TALG) working group for the ADME of therapeutic proteins evaluates the current practices, recent advances, and challenges in characterizing the PK and biodistribution of therapeutic proteins during drug development, and proposes recommendations to address these issues. Incorporating the in vitro, in vivo and in silico approaches discussed herein may provide a pragmatic framework to increase early understanding of PK/PD relationships, and aid translational modelling for first-in-human dose predictions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Gerard Bruin
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, Switzerland
| | | | - Christoph Funk
- Dept. of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Switzerland
| | | | | | - Hongbin Yu
- Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc, United States
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Chung S, Lin YL, Nguyen V, Liu C. Methods for Functional Characterization of FcRn Interactions with Therapeutic Antibodies and Fc-Fusion Proteins. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2313:295-303. [PMID: 34478146 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1450-1_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) plays a key role in determining the pharmacokinetic behavior of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). FcRn-mediated intracellular trafficking mechanisms extend the half-lives of mAbs by rescuing them from lysosomal degradation and contribute to their transportation from the vascular space to tissue compartments such as placenta and mucosal surfaces. It is important to characterize the FcRn interactions of therapeutic mAbs and Fc-fusion proteins due to its potential impact on their in vivo pharmacokinetic properties such as clearance and half-life. In this chapter, we describe protocols for two cell-based assays that measure the total function of FcRn which involves pH-dependent association and dissociation with IgG-Fc, as well as FcRn-mediated intracellular trafficking parameters. These assays are suitable for characterization of FcRn interactions with therapeutic mAbs and Fc-fusion proteins for the purpose of assessing lot-to-lot consistency and the structural and functional integrity of the Fc domain. In addition, they may serve as cost-effective screening tools for the evaluation of mAb-based drug candidates during lead selection and optimization for desired pharmacokinetic properties.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shan Chung
- Department of BioAnalytical Sciences, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Yuwen L Lin
- Department of BioAnalytical Sciences, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Van Nguyen
- Department of BioAnalytical Sciences, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Chang Liu
- Department of BioAnalytical Sciences, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Song Y, Deng X, Shi W, Tang F, Huang W, Gong L, Qin Q. A homogeneous time-resolved fluorometric energy transfer assay for the binding assessment of FcRn with IgG antibodies. J Immunol Methods 2021; 499:113180. [PMID: 34736962 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2021.113180] [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: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We aimed to develop a homogeneous time-resolved fluorometric energy transfer assay for assessment of human neonatal Fc receptor binding activity with IgG-type antibodies. The assay was configured with FcRn-coupled with Eu cryptate via biotin and streptavidin interaction as donor and IgG1 labeled with d2 as acceptor. Only a single incubation step was involved and no wash step was required. The assay demonstrated good accuracy, precision, linearity and specificity. Our further investigation with a rat pharmacokinetics study revealed that the terminal t1/2 for Trastuzumab and its related three ADCs agreed with the EC50 data. The assay can be applied to various IgGs with modifications to identify antibodies with appropriate binding ability to human FcRn.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yakai Song
- Department of Immunoassay and Immunochemistry, Center for Drug Safety Evaluation and Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Pudong, Shanghai 201203,China
| | - Xiaojie Deng
- Department of Immunoassay and Immunochemistry, Center for Drug Safety Evaluation and Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Pudong, Shanghai 201203,China
| | - Wei Shi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Center for Biotherapeutics Discovery Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Pudong, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Feng Tang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Center for Biotherapeutics Discovery Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Pudong, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Wei Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Center for Biotherapeutics Discovery Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Pudong, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Likun Gong
- Department of Immunoassay and Immunochemistry, Center for Drug Safety Evaluation and Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Pudong, Shanghai 201203,China.
| | - Qiuping Qin
- Department of Immunoassay and Immunochemistry, Center for Drug Safety Evaluation and Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Pudong, Shanghai 201203,China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Estrogen-Driven Changes in Immunoglobulin G Fc Glycosylation. EXPERIENTIA. SUPPLEMENTUM 2021. [PMID: 34687016 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-76912-3_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Glycosylation within the immunoglobulin G (IgG) Fc region modulates its ability to engage complement and Fc receptors, affording the opportunity to fine-tune effector functions. Mechanisms regulating IgG Fc glycans remain poorly understood. Changes accompanying menarche, menopause, and pregnancy have long implicated hormonal factors. Intervention studies now confirm that estrogens enhance IgG Fc galactosylation, in females and also in males, defining the first pathway modulating Fc glycans and thereby a new link between sex and immunity. This mechanism may participate in fetal-maternal immunity, antibody-mediated inflammation, and other aspects of age- and sex-specific immune function. Here we review the changes affecting the IgG Fc glycome from childhood through old age, the evidence establishing a role for estrogens, and research directions to uncover associated mechanisms that may inform therapeutic intervention.
Collapse
|
7
|
Rathi C, Collins J, Struemper H, Opalinska J, Jewell RC, Ferron-Brady G. Population pharmacokinetics of belantamab mafodotin, a BCMA-targeting agent in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. CPT-PHARMACOMETRICS & SYSTEMS PHARMACOLOGY 2021; 10:851-863. [PMID: 34076364 PMCID: PMC8376139 DOI: 10.1002/psp4.12660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Belantamab mafodotin (belamaf) is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA). Nonlinear mixed-effects models were developed to characterize the population pharmacokinetics (PopPK) of ADC, total monoclonal antibody (mAb), and cysteine-maleimidocaproyl-MMAF (cys-mcMMAF) after 0.03-4.6 mg/kg dosing every 3 weeks in heavily pretreated patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM; DREAMM-1, n = 73; DREAMM-2, n = 218). Sequential modeling methodology was used. Individual post hoc parameter estimates from the final ADC model were used to develop total mAb and cys-mcMMAF models. Formal covariate selection used a modified stepwise forward inclusion method with backward elimination. A linear, two-compartment PopPK model with a time-varying clearance (CL) described ADC PK. Initial ADC typical value for CL for a DREAMM-2 patient was 0.936 L/day with a half-life of 11.5 days, over time CL was reduced by 28% resulting in a half-life of 14.3 days. Time to 50% maximal CL change was ~ 50 days. Baseline soluble BCMA (sBCMA), immunoglobulin (IgG), albumin, and bodyweight impacted ADC CL. Cys-mcMMAF concentrations were described with a linear two-compartment model linked to ADC; input rate was governed by deconjugation/intracellular proteolytic degradation of ADC represented by an exponentially decreasing MMAF:mAb (drug antibody ratio [DAR]) after each dose. Time to 50% DAR reduction was 10.3 days. Baseline sBCMA and IgG impacted cys-mcMMAF central volume of distribution. In conclusion, ADC, total mAb, and cys-mcMMAF concentration-time profiles in RRMM were well-described by PopPK models, and exposure was most strongly impacted by disease-related characteristics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chetan Rathi
- GlaxoSmithKline, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jon Collins
- GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Liu C, Kim YS, Lowe JHN, Chung S. A cell-based FcRn-dependent recycling assay for predictive pharmacokinetic assessment of therapeutic antibodies. Bioanalysis 2021; 13:1135-1144. [PMID: 34289743 DOI: 10.4155/bio-2021-0099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: Evaluation of suitable pharmacokinetic properties is critical for successful development of IgG-based biotherapeutics. The prolonged half-lives of IgGs depend on the intracellular trafficking function of neonatal Fc receptor, which rescues internalized IgGs from lysosomal degradation and recycles them back to circulation. Results: Here, we developed a novel cell-based assay to quantify recycling of monoclonal antibodies in a transwell culture system that uses a cell line that stably expresses human neonatal Fc receptor. We tested seven therapeutic antibodies and showed that the recycling output of the assay strongly correlated with the clearance in humans. Conclusion: This recycling assay has potential application as a pharmacokinetic prescreening tool to facilitate development and selection of IgG-based candidate therapeutic monoclonal antibodies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chang Liu
- Department of BioAnalytical Sciences, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Yeon Su Kim
- Department of BioAnalytical Sciences, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - John Hok-Nin Lowe
- Department of BioAnalytical Sciences, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Shan Chung
- Department of BioAnalytical Sciences, Genentech Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Schiller ZA, Rudolph MJ, Toomey JR, Ejemel M, LaRochelle A, Davis SA, Lambert HS, Kern A, Tardo AC, Souders CA, Peterson E, Cannon RD, Ganesa C, Fazio F, Mantis NJ, Cavacini LA, Sullivan-Bolyai J, Hu LT, Embers ME, Klempner MS, Wang Y. Blocking Borrelia burgdorferi transmission from infected ticks to nonhuman primates with a human monoclonal antibody. J Clin Invest 2021; 131:144843. [PMID: 33914704 PMCID: PMC8159683 DOI: 10.1172/jci144843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Disrupting transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato complex (B. burgdorferi) from infected ticks to humans is one strategy to prevent the significant morbidity from Lyme disease. We have previously shown that an anti-OspA human mAb, 2217, prevents transmission of B. burgdorferi from infected ticks in animal models. Maintenance of a protective plasma concentration of a human mAb for tick season presents a significant challenge for a preexposure prophylaxis strategy. Here, we describe the optimization of mAb 2217 by amino acid substitutions (2217LS: M428L and N434S) in the Fc domain. The LS mutation led to a 2-fold increase in half-life in cynomolgus monkeys. In a rhesus macaque model, 2217LS protected animals from tick transmission of spirochetes at a dose of 3 mg/kg. Crystallographic analysis of Fab in complex with OspA revealed that 2217 bound an epitope that was highly conserved among the B. burgdorferi, B. garinii, and B. afzelii species. Unlike most vaccines that may require boosters to achieve protection, our work supports the development of 2217LS as an effective preexposure prophylaxis in Lyme-endemic regions, with a single dose at the beginning of tick season offering immediate protection that remains for the duration of exposure risk.
Collapse
MESH Headings
- Amino Acid Substitution
- Animals
- Antibodies, Bacterial/genetics
- Antibodies, Bacterial/immunology
- Antibodies, Bacterial/pharmacology
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/genetics
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/immunology
- Antibodies, Monoclonal/pharmacology
- Antigens, Surface/genetics
- Antigens, Surface/immunology
- Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins/genetics
- Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins/immunology
- Bacterial Vaccines/genetics
- Bacterial Vaccines/immunology
- Borrelia burgdorferi/genetics
- Borrelia burgdorferi/immunology
- Disease Models, Animal
- Humans
- Lipoproteins/genetics
- Lipoproteins/immunology
- Lyme Disease/drug therapy
- Lyme Disease/genetics
- Lyme Disease/immunology
- Lyme Disease/transmission
- Macaca fascicularis
- Macaca mulatta
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Transgenic
- Mutation, Missense
- Ticks/immunology
- Ticks/microbiology
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zachary A. Schiller
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Jacqueline R. Toomey
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Monir Ejemel
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Simon A. Davis
- New York Structural Biology Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Havard S. Lambert
- Division of Bacteriology and Parasitology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, Covington, Louisiana, USA
| | - Aurélie Kern
- Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Amanda C. Tardo
- Division of Bacteriology and Parasitology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, Covington, Louisiana, USA
| | - Colby A. Souders
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Eric Peterson
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rebecca D. Cannon
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Chandrashekar Ganesa
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Frank Fazio
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nicholas J. Mantis
- Division of Infectious Disease, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Lisa A. Cavacini
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - John Sullivan-Bolyai
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Linden T. Hu
- Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Monica E. Embers
- Division of Bacteriology and Parasitology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, Covington, Louisiana, USA
| | - Mark S. Klempner
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yang Wang
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Sellner J, Sitte HH, Rommer PS. Targeting interleukin-6 to treat neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders: Implications from immunology, the FcRn pathway and clinical experience. Drug Discov Today 2021; 26:1591-1601. [PMID: 33781948 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2021.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is a rare disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that is associated with poor outcomes for patients. Until recently, when complement inhibitors were approved, there was no approved therapy. Most recently, clinical trials of interleukin-6 (IL-6) blockade showed a therapeutic benefit for NMOSD. In this review, we introduce the immunological basis of IL-6 blockade in NMOSD and summarize current knowledge about the clinical use of the IL-6 receptor inhibitors tocilizumab and satralizumab. The aim of extending the half-life of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) has been actualized by successful clinical translation for Satralizumab, achieved via the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) pathway. The basic principles of FcRn are highlighted in this review together with the potential therapeutic benefits of this emerging technology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Johann Sellner
- Department of Neurology, Landesklinikum Mistelbach-Gänserndorf, Mistelbach, Austria; Department of Neurology, Christian Doppler Medical Center, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria; Department of Neurology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Harald H Sitte
- Institute of Pharmacology, Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Paulus S Rommer
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Neuroimmunological Section, Department of Neurology, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Qi T, Cao Y. In Translation: FcRn across the Therapeutic Spectrum. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:3048. [PMID: 33802650 PMCID: PMC8002405 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22063048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
As an essential modulator of IgG disposition, the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) governs the pharmacokinetics and functions many therapeutic modalities. In this review, we thoroughly reexamine the hitherto elucidated biological and thermodynamic properties of FcRn to provide context for our assessment of more recent advances, which covers antigen-binding fragment (Fab) determinants of FcRn affinity, transgenic preclinical models, and FcRn targeting as an immune-complex (IC)-clearing strategy. We further comment on therapeutic antibodies authorized for treating SARS-CoV-2 (bamlanivimab, casirivimab, and imdevimab) and evaluate their potential to saturate FcRn-mediated recycling. Finally, we discuss modeling and simulation studies that probe the quantitative relationship between in vivo IgG persistence and in vitro FcRn binding, emphasizing the importance of endosomal transit parameters.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Yanguang Cao
- Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA;
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Ko S, Jo M, Jung ST. Recent Achievements and Challenges in Prolonging the Serum Half-Lives of Therapeutic IgG Antibodies Through Fc Engineering. BioDrugs 2021; 35:147-157. [PMID: 33608823 PMCID: PMC7894971 DOI: 10.1007/s40259-021-00471-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Association of FcRn molecules to the Fc region of IgG in acidified endosomes and subsequent dissociation of the interaction in neutral pH serum enables IgG molecules to be recycled for prolonged serum persistence after internalization by endothelial cells, rather than being degraded in the serum and in the lysosomes inside the cells. Exploiting this intracellular trafficking and recycling mechanism, many researchers have engineered the Fc region to further extend the serum half-lives of therapeutic antibodies by optimizing the pH-dependent IgG Fc-FcRn interaction, and have generated various Fc variants exhibiting significantly improved circulating half-lives of therapeutic IgG antibodies. In order to estimate pharmacokinetic profiles of IgG Fc variants in human serum, not only a variety of in vitro techniques to determine the equilibrium binding constants and instantaneous rate constants for pH-dependent FcRn binding, but also diverse in vivo animal models including wild-type mouse, human FcRn transgenic mouse (Tg32 and Tg276), humanized mouse (Scarlet), or cynomolgus monkey have been harnessed. Currently, multiple IgG Fc variants that have been validated for their prolonged therapeutic potency in preclinical models have been successfully entered into human clinical trials for cancer, infectious diseases, and autoimmune diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sanghwan Ko
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Institute of Human Genetics, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Migyeong Jo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Taek Jung
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. .,Institute of Human Genetics, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. .,BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. .,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. .,Biomedical Research Center, Korea University Anam Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Kraft TE, Richter WF, Emrich T, Knaupp A, Schuster M, Wolfert A, Kettenberger H. Heparin chromatography as an in vitro predictor for antibody clearance rate through pinocytosis. MAbs 2021; 12:1683432. [PMID: 31769731 PMCID: PMC6927760 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2019.1683432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The pharmacokinetic (PK) properties of therapeutic antibodies directly affect efficacy, dose and dose intervals, application route and tissue penetration. In indications where health-care providers and patients can choose between several efficacious and safe therapeutic options, convenience (determined by dosing interval or route of application), which is mainly driven by PK properties, can affect drug selection. Therapeutic antibodies can have greatly different PK even if they have identical Fc domains and show no target-mediated drug disposition. Biophysical properties like surface charge or hydrophobicity, and binding to surrogates for high abundant off-targets (e.g., baculovirus particles, Chinese hamster ovary cell membrane proteins) were proposed to be responsible for these differences. Here, we used heparin chromatography to separate a polyclonal mix of endogenous human IgGs (IVIG) into fractions that differ in their PK properties. Heparin was chosen as a surrogate for highly negatively charged glycocalyx components on endothelial cells, which are among the main contributors to nonspecific clearance. By directly correlating heparin retention time with clearance, we identified heparin chromatography as a tool to assess differences in unspecific cell-surface interaction and the likelihood for increased pinocytotic uptake and degradation. Building on these results, we combined predictors for FcRn-mediated recycling and cell-surface interaction. The combination of heparin and FcRn chromatography allow identification of antibodies with abnormal PK by mimicking the major root causes for fast, non-target-mediated, clearance of therapeutic, Fc-containing proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E Kraft
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Munich, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang F Richter
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Emrich
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Munich, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Alexander Knaupp
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Munich, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Michaela Schuster
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Munich, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Andreas Wolfert
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Munich, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Hubert Kettenberger
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Munich, Penzberg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Improving priors for human monoclonal antibody linear pharmacokinetic parameters by using half-lives from non-human primates. J Pharmacokinet Pharmacodyn 2021; 48:295-303. [PMID: 33389522 DOI: 10.1007/s10928-020-09731-y] [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: 09/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/21/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Obtaining a good prior for the linear pharmacokinetics of new monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) would be an advantage not only for designing first-in-human (FIH) studies but also for stabilizing fitting of data with non-linear target-mediated disposition models. We estimated the pharmacokinetics from FIH studies for five mAbs using a two-compartment model, both separately and together, using a simple pool, a third hierarchical level of random effects for between mAb differences and non-human-primate half-lives as a predictor covariate for said differences. There was good agreement between compounds for the rapidly accessible central volume of 2.9 L (70 kg human), but clearances and peripheral volumes differed with terminal half-lives ranging from 15 to 28 days. The simple pool of human studies gave inter-individual variability estimates of 32% coefficient of variation (CV) for clearance and 33% CV for peripheral volume, larger than for separate fits (13-26% CV and 15-35% CV for clearance and volume respectively). Using third level hierarchical random effects gave inter-individual variability estimates close to those of separate fits (24% and 16% CV respectively). The between-mAb differences became predictable if non-human primate body weight scaled terminal half-life estimates were included as covariates on clearance and peripheral volume. In conclusion, ignoring inter-mAb variation leads to inflated estimates of inter-individual variability and unrealistic simulations for FIH studies. However, by using 70 kg body weight scaled terminal half-life estimates from non-human primates one can account for between-mAb differences and provide non-inflated priors for the linear pharmacokinetic parameters of new mAbs.
Collapse
|
15
|
Láng JA, Balogh ZC, Nyitrai MF, Juhász C, Gilicze AKB, Iliás A, Zólyomi Z, Bodor C, Rábai E. In vitro functional characterization of biosimilar therapeutic antibodies. DRUG DISCOVERY TODAY. TECHNOLOGIES 2020; 37:41-50. [PMID: 34895654 DOI: 10.1016/j.ddtec.2020.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The key factor in successful development and marketing of biosimilar antibodies is a deep understanding of their critical quality attributes and the ability to control them. Comprehensive functional characterization is therefore at the heart of the process and is a crucial part of regulatory requirements. Establishment of a scientifically sound molecule-specific functional in vitro assay panel requires diligent planning and high flexibility in order to respond to both regulatory requirements and the ever-changing demands relevant to the different stages of the development and production process. Relevance of the chosen assays to the in vivo mechanism of action is of key importance to the stepwise evidence-based demonstration of biosimilarity. Use of a sound interdisciplinary approach and orthogonal state-of-the-art techniques is also unavoidable for gaining in-depth understanding of the biosimilar candidate. The aim of the present review is to give a snapshot on the methodic landscape as depicted by the available literature discussing the in vitro techniques used for the functional characterization of approved biosimilar therapeutic antibodies. Emerging hot topics of the field and relevant structure-function relationships are also highlighted.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Júlia Anna Láng
- Biotechnology Research & Development Division/Bioassay Development Group, Gedeon Richter Plc, Gyömrői Street 19-21 1103 Budapest Hungary
| | - Zsófia Cselovszkiné Balogh
- Biotechnology Research & Development Division/Bioassay Development Group, Gedeon Richter Plc, Gyömrői Street 19-21 1103 Budapest Hungary.
| | - Mónika Fizilné Nyitrai
- Biotechnology Research & Development Division/Bioassay Development Group, Gedeon Richter Plc, Gyömrői Street 19-21 1103 Budapest Hungary
| | - Cintia Juhász
- Biotechnology Research & Development Division/Bioassay Development Group, Gedeon Richter Plc, Gyömrői Street 19-21 1103 Budapest Hungary
| | - Anna Katalin Baráné Gilicze
- Biotechnology Research & Development Division/Bioassay Development Group, Gedeon Richter Plc, Gyömrői Street 19-21 1103 Budapest Hungary
| | - Attila Iliás
- Biotechnology Research & Development Division/Bioassay Development Group, Gedeon Richter Plc, Gyömrői Street 19-21 1103 Budapest Hungary
| | - Zsolt Zólyomi
- Biotechnology Research & Development Division/Bioassay Development Group, Gedeon Richter Plc, Gyömrői Street 19-21 1103 Budapest Hungary
| | - Csaba Bodor
- Biotechnology Research & Development Division/Bioassay Development Group, Gedeon Richter Plc, Gyömrői Street 19-21 1103 Budapest Hungary
| | - Erzsébet Rábai
- Biotechnology Research & Development Division/Bioassay Development Group, Gedeon Richter Plc, Gyömrői Street 19-21 1103 Budapest Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Zhang K, Elias M, Zhang H, Liu J, Kepley C, Bai Y, Metcalfe DD, Schiller Z, Wang Y, Saxon A. Inhibition of Allergic Reactivity through Targeting FcεRI-Bound IgE with Humanized Low-Affinity Antibodies. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2019; 203:2777-2790. [PMID: 31636239 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1900112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Options for effective prevention and treatment of epidemic allergic diseases remain limited, and particularly so for IgE-mediated food allergies. We previously found that mouse low-affinity anti-human IgE mAbs with KD in the 10-6-10-8 M range were capable of blocking allergic reactivity without triggering immediate allergic mediator release. In this study, we humanized three parent low affinity allergic response inhibitor (LARI) mouse anti-human IgE mAbs and characterized their biological and immunological features, refined the lead candidate for further clinical development, examined their safety profiles, determined their therapeutic efficiency, and explored the mechanism of action potentially responsible for their therapeutic effects. LARI profoundly blocked cat- and peanut-allergic IgE-mediated basophil activation, inhibited acute release of both prestored and newly synthesized mediator from human mast cells, suppressed peanut-specific IgE-mediated passive cutaneous anaphylaxis, and attenuated dansyl IgE-mediated systemic anaphylaxis in human FcεRIα transgenic mice. Safety testing demonstrated that concentrations of LARI well above therapeutic levels failed to trigger immediate release of prestored and newly synthesized allergic mediators, failed to promote robust cytokine/chemokine production from allergic effector cells, and did not elicit allergic reactivity in an animal model of cutaneous and systemic anaphylaxis. Mechanistic studies revealed that LARI downregulated surface FcεRI receptors and IgE via internalization of the IgE/FcεRI, promoted a partial mediator depletion pathway leading to slow release of small amount of mediators, and functioned as a partial antagonist to inhibit FcεRI signaling phosphorylation of Syk, Akt, Erk, and p38 MAPK. These studies demonstrate that targeting surface-bound IgE with LARI profoundly suppresses human allergic reactivity while displaying an excellent safety profile.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Elias
- Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27401
| | | | | | - Christopher Kepley
- Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27401
| | - Yun Bai
- Laboratory of Allergic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892; and
| | - Dean D Metcalfe
- Laboratory of Allergic Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892; and
| | - Zachary Schiller
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, MA 02126
| | - Yang Wang
- MassBiologics of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston, MA 02126
| | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Xiong Y, Karuppanan K, Bernardi A, Li Q, Kommineni V, Dandekar AM, Lebrilla CB, Faller R, McDonald KA, Nandi S. Effects of N-Glycosylation on the Structure, Function, and Stability of a Plant-Made Fc-Fusion Anthrax Decoy Protein. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:768. [PMID: 31316527 PMCID: PMC6611495 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Protein N-glycosylation is an important post-translational modification and has influences on a variety of biological processes at the cellular and molecular level, making glycosylation a major study aspect for glycoprotein-based therapeutics. To achieve a comprehensive understanding on how N-glycosylation impacts protein properties, an Fc-fusion anthrax decoy protein, viz rCMG2-Fc, was expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana plant with three types of N-glycosylation profiles. Three variants were produced by targeting protein to plant apoplast (APO), endoplasmic reticulum (ER) or removing the N-glycosylation site by a point mutation (Agly). Both the APO and ER variants had a complex-type N-glycan (GnGnXF) as their predominant glycans. In addition, ER variant had a higher concentration of mannose-type N-glycans (50%). The decoy protein binds to the protective antigen (PA) of anthrax through its CMG2 domain and inhibits toxin endocytosis. The protein expression, sequence, N-glycosylation profile, binding kinetics to PA, toxin neutralization efficiency, and thermostability were determined experimentally. In parallel, we performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the predominant full-length rCMG2-Fc glycoform for each of the three N-glycosylation profiles to understand the effects of glycosylation at the molecular level. The MAN8 glycoform from the ER variant was additionally simulated to resolve differences between the APO and ER variants. Glycosylation showed strong stabilizing effects on rCMG2-Fc during in planta accumulation, evidenced by the over 2-fold higher expression and less protein degradation observed for glycosylated variants compared to the Agly variant. Protein function was confirmed by toxin neutralization assay (TNA), with effective concentration (EC50) rankings from low to high of 67.6 ng/ml (APO), 83.15 ng/ml (Agly), and 128.9 ng/ml (ER). The binding kinetics between rCMG2-Fc and PA were measured with bio-layer interferometry (BLI), giving sub-nanomolar affinities regardless of protein glycosylation and temperatures (25 and 37°C). The protein thermostability was examined utilizing the PA binding ELISA to provide information on EC50 differences. The fraction of functional ER variant decayed after overnight incubation at 37°C, and no significant change was observed for APO or Agly variants. In MD simulations, the MAN8 glycoform exhibits quantitatively higher distance between the CMG2 and Fc domains, as well as higher hydrophobic solvent accessible surface areas (SASA), indicating a possibly higher aggregation tendency of the ER variant. This study highlights the impacts of N-glycosylation on protein properties and provides insight into the effects of glycosylation on protein molecular dynamics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yongao Xiong
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Kalimuthu Karuppanan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Austen Bernardi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Qiongyu Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | | | - Abhaya M. Dandekar
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Carlito B. Lebrilla
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Roland Faller
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Karen A. McDonald
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- Global HealthShare Initiative, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Somen Nandi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
- Global HealthShare Initiative, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Walker KW, Salimi-Moosavi H, Arnold GE, Chen Q, Soto M, Jacobsen FW, Hui J. Pharmacokinetic comparison of a diverse panel of non-targeting human antibodies as matched IgG1 and IgG2 isotypes in rodents and non-human primates. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0217061. [PMID: 31120944 PMCID: PMC6533040 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study we compared the pharmacokinetic profile of four unrelated antibodies, which do not bind to mammalian antigens, in IgG1 and IgG2 frameworks in both rats and non-human primates (NHP). This allowed for extensive cross comparison of the impact of antibody isotype, complementarity determining regions (CDR) and model species on pharmacokinetics without the confounding influence of antigen binding in the hosts. While antibody isotype had no significant impact on the pharmacokinetics, the CDRs do alter the profile, and there is an inverse correlation between the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) affinity and pharmacokinetic performance. Faster clearance rates were also associated with higher isoelectric points; however, although this panel of antibodies all possess basic isoelectric points, ranging from 8.44 to 9.18, they also have exceptional in vivo half-lives, averaging 369 hours, and low clearance rates, averaging 0.18 ml/h/kg in NHPs. This pattern of pharmacokinetic characteristics was conserved between rats and NHPs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth W. Walker
- Amgen Research, Amgen Inc., One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Hossein Salimi-Moosavi
- Amgen Research, Amgen Inc., One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA, United States of America
| | - Gregory E. Arnold
- Amgen Research, Amgen Inc., One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA, United States of America
| | - Qing Chen
- Amgen Research, Amgen Inc., One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA, United States of America
| | - Marcus Soto
- Amgen Research, Amgen Inc., One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA, United States of America
| | - Frederick W. Jacobsen
- Amgen Research, Amgen Inc., One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA, United States of America
| | - John Hui
- Amgen Research, Amgen Inc., One Amgen Center Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Chung S, Nguyen V, Lin YL, Lafrance-Vanasse J, Scales SJ, Lin K, Deng R, Williams K, Sperinde G, Li JJ, Zheng K, Sukumaran S, Tesar D, Ernst JA, Fischer S, Lazar GA, Prabhu S, Song A. An in vitro FcRn- dependent transcytosis assay as a screening tool for predictive assessment of nonspecific clearance of antibody therapeutics in humans. MAbs 2019; 11:942-955. [PMID: 30982394 PMCID: PMC6601550 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2019.1605270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
A cell-based assay employing Madin–Darby canine kidney cells stably expressing human neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) heavy chain and β2-microglobulin genes was developed to measure transcytosis of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) under conditions relevant to the FcRn-mediated immunoglobulin G (IgG) salvage pathway. The FcRn-dependent transcytosis assay is modeled to reflect combined effects of nonspecific interactions between mAbs and cells, cellular uptake via pinocytosis, pH-dependent interactions with FcRn, and dynamics of intracellular trafficking and sorting mechanisms. Evaluation of 53 mAbs, including 30 marketed mAb drugs, revealed a notable correlation between the transcytosis readouts and clearance in humans. FcRn was required to promote efficient transcytosis of mAbs and contributed directly to the observed correlation. Furthermore, the transcytosis assay correctly predicted rank order of clearance of glycosylation and Fv charge variants of Fc-containing proteins. These results strongly support the utility of this assay as a cost-effective and animal-sparing screening tool for evaluation of mAb-based drug candidates during lead selection, optimization, and process development for desired pharmacokinetic properties.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shan Chung
- a Department of BioAnalytical Sciences , Genentech Inc ., South San Francisco , CA , USA
| | - Van Nguyen
- a Department of BioAnalytical Sciences , Genentech Inc ., South San Francisco , CA , USA
| | - Yuwen Linda Lin
- a Department of BioAnalytical Sciences , Genentech Inc ., South San Francisco , CA , USA
| | | | - Suzie J Scales
- c Department of Molecular Biology , Genentech Inc ., South San Francisco , CA , USA
| | - Kevin Lin
- d Department of Analytical Operations , Genentech Inc ., South San Francisco , CA , USA
| | - Rong Deng
- e Department of Clinical Pharmacology , Genentech Inc ., South San Francisco , CA , USA
| | - Kathi Williams
- a Department of BioAnalytical Sciences , Genentech Inc ., South San Francisco , CA , USA
| | - Gizette Sperinde
- a Department of BioAnalytical Sciences , Genentech Inc ., South San Francisco , CA , USA
| | - Juan Jenny Li
- f Department of Biochemistry and Cellular Pharmacology , Genentech Inc ., South San Francisco , CA , USA
| | - Kai Zheng
- g Department of Late Stage Pharmaceutical Development , Genentech Inc ., South San Francisco , CA , USA
| | - Siddharth Sukumaran
- h Department of Pharmacokinetics & Pharmacodynamics , Genentech Inc ., South San Francisco , CA , USA
| | - Devin Tesar
- i Department of Drug Delivery , Genentech Inc ., South San Francisco , CA , USA
| | - James A Ernst
- b Department of Protein Chemistry , Genentech Inc ., South San Francisco , CA , USA
| | - Saloumeh Fischer
- a Department of BioAnalytical Sciences , Genentech Inc ., South San Francisco , CA , USA
| | - Greg A Lazar
- j Department of Antibody Engineering , Genentech Inc ., South San Francisco , CA , USA
| | - Saileta Prabhu
- h Department of Pharmacokinetics & Pharmacodynamics , Genentech Inc ., South San Francisco , CA , USA
| | - An Song
- a Department of BioAnalytical Sciences , Genentech Inc ., South San Francisco , CA , USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Iyengar ARS, Gupta S, Jawalekar S, Pande AH. Protein Chimerization: A New Frontier for Engineering Protein Therapeutics with Improved Pharmacokinetics. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2019; 370:703-714. [DOI: 10.1124/jpet.119.257063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
|
21
|
Bahou C, Love EA, Leonard S, Spears RJ, Maruani A, Armour K, Baker JR, Chudasama V. Disulfide Modified IgG1: An Investigation of Biophysical Profile and Clinically Relevant Fc Interactions. Bioconjug Chem 2019; 30:1048-1054. [PMID: 30855134 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.9b00174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Modification of immunoglobulin G (IgG) 1 proteins in cancer treatment is a rapidly growing field of research. Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) exploit the targeted nature of this immunotherapy by conjugating highly potent drugs to antibodies, allowing for effective transport of cargo(s) to cancerous cells. Of the many bioconjugation strategies now available for the formation of highly homogeneous ADCs, disulfide modification is considered an effective, low-cost, and widely accepted method for modifying IgG1s for improved clinical benefit. However, little is known about how disulfide modification impacts clinically relevant fragment crystallizable (Fc) region interactions. Although often overlooked as a secondary ADC function, Fc interactions could prove key in the rational design of cancer cell-targeting ADCs through consideration of potent mechanisms such as antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). This work explores different IgG1 disulfide modification techniques and the effect they have on quantifiable secondary IgG1 Fc interactions (e.g., CD16a and FcRn). The solvent accessible disulfide residues of trastuzumab, a clinically relevant IgG1, were modified to provide a range of bioconjugates with differing amounts of interchain covalent linkages. It was found that by natively rebridging the IgG1 model, all tested Fc functionalities were not significantly affected. Additionally, in non Fc-specific biophysical experiments (e.g., thermal stability/aggregation), the natively rebridged species provided an exceptional profile, showing no significant change from the tested native antibody. Conjugates with significant disruption of the covalent connectivity of IgG1 chains resulted in a suboptimal Fc profile (CD16a kinetics or ADCC activity), in addition to substandard non Fc-specific attributes (thermal stability). These results advocate native disulfide rebridging as an excellent synthetic strategy for forming homogeneous IgG1 bioconjugates, with no reported negative impact on biophysical profile relative to the native antibody.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Calise Bahou
- Department of Chemistry , University College London , 20 Gordon Street , WC1H OAJ , London , United Kingdom.,LifeArc , Accelerator Building, SBC Open Innovation Campus, SG1 2FX , Stevenage , United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth A Love
- LifeArc , Accelerator Building, SBC Open Innovation Campus, SG1 2FX , Stevenage , United Kingdom
| | - Siobhán Leonard
- LifeArc , Accelerator Building, SBC Open Innovation Campus, SG1 2FX , Stevenage , United Kingdom
| | - Richard J Spears
- Department of Chemistry , University College London , 20 Gordon Street , WC1H OAJ , London , United Kingdom
| | - Antoine Maruani
- Department of Chemistry , University College London , 20 Gordon Street , WC1H OAJ , London , United Kingdom
| | - Kathryn Armour
- LifeArc , Accelerator Building, SBC Open Innovation Campus, SG1 2FX , Stevenage , United Kingdom
| | - James R Baker
- Department of Chemistry , University College London , 20 Gordon Street , WC1H OAJ , London , United Kingdom
| | - Vijay Chudasama
- Department of Chemistry , University College London , 20 Gordon Street , WC1H OAJ , London , United Kingdom.,Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy , Universidade de Lisboa , 1649-004 Lisbon , Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Starr CG, Tessier PM. Selecting and engineering monoclonal antibodies with drug-like specificity. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2019; 60:119-127. [PMID: 30822699 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2019.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2018] [Revised: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 01/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Despite the recent explosion in the use of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) as drugs, it remains a significant challenge to generate antibodies with a combination of physicochemical properties that are optimal for therapeutic applications. We argue that one of the most important and underappreciated drug-like antibody properties is high specificity - defined here as low levels of antibody non-specific and self-interactions - which is linked to low off-target binding and slow antibody clearance in vivo and high solubility and low viscosity in vitro. Here, we review the latest advances in characterizing antibody specificity and elucidating its molecular determinants as well as using these findings to improve the selection and engineering of antibodies with extremely high, drug-like specificity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charles G Starr
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Peter M Tessier
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Biointerfaces Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Xu Y, Wang D, Mason B, Rossomando T, Li N, Liu D, Cheung JK, Xu W, Raghava S, Katiyar A, Nowak C, Xiang T, Dong DD, Sun J, Beck A, Liu H. Structure, heterogeneity and developability assessment of therapeutic antibodies. MAbs 2018; 11:239-264. [PMID: 30543482 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2018.1553476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Increasing attention has been paid to developability assessment with the understanding that thorough evaluation of monoclonal antibody lead candidates at an early stage can avoid delays during late-stage development. The concept of developability is based on the knowledge gained from the successful development of approximately 80 marketed antibody and Fc-fusion protein drug products and from the lessons learned from many failed development programs over the last three decades. Here, we reviewed antibody quality attributes that are critical to development and traditional and state-of-the-art analytical methods to monitor those attributes. Based on our collective experiences, a practical workflow is proposed as a best practice for developability assessment including in silico evaluation, extended characterization and forced degradation using appropriate analytical methods that allow characterization with limited material consumption and fast turnaround time.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yingda Xu
- a Protein Analytics , Adimab , Lebanon , NH , USA
| | - Dongdong Wang
- b Analytical Department , Bioanalytix, Inc ., Cambridge , MA , USA
| | - Bruce Mason
- c Product Characterization , Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc ., New Haven , CT , USA
| | - Tony Rossomando
- c Product Characterization , Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc ., New Haven , CT , USA
| | - Ning Li
- d Analytical Chemistry , Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc ., Tarrytown , NY , USA
| | - Dingjiang Liu
- e Formulation Development , Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc ., Tarrytown , NY , USA
| | - Jason K Cheung
- f Pharmaceutical Sciences , MRL, Merck & Co., Inc ., Kenilworth , NJ , USA
| | - Wei Xu
- g Analytical Method Development , MRL, Merck & Co., Inc ., Kenilworth , NJ , USA
| | - Smita Raghava
- h Sterile Formulation Sciences , MRL, Merck & Co., Inc ., Kenilworth , NJ , USA
| | - Amit Katiyar
- i Analytical Development , Bristol-Myers Squibb , Pennington , NJ , USA
| | - Christine Nowak
- c Product Characterization , Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc ., New Haven , CT , USA
| | - Tao Xiang
- j Manufacturing Sciences , Abbvie Bioresearch Center , Worcester , MA , USA
| | - Diane D Dong
- j Manufacturing Sciences , Abbvie Bioresearch Center , Worcester , MA , USA
| | - Joanne Sun
- k Product development , Innovent Biologics , Suzhou Industrial Park , China
| | - Alain Beck
- l Analytical chemistry , NBEs, Center d'immunologie Pierre Fabre , St Julien-en-Genevois Cedex , France
| | - Hongcheng Liu
- c Product Characterization , Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc ., New Haven , CT , USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Vaniotis G, Moffett S, Sulea T, Wang N, Elahi SM, Lessard E, Baardsnes J, Perrino S, Durocher Y, Frystyk J, Massie B, Brodt P. Enhanced anti-metastatic bioactivity of an IGF-TRAP re-engineered to improve physicochemical properties. Sci Rep 2018; 8:17361. [PMID: 30478273 PMCID: PMC6255772 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-35407-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis has been implicated in the progression of malignant disease and identified as a clinically important therapeutic target. Several IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R) targeting drugs including humanized monoclonal antibodies have advanced to phase II/III clinical trials, but to date, have not progressed to clinical use, due, at least in part, to interference with insulin receptor signalling. We previously reported on the production of a soluble fusion protein consisting of the extracellular domain of human IGF-1R fused to the Fc portion of human IgG1 (first generation IGF-TRAP) that bound human IGF-1 and IGF-2 with a 3 log higher affinity than insulin. We showed that the IGF-TRAP had potent anti-cancer activity in several pre-clinical models of aggressive carcinomas. Here we report on the re-engineering of the IGF-TRAP with the aim of improving physicochemical properties and suitability for clinical applications. We show that cysteine-serine substitutions in the Fc hinge region of IGF-TRAP eliminated high-molecular-weight oligomerized species, while a further addition of a flexible linker, not only improved the pharmacokinetic profile, but also enhanced the therapeutic profile of the IGF-TRAP, as evaluated in an experimental colon carcinoma metastasis model. Dose-response profiles of the modified IGF-TRAPs correlated with their bio-availability profiles, as measured by the IGF kinase-receptor-activation (KIRA) assay, providing a novel, surrogate biomarker for drug efficacy. This study provides a compelling example of structure-based re-engineering of Fc-fusion-based biologics for better manufacturability that also significantly improved pharmacological parameters. It identifies the re-engineered IGF-TRAP as a potent anti-cancer therapeutic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- George Vaniotis
- Department of Surgery, McGill University, Montreal Quebec, Canada
| | - Serge Moffett
- Department of Surgery, McGill University, Montreal Quebec, Canada
| | - Traian Sulea
- Institute of Parasitology, McGill University, Montreal Quebec, Canada
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montreal Quebec, Canada
| | - Ni Wang
- Department of Surgery, McGill University, Montreal Quebec, Canada
| | - S Mehdy Elahi
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montreal Quebec, Canada
| | - Etienne Lessard
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montreal Quebec, Canada
| | - Jason Baardsnes
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montreal Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Yves Durocher
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montreal Quebec, Canada
| | - Jan Frystyk
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Bernard Massie
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montreal Quebec, Canada
| | - Pnina Brodt
- Department of Surgery, McGill University, Montreal Quebec, Canada.
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal Quebec, Canada.
- Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal Quebec, Canada.
- Cancer Research Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal Quebec, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Chung S, Lin YL, Nguyen V, Kamen L, Zheng K, Vora B, Song A. Development of a label-free FcRn-mediated transcytosis assay for in vitro characterization of FcRn interactions with therapeutic antibodies and Fc-fusion proteins. J Immunol Methods 2018; 462:101-105. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2018.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Revised: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
|
26
|
Goulet DR, Watson MJ, Tam SH, Zwolak A, Chiu ML, Atkins WM, Nath A. Toward a Combinatorial Approach for the Prediction of IgG Half-Life and Clearance. Drug Metab Dispos 2018; 46:1900-1907. [PMID: 30232177 DOI: 10.1124/dmd.118.081893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The serum half-life and clearance of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are critical factors that impact their efficacy and optimal dosing regimen. The pH-dependent binding of an mAb to the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) has long been recognized as an important determinant of its pharmacokinetics. However, FcRn affinity alone is not a reliable predictor of mAb half-life, suggesting that other biologic or biophysical mechanisms must be accounted for. mAb thermal stability, which reflects its unfolding and aggregation propensities, may also relate to its pharmacokinetic properties. However, no rigorous statistical regression methods have been used to identify combinations of physical parameters that best predict biologic properties. In this work, a panel of eight mAbs with published human pharmacokinetic data were selected for biophysical analyses of FcRn binding and thermal stability. Biolayer interferometry was used to characterize FcRn/mAb binding at acidic and neutral pH, while differential scanning calorimetry was used to determine thermodynamic unfolding parameters. Individual binding or stability parameters were generally weakly correlated with half-life and clearance values. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression was used to identify the combination of two parameters with the best correlation to half-life and clearance as being the FcRn binding response at pH 7.0 and the change in heat capacity. Leave-one-out subsampling yielded a root mean square difference between observed and predicted half-life of just 2.7 days (16%). Thus, the incorporation of multiple biophysical parameters into a cohesive model may facilitate early-stage prediction of in vivo half-life and clearance based on simple in vitro experiments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dennis R Goulet
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (D.R.G., M.J.W., W.M.A., A.N.); and Biologics Research, Janssen Research and Development, LLC, Spring House, Pennsylvania (S.H.T., A.Z., M.L.C.)
| | - Michael J Watson
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (D.R.G., M.J.W., W.M.A., A.N.); and Biologics Research, Janssen Research and Development, LLC, Spring House, Pennsylvania (S.H.T., A.Z., M.L.C.)
| | - Susan H Tam
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (D.R.G., M.J.W., W.M.A., A.N.); and Biologics Research, Janssen Research and Development, LLC, Spring House, Pennsylvania (S.H.T., A.Z., M.L.C.)
| | - Adam Zwolak
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (D.R.G., M.J.W., W.M.A., A.N.); and Biologics Research, Janssen Research and Development, LLC, Spring House, Pennsylvania (S.H.T., A.Z., M.L.C.)
| | - Mark L Chiu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (D.R.G., M.J.W., W.M.A., A.N.); and Biologics Research, Janssen Research and Development, LLC, Spring House, Pennsylvania (S.H.T., A.Z., M.L.C.)
| | - William M Atkins
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (D.R.G., M.J.W., W.M.A., A.N.); and Biologics Research, Janssen Research and Development, LLC, Spring House, Pennsylvania (S.H.T., A.Z., M.L.C.)
| | - Abhinav Nath
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington (D.R.G., M.J.W., W.M.A., A.N.); and Biologics Research, Janssen Research and Development, LLC, Spring House, Pennsylvania (S.H.T., A.Z., M.L.C.)
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Cha S, Lee SH, Kang SH, Hasan MN, Kim YJ, Cho S, Lee YK. Antibody-mediated oral delivery of therapeutic DNA for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Biomater Res 2018; 22:19. [PMID: 30065848 PMCID: PMC6062860 DOI: 10.1186/s40824-018-0129-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Accepted: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic progressive metabolic disease that involves uncontrolled elevation of blood glucose levels. Among various therapeutic approaches, GLP-1 prevents type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients from experiencing hyperglycemic episodes. However, the short half-life (< 5 min) and rapid clearance of GLP-1 often limits its therapeutic use. Here, we developed an oral GLP-1 gene delivery system to achieve an extended antidiabetic effect. Methods Human IgG1 (hIgG1)-Fc-Arg/pDNA complexes were prepared by an electrostatic complexation of the expression plasmid with various ratios of the positively modified Fc fragments of an antibody (hIgG1-Fc-Arg) having a targeting ability to FcRn receptor. The shape and size of the complexes were examined by atomic force and field emission electron microscope. The stability of the complexes was tested in simulated gastrointestinal pH and physiological serum condition. Cellular uptake, transport, and toxicity of the complexes were tested in the Caco-2 cells. Biodistribution and antidiabetic effect of the complexes were observed in either Balb/c mice or Lepdb/db mice. Results A 50/1 ratio of the hIgG1-Fc-Arg/pDNA produced a complex structure having approximately 40 ~ 60 nm size and also demonstrated protection of pDNA in the complex from the physiological pH and serum conditions. Cellular uptake and transport of the complex were demonstrated in Caco-2 cells having FcRn receptor expression and forming the monolayer-polarized structure. The cellular toxicity of both delivery vehicle and the complex revealed their minimal toxicity comparable with nontoxicity of a commercial transfection reagent. Biodistribution of the complex showed the detectable distribution of the complex in the most parts of gastrointestinal tract due to ubiquitous expression of the FcRn receptors. An in vivo type 2 diabetes treatment study of oral administration of hIgG1-Fc-9Arg/pGLP-1 complexes showed absorption and expression in GI tract of either Balb/c mice or Lepdb/db mice. Conclusion In this study, we developed an oral GLP-1 gene delivery system on the platform of cationic hIgG1-Fc-9Arg. Prolonged t1/2, less immunoactivity, and better bioactivities of hIgG-Fc-9Arg/pGLP-1 complexes appeared to be a promising approach to achieve potent treatment of type 2 diabetes treatment. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s40824-018-0129-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Seungbin Cha
- 1Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Konkuk University, Chungju, 27478 Republic of Korea
| | | | | | - Mohammad Nazmul Hasan
- 3Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Korea National University of Transportation, Chungju, 27469 Republic of Korea
| | - Young Jun Kim
- 1Department of Biomedical Chemistry, Konkuk University, Chungju, 27478 Republic of Korea
| | - Sungpil Cho
- 44D Biomaterials Center, Korea National University of Transportation, Jeungpyeong, 27909 Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Kyu Lee
- KB-Biomed, Chungju, 27469 Republic of Korea.,3Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Korea National University of Transportation, Chungju, 27469 Republic of Korea.,44D Biomaterials Center, Korea National University of Transportation, Jeungpyeong, 27909 Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Grando SA. Retrospective analysis of a single‐center clinical experience toward development of curative treatment of 123 pemphigus patients with a long‐term follow‐up: efficacy and safety of the multidrug protocol combining intravenous immunoglobulin with the cytotoxic immunosuppressor and mitochondrion‐protecting drugs. Int J Dermatol 2018; 58:114-125. [DOI: 10.1111/ijd.14143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2017] [Revised: 06/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sergei A. Grando
- Departments of Dermatology and Biological Chemistry and Institute for Immunology University of California Irvine CA USA
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Cymer F, Beck H, Rohde A, Reusch D. Therapeutic monoclonal antibody N-glycosylation – Structure, function and therapeutic potential. Biologicals 2018; 52:1-11. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biologicals.2017.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Revised: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
|
30
|
Carter PJ, Lazar GA. Next generation antibody drugs: pursuit of the 'high-hanging fruit'. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2017; 17:197-223. [DOI: 10.1038/nrd.2017.227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 447] [Impact Index Per Article: 63.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
|
31
|
Evaluation of an FcRn affinity chromatographic method for IgG1-type antibodies and evaluation of IgG variants. Bioanalysis 2017; 9:1305-1317. [PMID: 28901177 DOI: 10.4155/bio-2017-0109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM The neonatal Fc-receptor (FcRn) mediates long serum half-life of therapeutic IgG-type antibodies. This interaction represents a critical quality attribute in terms of pharmacokinetics and should be covered by respective quality control strategies. Antibodies are taken up by cells unspecifically and can bind to FcRn in early endosomes preventing lysosomal degradation and allowing release back into circulation. Reflecting this complex cycle in an in vitro assay strategy represents a challenging task. METHODOLOGY We report the qualification of an FcRn affinity chromatographic method and, for the first time, establish a noncriticality window. We analyzed different IgG-type antibodies, subtypes, glycoforms as well as mutants. CONCLUSION The FcRn affinity chromatographic method allows the assessment of mAb samples with respect to their pH-dependent FcRn interaction. Furthermore, the method's capabilities and current limitations are discussed.
Collapse
|
32
|
Dostalek M, Prueksaritanont T, Kelley RF. Pharmacokinetic de-risking tools for selection of monoclonal antibody lead candidates. MAbs 2017; 9:756-766. [PMID: 28463063 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2017.1323160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Pharmacokinetic studies play an important role in all stages of drug discovery and development. Recent advancements in the tools for discovery and optimization of therapeutic proteins have created an abundance of candidates that may fulfill target product profile criteria. Implementing a set of in silico, small scale in vitro and in vivo tools can help to identify a clinical lead molecule with promising properties at the early stages of drug discovery, thus reducing the labor and cost in advancing multiple candidates toward clinical development. In this review, we describe tools that should be considered during drug discovery, and discuss approaches that could be included in the pharmacokinetic screening part of the lead candidate generation process to de-risk unexpected pharmacokinetic behaviors of Fc-based therapeutic proteins, with an emphasis on monoclonal antibodies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miroslav Dostalek
- a Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Global Nonclinical Development, Shire , Lexington , MA , USA
| | | | - Robert F Kelley
- c Department of Drug Delivery , Genentech Inc. , South San Francisco , CA , USA
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Jaramillo CAC, Belli S, Cascais AC, Dudal S, Edelmann MR, Haak M, Brun ME, Otteneder MB, Ullah M, Funk C, Schuler F, Simon S. Toward in vitro-to-in vivo translation of monoclonal antibody pharmacokinetics: Application of a neonatal Fc receptor-mediated transcytosis assay to understand the interplaying clearance mechanisms. MAbs 2017; 9:781-791. [PMID: 28440708 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2017.1320008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are a rapidly growing drug class for which great efforts have been made to optimize certain molecular features to achieve the desired pharmacokinetic (PK) properties. One approach is to engineer the interactions of the mAb with the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) by introducing specific amino acid sequence mutations, and to assess their effect on the PK profile with in vivo studies. Indeed, FcRn protects mAbs from intracellular degradation, thereby prolongs antibody circulation time in plasma and modulates its systemic clearance. To allow more efficient and focused mAb optimization, in vitro input that helps to identify and quantitatively predict the contribution of different processes driving non-target mediated mAb clearance in vivo and supporting translational PK modeling activities is essential. With this aim, we evaluated the applicability and in vivo-relevance of an in vitro cellular FcRn-mediated transcytosis assay to explain the PK behavior of 25 mAbs in rat or monkey. The assay was able to capture species-specific differences in IgG-FcRn interactions and overall correctly ranked Fc mutants according to their in vivo clearance. However, it could not explain the PK behavior of all tested IgGs, indicating that mAb disposition in vivo is a complex interplay of additional processes besides the FcRn interaction. Overall, the transcytosis assay was considered suitable to rank mAb candidates for their FcRn-mediated clearance component before extensive in vivo testing, and represents a first step toward a multi-factorial in vivo clearance prediction approach based on in vitro data.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Sara Belli
- a Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center , Basel , Switzerland
| | - Anne-Christine Cascais
- a Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center , Basel , Switzerland
| | | | - Martin R Edelmann
- a Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center , Basel , Switzerland
| | - Markus Haak
- a Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center , Basel , Switzerland
| | - Marie-Elise Brun
- a Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center , Basel , Switzerland
| | - Michael B Otteneder
- a Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center , Basel , Switzerland
| | - Mohammed Ullah
- a Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center , Basel , Switzerland
| | - Christoph Funk
- a Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center , Basel , Switzerland
| | - Franz Schuler
- a Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center , Basel , Switzerland
| | - Silke Simon
- a Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center , Basel , Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Jensen PF, Schoch A, Larraillet V, Hilger M, Schlothauer T, Emrich T, Rand KD. A Two-pronged Binding Mechanism of IgG to the Neonatal Fc Receptor Controls Complex Stability and IgG Serum Half-life. Mol Cell Proteomics 2017; 16:451-456. [PMID: 28062799 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.m116.064675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2016] [Revised: 01/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The success of recombinant monoclonal immunoglobulins (IgG) is rooted in their ability to target distinct antigens with high affinity combined with an extraordinarily long serum half-life, typically around 3 weeks. The pharmacokinetics of IgGs is intimately linked to the recycling mechanism of the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn). For long serum half-life of therapeutic IgGs, the highly pH-dependent interaction with FcRn needs to be balanced to allow efficient FcRn binding and release at slightly acidic pH and physiological pH, respectively. Some IgGs, like the antibody briakinumab has an unusually short half-life of ∼8 days. Here we dissect the molecular origins of excessive FcRn binding in therapeutic IgGs using a combination of hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry and FcRn affinity chromatography. We provide experimental evidence for a two-pronged IgG-FcRn binding mechanism involving direct FcRn interactions with both the Fc region and the Fab regions of briakinumab, and correlate the occurrence of excessive FcRn binding to an unusually strong Fab-FcRn interaction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pernille Foged Jensen
- From the ‡Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Angela Schoch
- §Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Innovation Center Penzberg, Nonnenwald 2, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| | - Vincent Larraillet
- ¶Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Large Molecule Research, Roche Innovation Center Penzberg, Nonnenwald 2, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| | - Maximiliane Hilger
- ¶Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Large Molecule Research, Roche Innovation Center Penzberg, Nonnenwald 2, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| | - Tilman Schlothauer
- ¶Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Large Molecule Research, Roche Innovation Center Penzberg, Nonnenwald 2, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Emrich
- §Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Innovation Center Penzberg, Nonnenwald 2, 82377 Penzberg, Germany
| | - Kasper Dyrberg Rand
- From the ‡Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark;
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Nixon J, Newbold P, Mustelin T, Anderson GP, Kolbeck R. Monoclonal antibody therapy for the treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with eosinophilic inflammation. Pharmacol Ther 2016; 169:57-77. [PMID: 27773786 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2016.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Eosinophils have been linked with asthma for more than a century, but their role has been unclear. This review discusses the roles of eosinophils in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and describes therapeutic antibodies that affect eosinophilia. The aims of pharmacologic treatments for pulmonary conditions are to reduce symptoms, slow decline or improve lung function, and reduce the frequency and severity of exacerbations. Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are important in managing symptoms and exacerbations in asthma and COPD. However, control with these agents is often suboptimal, especially for patients with severe disease. Recently, new biologics that target eosinophilic inflammation, used as adjunctive therapy to corticosteroids, have proven beneficial and support a pivotal role for eosinophils in the pathology of asthma. Nucala® (mepolizumab; anti-interleukin [IL]-5) and Cinquair® (reslizumab; anti-IL-5), the second and third biologics approved, respectively, for the treatment of asthma, exemplifies these new treatment options. Emerging evidence suggests that eosinophils may contribute to exacerbations and possibly to lung function decline for a subset of patients with COPD. Here we describe the pharmacology of therapeutic antibodies inhibiting IL-5 or targeting the IL-5 receptor, as well as other cytokines contributing to eosinophilic inflammation. We discuss their roles as adjuncts to conventional therapeutic approaches, especially ICS therapy, when disease is suboptimally controlled. These agents have achieved a place in the therapeutic armamentarium for asthma and COPD and will deepen our understanding of the pathogenic role of eosinophils.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Gary P Anderson
- Lung Health Research Centre, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Unverdorben F, Richter F, Hutt M, Seifert O, Malinge P, Fischer N, Kontermann RE. Pharmacokinetic properties of IgG and various Fc fusion proteins in mice. MAbs 2016; 8:120-8. [PMID: 26514880 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2015.1113360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Fusion to an IgG Fc region is an established strategy to extend the half-life of therapeutic proteins. Most Fc fusion proteins, however, do not achieve the long half-life of IgGs. Based on findings that scFv-Fc fusion proteins exhibit a shorter half-life than the corresponding IgG molecules, we performed a comparative study of different antibody-derived Fc fusion proteins. We could confirm that fusion of single-chain Fv (scFv) and single-chain diabody (scDb) molecules to an Fc region yields in fusion proteins with substantially extended half-lives compared with the single-chain versions. However, even fusion proteins with a size similar to that of IgG, e.g., scDb-Fc, did not have a half-life as long as an IgG molecule. Binding to the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) under acidic and neutral conditions was similar for IgG and all Fc fusion proteins. However, we observed differences between IgG and the Fc fusion proteins for dissociation of FcRn-bound proteins induced by shifting from acidic to neutral pH, reflecting the physiological release mechanism, further supporting a contribution of the kinetics of pH-dependent release from FcRn to the pharmacokinetic properties of IgG and Fc fusion proteins.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Felix Unverdorben
- a Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology; University of Stuttgart ; Allmandring 31; 70569 ; Stuttgart ; Germany
| | - Fabian Richter
- a Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology; University of Stuttgart ; Allmandring 31; 70569 ; Stuttgart ; Germany
| | - Meike Hutt
- a Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology; University of Stuttgart ; Allmandring 31; 70569 ; Stuttgart ; Germany
| | - Oliver Seifert
- a Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology; University of Stuttgart ; Allmandring 31; 70569 ; Stuttgart ; Germany
| | - Pauline Malinge
- b Novimmune; 14 chemin des Aulx; 1228 Plan-les-Ouates ; Geneva ; Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Fischer
- b Novimmune; 14 chemin des Aulx; 1228 Plan-les-Ouates ; Geneva ; Switzerland
| | - Roland E Kontermann
- a Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology; University of Stuttgart ; Allmandring 31; 70569 ; Stuttgart ; Germany
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Many of the biotherapeutics approved or under development suffer from a short half-life necessitating frequent applications in order to maintain a therapeutic concentration over an extended period of time. The implementation of half-life extension strategies allows the generation of long-lasting therapeutics with improved pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. AREAS COVERED This review gives an overview of the different half-life extension strategies developed over the past years and their application to generate next-generation biotherapeutics. It focuses on srategies already used in approved drugs and drugs that are in clinical development. These strategies include those aimed at increasing the hydrodynamic radius of the biotherapeutic and strategies which further implement recycling by the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn). EXPERT OPINION Half-life extension strategies have become an integral part of development for many biotherapeutics. A diverse set of these strategies is available for the fine-tuning of half-life and adaption to the intended treatment modality and disease. Currently, half-life extension is dominated by strategies utilizing albumin binding or fusion, fusion to an immunoglobulin Fc region and PEGylation. However, a variety of alternative strategies, such as fusion of flexible polypeptide chains as PEG mimetic substitute, have reached advanced stages and offer further alternatives for half-life extension.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roland E Kontermann
- a Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology , University of Stuttgart , Stuttgart , Germany
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Ternant D, Arnoult C, Pugnière M, Dhommée C, Drocourt D, Perouzel E, Passot C, Baroukh N, Mulleman D, Tiraby G, Watier H, Paintaud G, Gouilleux-Gruart V. IgG1 Allotypes Influence the Pharmacokinetics of Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibodies through FcRn Binding. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2015; 196:607-13. [PMID: 26685205 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.1501780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2015] [Accepted: 11/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Because IgG1 allotypes might have different half-lives, their influence on infliximab (G1m17,1 allotype) pharmacokinetics was investigated in a group of spondyloarthritis patients. Infliximab was found to have a shorter half-life in patients homozygous for the G1m17,1 allotypes than in those carrying the G1m3 with no G1m1 (G1m3,-1) allotype. Because the neonatal FcR (FcRn) is involved in the pharmacokinetics of mAbs, the interaction of different IgG1 allotypes with FcRn was examined using cellular assays and surface plasmon resonance. G1m17,1 mAbs, such as infliximab and rituximab, were shown to bind more efficiently to FcRn and to be transcytosed better than the G1m3,-1 mAb cetuximab, which explains why infliximab is a better competitor for endogenous IgG1 in G1m3,-1 allotype-bearing patients. A set of four allotype variants of adalimumab (G1m17,1; G1m17,-1; G1m3,1; and G1m3,-1) was also tested for its binding to FcRn, revealing that the G1m3,1 variant, not present in commercial mAbs, binds more efficiently to FcRn and is transcytosed better than the other three variants, all of which are found in therapeutic mAbs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Ternant
- Université François Rabelais de Tours, CNRS UMR7292, Tours F-37032, France; Laboratoire de Pharmacologie-Toxicologie, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Tours, Tours F-37032, France
| | - Christophe Arnoult
- Université François Rabelais de Tours, CNRS UMR7292, Tours F-37032, France
| | - Martine Pugnière
- INSERM, U1194, Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier; Montpellier F-34298, France
| | - Christine Dhommée
- Université François Rabelais de Tours, CNRS UMR7292, Tours F-37032, France
| | | | | | - Christophe Passot
- Université François Rabelais de Tours, CNRS UMR7292, Tours F-37032, France; Laboratoire d'Immunologie, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Tours, Tours F-37032, France; and
| | - Nadine Baroukh
- Université François Rabelais de Tours, CNRS UMR7292, Tours F-37032, France
| | - Denis Mulleman
- Université François Rabelais de Tours, CNRS UMR7292, Tours F-37032, France; Service de Rhumatologie, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Tours, Tours F-37032, France
| | | | - Hervé Watier
- Université François Rabelais de Tours, CNRS UMR7292, Tours F-37032, France; Laboratoire d'Immunologie, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Tours, Tours F-37032, France; and
| | - Gilles Paintaud
- Université François Rabelais de Tours, CNRS UMR7292, Tours F-37032, France; Laboratoire de Pharmacologie-Toxicologie, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Tours, Tours F-37032, France
| | - Valérie Gouilleux-Gruart
- Université François Rabelais de Tours, CNRS UMR7292, Tours F-37032, France; Laboratoire d'Immunologie, Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Tours, Tours F-37032, France; and
| |
Collapse
|