1
|
Van Den Driessche GA, Bailey D, Anderson EO, Tarselli MA, Blackwell L. Improving protein therapeutic development through cloud-based data integration. SLAS Technol 2023; 28:293-301. [PMID: 37454764 DOI: 10.1016/j.slast.2023.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Pharma 4.0 is a digital evolution of the pharmaceutical industry that automates scientists' traditional workflows with the implementation of modern technologies like cloud pipelines, artificial intelligence, robotic platforms, and augmented reality. Lab data capture (LDC) is an essential strategy for initiating Pharma 4.0 that aggregates and harmonizes siloed lab data from analytical instruments, reporting systems, and operational platforms. This publication describes the execution of LDC within a quantitative PCR (qPCR) workflow using the Tetra Data Platform (TDP). We selected this workflow because the qPCR instrument, the ViiA7, generates discrete file-based data that documents execution of individual assays for quantifying residual DNA throughout biologics process development and product profiling. TDP executes LDC through the deployment of file scanning software agents, scanning and ingestion processes, and a cloud-based parsing pipeline that harmonizes source data. Web applications were developed to query, visualize, and interpret harmonized qPCR data for automated experiment data processing and process control charting from the TDP platform. Our implementation of LDC enables analytical researchers to harness FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reproducible) data practices across the organization and establishes a "compliance-by-code" culture in development labs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- George A Van Den Driessche
- Strategic Analytics, Analytical Development, Pharmaceutical Technical Development, Davis Drive, RTP, Biogen, 5000, NC, United States.
| | - Devin Bailey
- Strategic Analytics, Analytical Development, Pharmaceutical Technical Development, Davis Drive, RTP, Biogen, 5000, NC, United States
| | - Evan O Anderson
- TetraScience, 177 Huntington Ave, Suite 1703, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
| | - Michael A Tarselli
- TetraScience, 177 Huntington Ave, Suite 1703, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
| | - Len Blackwell
- Strategic Analytics, Analytical Development, Pharmaceutical Technical Development, Davis Drive, RTP, Biogen, 5000, NC, United States
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Buyel JF. Product safety aspects of plant molecular farming. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1238917. [PMID: 37614627 PMCID: PMC10442644 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1238917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant molecular farming (PMF) has been promoted since the 1990s as a rapid, cost-effective and (most of all) safe alternative to the cultivation of bacteria or animal cells for the production of biopharmaceutical proteins. Numerous plant species have been investigated for the production of a broad range of protein-based drug candidates. The inherent safety of these products is frequently highlighted as an advantage of PMF because plant viruses do not replicate in humans and vice versa. However, a more nuanced analysis of this principle is required when considering other pathogens because toxic compounds pose a risk even in the absence of replication. Similarly, it is necessary to assess the risks associated with the host system (e.g., the presence of toxic secondary metabolites) and the production approach (e.g., transient expression based on bacterial infiltration substantially increases the endotoxin load). This review considers the most relevant host systems in terms of their toxicity profile, including the presence of secondary metabolites, and the risks arising from the persistence of these substances after downstream processing and product purification. Similarly, we discuss a range of plant pathogens and disease vectors that can influence product safety, for example, due to the release of toxins. The ability of downstream unit operations to remove contaminants and process-related toxic impurities such as endotoxins is also addressed. This overview of plant-based production, focusing on product safety aspects, provides recommendations that will allow stakeholders to choose the most appropriate strategies for process development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J. F. Buyel
- Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Institute of Bioprocess Science and Engineering (IBSE), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Wang W, Gao T, Luo J, Guo L, Li X, Li Y, Chen H. Size distribution analysis of residual host cell DNA fragments in lentivirus by CGE-LIF. Electrophoresis 2023; 44:462-471. [PMID: 36353919 DOI: 10.1002/elps.202200218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
During the production of cell and gene therapy products, residual host cell DNA (HCD) could cause safety risks of the biological products, and the longer the residual HCD fragment, the greater the risk to the human body. For this reason, it was necessary to develop an effective method for the size distribution analysis of residual HCD fragments with high accuracy and sensitivity. In this study, capillary gel electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detector (CGE-LIF) was used to analyze the size distribution of residual HCD fragments in lentivirus products. The results confirmed that lentiviral RNA genome could interfere with the size distribution analysis of residual HCD fragments. By optimizing the amount of RNase I and digestion time in sample pretreatment process, the interfere of RNA genome could be avoided. The specificity, precision, accuracy, linear range, the detection of limit (LOD), and the quantification of limit (LOQ) of CGE-LIF method were also validated. The results showed that the CGE-LIF method had a good performance both in terms of specificity and reproducibility. The intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations of migration time and corrected peak area were all less than 1% and 2%, respectively. The 200 bp DNA marker had a good linearity between 50 and 1000 pg/ml. The LOD and LOQ of 200 bp DNA marker were 2.59 and 8.64 pg/ml, respectively. In addition, this method was successfully used to analyze the size distribution analysis of residual HCD fragments in lentivirus products with different production processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ji Luo
- SCIEX, Beijing, P. R. China
| | | | - Xiang Li
- Division of Recombinant Biological Products, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Yan Li
- National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), Key Laboratory for Quality Control and Evaluation of Vaccines and Biological Products, SiChuan Institute for Drug Control, Chengdu, P. R. China
| | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Lauro ML, Bowman AM, Smith JP, Gaye SN, Acevedo-Skrip J, DePhillips PA, Loughney JW. Overcoming Biopharmaceutical Interferents for Quantitation of Host Cell DNA Using an Automated, High-Throughput Methodology. AAPS J 2022; 25:10. [PMID: 36482268 PMCID: PMC9735023 DOI: 10.1208/s12248-022-00764-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapid development of biologics and vaccines in response to the current pandemic has highlighted the need for robust platform assays to characterize diverse biopharmaceuticals. A critical aspect of biopharmaceutical development is achieving a highly pure product, especially with respect to residual host cell material. Specifically, two important host cell impurities of focus within biopharmaceuticals are residual DNA and protein. In this work, a novel high-throughput host cell DNA quantitation assay was developed for rapid screening of complex vaccine drug substance samples. The developed assay utilizes the commercially available, fluorescent-sensitive Picogreen dye within a 96-well plate configuration to allow for a cost effective and rapid analysis. The assay was applied to in-process biopharmaceutical samples with known interferences to the dye, including RNA and protein. An enzymatic digestion pre-treatment was found to overcome these interferences and thus allow this method to be applied to wide-ranging, diverse analyses. In addition, the use of deoxycholate in the digestion treatment allowed for disruption of interactions in a given sample matrix in order to more accurately and selectively quantitate DNA. Critical analytical figures of merit for assay performance, such as precision and spike recovery, were evaluated and successfully demonstrated. This new analytical method can thus be successfully applied to both upstream and downstream process analysis for biologics and vaccines using an innovative and automated high-throughput approach.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mackenzie L. Lauro
- grid.417993.10000 0001 2260 0793Analytical Research & Development, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486 USA
| | - Amy M. Bowman
- grid.417993.10000 0001 2260 0793Analytical Research & Development, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486 USA
| | - Joseph P. Smith
- grid.417993.10000 0001 2260 0793Analytical Research & Development, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486 USA
| | - Susannah N. Gaye
- grid.417993.10000 0001 2260 0793Analytical Research & Development, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486 USA
| | - Jillian Acevedo-Skrip
- grid.417993.10000 0001 2260 0793Analytical Research & Development, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486 USA
| | - Pete A. DePhillips
- grid.417993.10000 0001 2260 0793Analytical Research & Development, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486 USA
| | - John W. Loughney
- grid.417993.10000 0001 2260 0793Analytical Research & Development, MRL, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania 19486 USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Tustian AD, Bak H. Assessment of quality attributes for adeno-associated viral vectors. Biotechnol Bioeng 2021; 118:4186-4203. [PMID: 34309017 DOI: 10.1002/bit.27905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
There is a strong and growing interest in the development and production of gene therapy products, including those utilizing adeno-associated virus (AAV) particles. This is evident with the increase in the number of clinical trials and agency approvals for AAV therapeutics. As bioproduction of AAV viral vectors matures, a quality by design (QbD) approach to process development can aid in process robustness and product quality. Furthermore, it may become a regulatory expectation. The first step in any QbD approach is to determine what physical, chemical, biological, or microbiological property or characteristic product attributes should be controlled within an appropriate limit, range, or distribution to ensure the desired product quality. Then predefined goals are set to allow proactive process development to design in quality. This review lists typical quality attributes used for release testing of AAV viral vectors and discusses these and selected attributes important to extended characterization studies in terms of safety, efficacy, and impact upon the patient immune response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Hanne Bak
- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., Tarrytown, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Gholizadeh-Hashjin A, Abedi N, Heidari HR, Lotfipour F. Direct quantitative detection of host cell residual DNA in recombinant Filgrastim by qPCR. Anal Biochem 2021; 629:114296. [PMID: 34216563 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2021.114296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Host cell residual DNA is considered as an impurity in recombinant biopharmaceuticals. This study aimed to develop a direct qPCR method to quantify E. Coli residual DNA in recombinant Filgrastim. The specific primers were designed to amplify E. Coli's 16S-rDNA genomic region, which encodes the 16S-rRNA. The developed qPCR method showed that the designed primer has specifically amplified the target genome without any secondary reaction. The designed primer was also able to amplify the target gene as a representative of residual DNA in the drug matrix. Results show that the amount of residual DNA in Filgrastim is undetectable.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Nasim Abedi
- Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Hamid Reza Heidari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Farzaneh Lotfipour
- Food & Drug Safety Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; Department of Pharmaceutical and Food Control, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tabriz, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Wang Y, Lu J, Huang Z, Qian M, Zhang Q, Feng J. Process development of recombinant Aspergillus flavus urate oxidase production in Pichia pastoris intracellularly and its characterization as a potential biosimilar. Process Biochem 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.procbio.2021.01.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
|
8
|
Shirvani R, Barshan-Tashnizi M, Shahali M. An investigation into gene copy number determination in transgenic yeast; The importance of selecting a reliable real-time PCR standard. Biologicals 2020; 65:10-17. [PMID: 32278615 DOI: 10.1016/j.biologicals.2020.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Revised: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Nowadays, Pichia pastoris is a well-known yeast for the production of recombinant proteins. The yield of protein production tightly depends on the copy number of the gene of interest into the host chromosome. Real-time PCR has been used as a high throughput method for molecular detection of gene copy number. In light of determining an absolute gene copy number, the reliability of the qPCR quantification standard is a major issue and it can be a potential source of errors in the final results. Since the literature on this issue is inconclusive, we set out to find a reliable quantification method that allows comparing results in different laboratories. We generated standard curves for two genomic loci (5'UTR AOX1 and ARG4) and for plasmid DNA carrying hGM-CSF coding sequence. These data was used to calculate the integrated hGM-CSFcDNA copy number in a recombinant P. pastoris clone. In our expriments the 5'UTR AOX1 gene showed a more accurate quantification standard, based on more efficient amplification and better reproducibility. The results obtained in this study showed that the differences in terms of structure and length between circular plasmid and linear gDNA could be the source of significant differences in the pattern of DNA amplification.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Roghayeh Shirvani
- Department of Quality Control, Research and Production Complex, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran; Department of Life Science Engineering, Faculty of New Sciences and Technologies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Barshan-Tashnizi
- Department of Life Science Engineering, Faculty of New Sciences and Technologies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Maryam Shahali
- Department of Quality Control, Research and Production Complex, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
A novel method for removing polyethyleneimine from biopharmaceutical samples: improving assay sensitivity of residual DNA qPCR. Biotechniques 2020; 68:353-358. [PMID: 32228190 DOI: 10.2144/btn-2020-0011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyethyleneimine (PEI) is a flocculent that is widely used in the downstream purification of monoclonal antibodies. It is an in-process residual that is carried through the drug purification process and strongly inhibits residual DNA quantitation by real-time quantitative PCR assay. Very high sample dilutions (e.g., 1:10,000) can overcome the interference of PEI, but at the cost of DNA assay sensitivity. Diluting samples poses a significant risk to the assay sensitivity needed to satisfy regulatory requirements on the quantitation of residual genomic DNA present per dose (i.e., 10 ng/dose). Removing PEI while retaining DNA, by the use of sodium dodecyl sulfate, heparin and/or sarkosyl can overcome the interference of PEI and allow a more accurate quantitation of residual DNA.
Collapse
|
10
|
Moleirinho MG, Silva RJS, Alves PM, Carrondo MJT, Peixoto C. Current challenges in biotherapeutic particles manufacturing. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2019; 20:451-465. [PMID: 31773998 DOI: 10.1080/14712598.2020.1693541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: The development of novel complex biotherapeutics led to new challenges in biopharmaceutical industry. The potential of these particles has been demonstrated by the approval of several products, in the different fields of gene therapy, oncolytic therapy, and tumor vaccines. However, their manufacturing still presents challenges related to the high dosages and purity required.Areas covered: The main challenges that biopharmaceutical industry faces today and the most recent developments in the manufacturing of different biotherapeutic particles are reported here. Several unit operations and downstream trains to purify virus, virus-like particles and extracellular vesicles are described. Innovations on the different purification steps are also highlighted with an eye on the implementation of continuous and integrated processes.Expert opinion: Manufacturing platforms that consist of a low number of unit operations, with higher-yielding processes and reduced costs will be highly appreciated by the industry. The pipeline of complex therapeutic particles is expanding and there is a clear need for advanced tools and manufacturing capacity. The use of single-use technologies, as well as continuous integrated operations, are gaining ground in the biopharmaceutical industry and should be supported by more accurate and faster analytical methods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mafalda G Moleirinho
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado, Oeiras, Portugal.,ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Ricardo J S Silva
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Paula M Alves
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado, Oeiras, Portugal.,ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Manuel J T Carrondo
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Cristina Peixoto
- IBET, Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Apartado, Oeiras, Portugal.,ITQB NOVA, Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Av. da República, Oeiras, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Liu XZ, Zhang B, Zhao W, Li G, Zhou ML, Wei JS, Zhou JH, Gao J, Wang ZM. Method validation of Q-PCR detection of host residual DNA in antibody drug based on protein A magnetic beads. Biologicals 2019; 62:65-71. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biologicals.2019.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Revised: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
|
12
|
Orchard JD, Cetlin D, Pallansch M, Barlow R, Borman J, Dhar A, Pallansch L, Dickson M. Using a noninfectious MVM surrogate for assessing viral clearance during downstream process development. Biotechnol Prog 2019; 36:e2921. [DOI: 10.1002/btpr.2921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Revised: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Melanie Pallansch
- School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical SciencesUniversity of Arizona Tuscon Arizona
| | | | | | - Arun Dhar
- School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical SciencesUniversity of Arizona Tuscon Arizona
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Quality Control and Downstream Processing of Therapeutic Enzymes. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2019; 1148:55-80. [PMID: 31482494 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-13-7709-9_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Therapeutic enzymes are a commercially minor but clinically important area of biopharmaceuticals. An array of therapeutic enzymes has been developed for a variety of human diseases, including leukaemia and enzyme-deficiency diseases such as Gaucher's disease. Production and testing of therapeutic enzymes is strictly governed by regulatory bodies in each country around the world, and batch-to-batch consistency is crucially important. Manufacture of a batch starts with the fermentation or cell culture stage. After expression of the therapeutic enzyme in a cell culture bioreactor, robust and reproducible protein purification, or downstream processing (DSP) of the target product, is critical to ensuring safe delivery of these medicines. Modern processing technology, including the use of disposable processing equipment, has greatly improved the DSP development pathway in terms of robustness and speed to clinic. Once purified, the drug substance undergoes rigorous quality control (QC) testing according to current regulatory guidance, to enable release to the clinic and patient. QC testing is conducted to ensure the safety, purity, identity, potency and strength of the medicinal product, requiring multiple analytical methods that are rigorously validated and monitored for robust performance. Several case studies, including L-asparaginase and asfotase alfa, are discussed to illustrate the methods described herein.
Collapse
|
14
|
Vernay O, Sarcey E, Detrez V, Abachin E, Riou P, Mouterde B, Bonnevay T, Mallet L. Comparative analysis of the performance of residual host cell DNA assays for viral vaccines produced in Vero cells. J Virol Methods 2019; 268:9-16. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2019.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 01/02/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
|
15
|
Reijers JAA, Malone KE, Bajramovic JJ, Verbeek R, Burggraaf J, Moerland M. Adverse immunostimulation caused by impurities: The dark side of biopharmaceuticals. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2019; 85:1418-1426. [PMID: 30920013 PMCID: PMC6595286 DOI: 10.1111/bcp.13938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Revised: 03/10/2019] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug safety is an important issue, especially in the experimental phases of development. Adverse immunostimulation (AI) is sometimes encountered following treatment with biopharmaceuticals, which can be life‐threatening if it results in a severe systemic inflammatory reaction. Biopharmaceuticals that unexpectedly induce an inflammatory response still enter the clinic, even while meeting all regulatory requirements. Impurities (of microbial origin) in biopharmaceuticals are an often‐overlooked cause of AI. This demonstrates that the current guidelines for quality control and safety pharmacology testing are not flawless. Here, based on two case examples, several shortcomings of the guidelines are discussed. The most important of these are the lack of sensitivity for impurities, lack of testing for pyrogens other than endotoxin, and the use of insensitive animal species and biomarkers in preclinical investigations. Moreover, testing for the immunotoxicity of biopharmaceuticals is explicitly not recommended by the international guidelines. Publication of cases of AI is pivotal, both to increase awareness and to facilitate scientific discussions on how to prevent AI in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jeffrey J Bajramovic
- Alternatives Unit, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, the Netherlands
| | - Richard Verbeek
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Toxicology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
A Digestion-free Method for Quantification of Residual Host Cell DNA in rAAV Gene Therapy Products. MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT 2019; 13:526-531. [PMID: 31194094 PMCID: PMC6551374 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2019.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) is a vector with increasing popularity in the field of gene therapy. Like other drug substances manufactured in cell lines, rAAV vectors are commonly contaminated with host cell DNA, and the levels must be carefully monitored. The current method for residual DNA quantification in rAAV was adapted from protein programs and required sample digestion by proteinase prior to qPCR analysis. While the method worked effectively, it was unclear if proteinase digestion was essential for releasing DNA from rAAV capsids and improving qPCR efficiency. In this study, we systematically investigated the role of each component and treatment with the goal to simplify and streamline the method. It was determined that the proteinase digestion step was dispensable, while the addition of Tween 20 to rAAV samples was essential for accurate quantification of residual DNA. Based on this finding, a digestion-free method has been established that requires only a one-step sample preparation—addition of Tween 20. The method has been tested extensively with an rAAV9-based drug substance and process intermediates and verified with other rAAV serotypes. This significantly simplified and faster assay can be easily automated for high-throughput applications.
Collapse
|
17
|
Williams KL. The Biologics Revolution and Endotoxin Test Concerns. ENDOTOXIN DETECTION AND CONTROL IN PHARMA, LIMULUS, AND MAMMALIAN SYSTEMS 2019. [PMCID: PMC7123716 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-17148-3_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The advent of “at will” production of biologics in lieu of harvesting animal proteins (i.e. insulin) or human cadaver proteins (i.e. growth hormone) has revolutionized the treatment of disease. While the fruits of the biotechnology revolution are widely acknowledged, the realization of the differences in the means of production and changes in the manner of control of potential impurities and contaminants in regard to the new versus the old are less widely appreciated. This chapter is an overview of the biologics revolution in terms of the rigors of manufacturing required to produce them, their mechanism of action, and caveats of endotoxin control. It is a continulation of the previous chapter that established a basic background knowledge of adaptive immune principles necessary to understand the mode of action of both disease causation and biologics therapeutic treatment via immune modulation.
Collapse
|
18
|
Janvier S, De Spiegeleer B, Vanhee C, Deconinck E. Falsification of biotechnology drugs: current dangers and/or future disasters? J Pharm Biomed Anal 2018; 161:175-191. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2018.08.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Revised: 08/01/2018] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
|
19
|
Sommers C, Rosenzweig B, Oum L, Thompson K, Keire DA. Quantitation of residual host cell DNA in protaminesulfate drug product by qPCR. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2018; 160:238-243. [PMID: 30103118 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2018.07.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Revised: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Protamine sulfate (PS) is an FDA approved drug used to reverse heparin-induced anticoagulation in patients. Protamine sulfate is a mixture of primarily four ∼4 kDa arginine-rich cationic polypeptide chains derived from chum (Oncorhynchus keta) salmon sperm. Because the presence of residual host cell salmon DNA (resDNA) in PS drug product can pose safety concerns, processing steps during PS manufacturing are designed to target the reduction of these impurities. However, given protamine's positively charged structure, isolating and measuring negatively charged residual DNA is challenging. Here, the development of a sensitive detection method using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay for a multicopy gene (5S ribosomal DNA) using custom-designed primers and TaqMan probes is described. The PS qPCR standard curve was accurate over a linear range of 0.0025-156.25 pg/μL using protease-digested research grade salmon sperm DNA (neat) as the reference standard. DNA present in PS drug products was extracted using an optimized two-hour procedure achieving ∼85% recovery values from 1 to 125 pg reference DNA spiked into PS (1 mg) samples. The procedure lower limit of quantitation (LLOQ) of 5 pg of DNA per mg of PS or 250 pg of DNA per 50 mg dose of PS was determined from DNA spike recovery curves using the acceptance criteria of 70-130% recovery with % CV ≤ 25%. Seven pharmaceutical-grade lots of PS were evaluated and the detectable amount of resDNA was below the LLOQ. This qPCR method demonstrated sensitivity 40-fold above the current guidelines for resDNA (10 ng DNA per dose). Overall, the approach offers a promising tool for monitoring resDNA in PS and potentially other challenging complex drug products with cationic character.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia Sommers
- Food and Drug Administration, CDER, Division of Pharmaceutical Analysis, St Louis, MO, 63110, United States.
| | - Barry Rosenzweig
- Food and Drug Administration, CDER, Division of Applied Regulatory Science, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, United States
| | - Lida Oum
- Food and Drug Administration, CTP, Division of Product Science, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, United States
| | - Karol Thompson
- Food and Drug Administration, CDER, Division of Applied Regulatory Science, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, United States
| | - David A Keire
- Food and Drug Administration, CDER, Division of Pharmaceutical Analysis, St Louis, MO, 63110, United States
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Buckley K, Ryder AG. Applications of Raman Spectroscopy in Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing: A Short Review. APPLIED SPECTROSCOPY 2017; 71:1085-1116. [PMID: 28534676 DOI: 10.1177/0003702817703270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) is currently undergoing its biggest transformation in a century. The changes are based on the rapid and dramatic introduction of protein- and macromolecule-based drugs (collectively known as biopharmaceuticals) and can be traced back to the huge investment in biomedical science (in particular in genomics and proteomics) that has been ongoing since the 1970s. Biopharmaceuticals (or biologics) are manufactured using biological-expression systems (such as mammalian, bacterial, insect cells, etc.) and have spawned a large (>€35 billion sales annually in Europe) and growing biopharmaceutical industry (BioPharma). The structural and chemical complexity of biologics, combined with the intricacy of cell-based manufacturing, imposes a huge analytical burden to correctly characterize and quantify both processes (upstream) and products (downstream). In small molecule manufacturing, advances in analytical and computational methods have been extensively exploited to generate process analytical technologies (PAT) that are now used for routine process control, leading to more efficient processes and safer medicines. In the analytical domain, biologic manufacturing is considerably behind and there is both a huge scope and need to produce relevant PAT tools with which to better control processes, and better characterize product macromolecules. Raman spectroscopy, a vibrational spectroscopy with a number of useful properties (nondestructive, non-contact, robustness) has significant potential advantages in BioPharma. Key among them are intrinsically high molecular specificity, the ability to measure in water, the requirement for minimal (or no) sample pre-treatment, the flexibility of sampling configurations, and suitability for automation. Here, we review and discuss a representative selection of the more important Raman applications in BioPharma (with particular emphasis on mammalian cell culture). The review shows that the properties of Raman have been successfully exploited to deliver unique and useful analytical solutions, particularly for online process monitoring. However, it also shows that its inherent susceptibility to fluorescence interference and the weakness of the Raman effect mean that it can never be a panacea. In particular, Raman-based methods are intrinsically limited by the chemical complexity and wide analyte-concentration-profiles of cell culture media/bioprocessing broths which limit their use for quantitative analysis. Nevertheless, with appropriate foreknowledge of these limitations and good experimental design, robust analytical methods can be produced. In addition, new technological developments such as time-resolved detectors, advanced lasers, and plasmonics offer potential of new Raman-based methods to resolve existing limitations and/or provide new analytical insights.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Buckley
- Nanoscale Biophotonics Laboratory, School of Chemistry, National University of Ireland - Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Alan G Ryder
- Nanoscale Biophotonics Laboratory, School of Chemistry, National University of Ireland - Galway, Galway, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
A direct qPCR method for residual DNA quantification in monoclonal antibody drugs produced in CHO cells. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2015; 115:603-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2015.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2015] [Revised: 03/03/2015] [Accepted: 03/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
|
22
|
Besseris GJ. A fast-and-robust profiler for improving polymerase chain reaction diagnostics. PLoS One 2014; 9:e108973. [PMID: 25269015 PMCID: PMC4182614 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0108973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2014] [Accepted: 09/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is an in vitro technology in molecular genetics that progressively amplifies minimal copies of short DNA sequences in a fast and inexpensive manner. However, PCR performance is sensitive to suboptimal processing conditions. Compromised PCR conditions lead to artifacts and bias that downgrade the discriminatory power and reproducibility of the results. Promising attempts to resolve the PCR performance optimization issue have been guided by quality improvement tactics adopted in the past for industrial trials. Thus, orthogonal arrays (OAs) have been employed to program quick-and-easy structured experiments. Profiling of influences facilitates the quantification of effects that may counteract the detectability of amplified DNA fragments. Nevertheless, the attractive feature of reducing greatly the amount of work and expenditures by planning trials with saturated-unreplicated OA schemes is known to be relinquished in the subsequent analysis phase. This is because of an inherent incompatibility of ordinary multi-factorial comparison techniques to convert small yet dense datasets. Treating unreplicated-saturated data with either the analysis of variance (ANOVA) or regression models destroys the information extraction process. Both of those mentioned approaches are rendered blind to error since the examined effects absorb all available degrees of freedom. Therefore, in lack of approximating an experimental uncertainty, any outcome interpretation is rendered subjective. We propose a profiling method that permits the non-linear maximization of amplicon resolution by eliminating the necessity for direct error estimation. Our approach is distribution-free, calibration-free, simulation-free and sparsity-free with well-known power properties. It is also user-friendly by promoting rudimentary analytics. Testing our method on published amplicon count data, we found that the preponderant effect is the concentration of MgCl2 (p<0.05) followed by the primer content (p<0.1) whilst the effects due to either the content of the deoxynucleotide (dNTP) or DNA remained dormant (p>0.1). Comparison of the proposed method with other stochastic approaches is also discussed. Our technique is expected to have extensive applications in genetics and biotechnology where there is a demand for cheap, expedient, and robust information.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- George J. Besseris
- Technology Management Department, City University of Seattle, Bellevue, Washington, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Peper G, Fankhauser A, Merlin T, Roscic A, Hofmann M, Obrdlik P. Direct real-time quantitative PCR for measurement of host-cell residual DNA in therapeutic proteins. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2014; 100:123-130. [PMID: 25151232 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2014.07.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2014] [Revised: 07/23/2014] [Accepted: 07/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) is important for quantification of residual host cell DNA (resDNA) in therapeutic protein preparations. Typical qPCR protocols involve DNA extraction steps complicating sample handling. Here, we describe a "direct qPCR" approach without DNA extraction. To avoid interferences of DNA polymerase with a therapeutic protein, proteins in the samples were digested with proteinase K (PK) in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Tween 20 and NaCl were included to minimize precipitation of therapeutic proteins in the PK/SDS mix. After PK treatment, the solution was applied directly for qPCR. Inhibition of DNA polymerase by SDS was prevented by adding 2% (v/v) of Tween 20 to the final qPCR mix. The direct qPCR approach was evaluated for quantification of resDNA in therapeutic proteins manufactured in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) host cells. First, direct qPCR was compared with qPCR applied on purified DNA ("extraction qPCR"). For both qPCRs, the same CHO-specific primers and probes were used. Comparable residual DNA levels were detected with both PCR approaches in purified and highly concentrated drug proteins as well as in in-process-control samples. Finally, the CHO-specific direct qPCR protocol was validated according to ICH guidelines and applied for 25 different therapeutic proteins. The specific limits of quantification were 0.1-0.8ppb for 24 proteins, and 2.0ppb for one protein. General applicability of the direct qPCR was demonstrated by applying the sample preparation protocol for quantification of resDNA in therapeutic proteins manufactured in other hosts such as Escherichia coli and mouse cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Grit Peper
- Novartis Pharma AG, TRD Biologics Process R&D, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Thomas Merlin
- Novartis Pharma AG, TRD Biologics QC, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ana Roscic
- Novartis Pharma AG, TRD Biologics Process R&D, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Hofmann
- Novartis Pharma AG, TRD Biologics Process R&D, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Petr Obrdlik
- Novartis Pharma AG, TRD Biologics Process R&D, Basel, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Chang JT, Chen YC, Chou YC, Wang SR. Quantitative detection of residual porcine host cell DNA by real-time PCR. Biologicals 2014; 42:74-8. [PMID: 24394374 DOI: 10.1016/j.biologicals.2013.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2012] [Revised: 03/12/2013] [Accepted: 10/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
All biological products are derived from complex living systems and are often mixed with large numbers of impurities. For reasons of safety, residual host-cell DNA must be eliminated during processing. To assay host-cell DNA content in biopharmaceutical products derived from porcine sources, this study applies the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) method. The optimized assay in this study is based on the pol region of the porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV). Assay validation results demonstrate that the proposed assay has appropriate accuracy, preciseness, reproducibility, and sensitivity. Primer and probe specificity are evaluated in real-time Q-PCR reactions using genomic DNA from rabbit, mouse, cat, hamster, monkey, human cell, yeast, and Escherichia coli as templates. The sensitivity of real-time Q-PCR is determined using genomic DNA from the porcine kidney cell line. The reliable detection range is within 0.5-10(5) pg/reaction. The limit of quantitation is 500 fg. The sensitivity of the assay meets the authority criterion. Moreover, the assay is applied to determine the level of host-cell DNA in recombinant human coagulation factor IX (rhFIX) from transgenic pigs. The real-time Q-PCR assay is thus a promising new tool for quantitative detection and clearance validation of residual porcine DNA when manufacturing recombinant therapeutics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Yu-Chen Chen
- Animal Technology Institute, Chunan, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chi Chou
- Animal Technology Institute, Chunan, Miaoli, Taiwan
| | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Chen Z, Dai H, Liu Z, Zhang L, Pang J, Ou J, Yang D. Quantitation of the residual DNA from rice-derived recombinant human serum albumin. Anal Biochem 2014; 450:4-10. [PMID: 24388867 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2013.12.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2013] [Revised: 12/22/2013] [Accepted: 12/23/2013] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Residual DNA in recombinant protein pharmaceuticals can potentially cause safety issues in clinical applications; thus, maximum residual limit has been established by drug safety authorities. Assays for residual DNA in Escherichia coli, yeast, and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell expression systems have been established, but no rice residual DNA assay for rice expression systems has been designed. To develop an assay for the quantification of residual DNA that is produced from rice seed, we established a sensitive assay using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) based on the 5S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. We found that a 40-cycle qPCR exhibited a linear response when the template concentration was in the range of 2×10(4) to 0.2pg of DNA per reaction in TaqMan and SYBR Green I assays. The amplification efficiency was 103 to 104%, and the amount of residual DNA from recombinant human serum albumin from Oryza sativa (OsrHSA) was less than 3.8ng per dosage, which was lower than that recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Our results indicate that the current purification protocol could efficiently remove residual DNA during manufacturing and processing. Furthermore, this protocol could be viable in other cereal crop endosperm expression systems for developing a residual DNA quantitation assay using the highly conserved 5S rRNA gene of the crops.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Chen
- College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Huixia Dai
- College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Zhenwei Liu
- College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Liping Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Jianlei Pang
- College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Jiquan Ou
- Hubei Engineering Research Center for Molecular Pharming, Biolake, Wuhan 430076, China
| | - Daichang Yang
- College of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China; Hubei Engineering Research Center for Molecular Pharming, Biolake, Wuhan 430076, China.
| |
Collapse
|