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Aryal B, Lehtimaki M, Rao VA. Stress-mediated polysorbate 20 degradation and its potential impact on therapeutic proteins. Pharm Res 2024:10.1007/s11095-024-03700-7. [PMID: 38740663 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-024-03700-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Polysorbates are the most commonly used surfactants in formulations to stabilize therapeutic proteins against interfacial stresses. Polysorbates can undergo oxidative or enzyme-mediated hydrolytic degradation to produce free fatty acids (FFAs) and subvisible particles in formulations. To determine which product related variables contribute to PS20 degradation, we investigated the effects of storage temperature, formulation, pH, presence of hydrolytic enzymes, and specific fatty acid composition on different grades of PS20 in relation to their PS20 degradation profile and consequently the quality of protein drug products. METHODS Bevacizumab and T-DM1 were reformulated in the freshly prepared therapeutic protein formulations containing either compendial PS20 or non-compendial PS20 with high % lauric acid and spiked with exogenous esterase or lipase. The release of FFAs and formation of particles were monitored at 4°C and 37°C. Protein quality was assessed for secondary structures, purity, and biological activity. RESULTS Hydrolytic release of FFAs and formation of subvisible particles were found to be dependent on grades of PS20, types of enzymes used, incubation temperature, and pH. Esterase- or lipase-mediated degradation of PS20 and formation of subvisible particles in drug formulation showed no significant impact on the biological activity and stability of therapeutic proteins against degradation or aggregation. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that degradation of PS20 and formation of FFA particles depend on the fatty acid composition of PS20, types of hydrolytic enzymes, pH, and temperature. The presence of FFA subvisible particles showed no significant impact on the purity and biological activity of the therapeutic proteins under the tested conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baikuntha Aryal
- Laboratory of Applied Biochemistry, Division of Biotechnology Research and Review III, Office of Biotechnology Products, Office of Pharmaceutical Quality, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administrations, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, USA
| | - Mari Lehtimaki
- Laboratory of Applied Biochemistry, Division of Biotechnology Research and Review III, Office of Biotechnology Products, Office of Pharmaceutical Quality, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administrations, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, USA
| | - V Ashutosh Rao
- Laboratory of Applied Biochemistry, Division of Biotechnology Research and Review III, Office of Biotechnology Products, Office of Pharmaceutical Quality, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administrations, Silver Spring, MD, 20993, USA.
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2
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Huang J, Hong S, Goh LYH, Zhang H, Peng T, Chow KT, Gokhale R, Tuliani V. Investigation on the Combined Effect of Hydroxypropyl Beta-Cyclodextrin (HPβCD) and Polysorbate in Monoclonal Antibody Formulation. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:528. [PMID: 38675488 PMCID: PMC11054243 DOI: 10.3390/ph17040528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies require careful formulation due to their inherent stability limitations. Polysorbates are commonly used to stabilize mAbs, but they are prone to degradation, which results in unwanted impurities. KLEPTOSE® HPβCD (hydroxypropyl beta-cyclodextrin) has functioned as a stable stabilizer for protein formulations in our previous research. The current study investigates the collaborative impact of combining polysorbates and HPβCD as excipients in protein formulations. The introduction of HPβCD in formulations showed it considerably reduced aggregation in two model proteins, bevacizumab and ipilimumab, following exposure to various stress conditions. The diffusion interaction parameter revealed a reduction in protein-protein interactions by HPβCD. In bevacizumab formulations, the subvisible particle counts per 0.4 mL of samples in commercial formulations vs. formulations containing both HPβCD and polysorbates subjected to distinct stressors were as follows: agitation, 87,308 particles vs. 15,350 particles; light, 25,492 particles vs. 6765 particles; and heat, 1775 particles vs. 460 particles. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) measurement indicated a weak interaction between PS 80 and HPβCD, with a KD value of 74.7 ± 7.5 µM and binding sites of 5 × 10-3. Surface tension measurements illustrated that HPβCD enhanced the surface activity of polysorbates. The study suggests that combining these excipients can improve mAb stability in formulations, offering an alternative for the biopharmaceutical industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayi Huang
- Pharma Applied Sciences, Roquette Asia Pacific Pte Ltd., Singapore 138588, Singapore; (J.H.); (S.H.); (L.Y.H.G.); (H.Z.); (K.T.C.)
| | - Shiqi Hong
- Pharma Applied Sciences, Roquette Asia Pacific Pte Ltd., Singapore 138588, Singapore; (J.H.); (S.H.); (L.Y.H.G.); (H.Z.); (K.T.C.)
| | - Lucas Yuan Hao Goh
- Pharma Applied Sciences, Roquette Asia Pacific Pte Ltd., Singapore 138588, Singapore; (J.H.); (S.H.); (L.Y.H.G.); (H.Z.); (K.T.C.)
| | - Hailong Zhang
- Pharma Applied Sciences, Roquette Asia Pacific Pte Ltd., Singapore 138588, Singapore; (J.H.); (S.H.); (L.Y.H.G.); (H.Z.); (K.T.C.)
| | - Tao Peng
- Pharma Applied Sciences, Roquette Asia Pacific Pte Ltd., Singapore 138588, Singapore; (J.H.); (S.H.); (L.Y.H.G.); (H.Z.); (K.T.C.)
| | - Keat Theng Chow
- Pharma Applied Sciences, Roquette Asia Pacific Pte Ltd., Singapore 138588, Singapore; (J.H.); (S.H.); (L.Y.H.G.); (H.Z.); (K.T.C.)
| | - Rajeev Gokhale
- Global Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roquette America Inc., 2211 Innovation Drive, Geneva, IL 60134, USA;
| | - Vinod Tuliani
- Roquette Pharmaceutical Innovation Center, Lower Gwynedd Township, PA 19002, USA;
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Doyle M, Barnes A, Larson NR, Liu H, Yi L. Development of UPLC-UV-ELSD Method for Fatty Acid Profiling in Polysorbate 80 and Confirmation of the Presence of Conjugated Fatty Acids by Mass Spectrometry, UV Absorbance and Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. J Pharm Sci 2023; 112:2393-2403. [PMID: 37295606 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2023.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Polysorbate 80 (PS80), a chemical substance composed of sorbitol, ethylene glycol, and fatty acids, is commonly used in pharmaceutical drug products to stabilize formulations. However, recent studies have demonstrated that PS80 may hydrolyze over time and the released free fatty acids (FFAs) may lead to particle formation. Naming conventions of fatty acids in current pharmacopeia and in products' certificates of analysis (CoA) of PS80 do not typically distinguish between isomeric species of fatty acids in PS80. Thus, methods to fully characterize the fatty acid species present in PS80 raw materials are needed to enhance quality control strategies of pharmaceuticals using PS80. Here, extended effort is taken to characterize fatty acids in hydrolyzed PS80 raw materials and elucidate the identities of isomeric fatty acid species. In this work, a method was developed and optimized for separation and detection of fatty acids in alkaline hydrolyzed PS80 raw materials using ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) with ultra-violet (UV) detection and evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD). Fatty acids not specified in the current pharmacopeias were detected in PS80 raw material by the developed LC-UV-ELSD method including conjugated forms of linoleic and linolenic fatty acid species. Their identities were orthogonally confirmed by retention time agreement with analytical standards, accurate mass by high resolution mass spectrometry, UV absorbance, and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The detected conjugated fatty acids are theoretically more hydrophobic and less soluble than their unconjugated counterparts and may increase the propensity of PS80 to form particles upon hydrolysis. This work highlights the need for better quality control of PS80 raw material, as it may eventually play a critical role in product quality of therapeutic proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Doyle
- Analytical Development, Biogen Inc., 5000 Davis Drive, RTP, NC, 27709, United States of America
| | - Adam Barnes
- Analytical Development, Biogen Inc., 5000 Davis Drive, RTP, NC, 27709, United States of America
| | - Nicholas R Larson
- Analytical Development, Biogen Inc., 225 Binney Street, Cambridge, MA, 02142, United States of America
| | - Haiyan Liu
- Analytical Development, Biogen Inc., 5000 Davis Drive, RTP, NC, 27709, United States of America
| | - Linda Yi
- Analytical Development, Biogen Inc., 5000 Davis Drive, RTP, NC, 27709, United States of America.
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Bai L, Zhang Y, Zhang C, Lu Y, Li Z, Huang G, Meng B. Investigation of excipients impact on polysorbate 80 degradation in biopharmaceutical formulation buffers. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2023; 233:115496. [PMID: 37285658 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2023.115496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
A study on the polysorbate 80 stability in various formulation buffers commonly used in biopharmaceuticals was performed, to investigate the excipients influence on polysorbate 80 degradation. Polysorbate 80 is a common excipient in biopharmaceutical products. However, its degradation will potentially impact the drug product quality, and may trigger protein aggregation and particles formation. Due to the heterogeneity of the polysorbates and the mutual effects with other formulation compositions, the study of polysorbate degradation is challenging. Herein, a real-time stability study was designed and performed. The polysorbate 80 degradation trend was monitored by fluorescence micelle-based assay (FMA), reversed-phase-ultra-performance liquid chromatography-evaporative light scattering detector (RP-UPLC-ELSD) assay, and LC-MS assay. These assays provide orthogonal results to reveal both the micelle-forming capability and the compositional changes of polysorbate 80 in different buffer systems. The degradation occurred after a period of storage under 25 °C in different trend, which indicates the excipients could impact the degradation kinetics. Upon comparison, the degradation is prone to happen in histidine buffer than in acetate, phosphate or citrate buffers. LC-MS confirms oxidation as an independent degradation pathway with detection of the oxidative aldehyde. Thus, it is necessary to pay more attention to the excipients selection and their potential impact on polysorbate 80 stability to achieve longer shelf life for the biopharmaceuticals. Besides, the protective roles of several additives were figured out, which could be applied as potential industrial solutions to the polysorbate 80 degradation issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Bai
- Analytical Sciences, WuXi Biologics, 1951 Huifeng West Road, Fengxian District, Shanghai, 201400, China
| | - Yanlan Zhang
- Analytical Sciences, WuXi Biologics, 1951 Huifeng West Road, Fengxian District, Shanghai, 201400, China
| | - Cai Zhang
- Analytical Sciences, WuXi Biologics, 1951 Huifeng West Road, Fengxian District, Shanghai, 201400, China
| | - Yuchen Lu
- Analytical Sciences, WuXi Biologics, 1951 Huifeng West Road, Fengxian District, Shanghai, 201400, China
| | - Zhiguo Li
- Analytical Sciences, WuXi Biologics, 1951 Huifeng West Road, Fengxian District, Shanghai, 201400, China
| | - Gang Huang
- Analytical Sciences, WuXi Biologics, 1951 Huifeng West Road, Fengxian District, Shanghai, 201400, China
| | - Bo Meng
- Analytical Sciences, WuXi Biologics, 1951 Huifeng West Road, Fengxian District, Shanghai, 201400, China.
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Morales AM, Sreedhara A, Buecheler J, Brosig S, Chou D, Christian T, Das T, de Jong I, Fast J, Jagannathan B, Moussa EM, Nejadnik MR, Prajapati I, Radwick A, Rahman Y, Singh S. End-to-End Approach to Surfactant Selection, Risk Mitigation, and Control Strategies for Protein-Based Therapeutics. AAPS J 2022; 25:6. [PMID: 36471030 DOI: 10.1208/s12248-022-00773-3] [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: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A survey performed by the AAPS Drug Product Handling community revealed a general, mostly consensus, approach to the strategy for the selection of surfactant type and level for biopharmaceutical products. Discussing and building on the survey results, this article describes the common approach for surfactant selection and control strategy for protein-based therapeutics and focuses on key studies, common issues, mitigations, and rationale. Where relevant, each section is prefaced by survey responses from the 22 anonymized respondents. The article format consists of an overview of surfactant stabilization, followed by a strategy for the selection of surfactant level, and then discussions regarding risk identification, mitigation, and control strategy. Since surfactants that are commonly used in biologic formulations are known to undergo various forms of degradation, an effective control strategy for the chosen surfactant focuses on understanding and controlling the design space of the surfactant material attributes to ensure that the desired material quality is used consistently in DS/DP manufacturing. The material attributes of a surfactant added in the final DP formulation can influence DP performance (e.g., protein stability). Mitigation strategies are described that encompass risks from host cell proteins (HCP), DS/DP manufacturing processes, long-term storage, as well as during in-use conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annette Medina Morales
- Dosage Form Design and Development, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, 1 Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, Maryland, 20878, USA.
| | - Alavattam Sreedhara
- Genentech, Pharmaceutical Development, South San Francisco, California, 94080, USA
| | - Jakob Buecheler
- Technical Research and Development, Novartis Pharma AG, 4002, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sebastian Brosig
- Technical Research and Development, Novartis Pharma AG, 4002, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Danny Chou
- Compassion BioSolution, LLC, Lomita, California, 90717, USA
| | | | - Tapan Das
- Analytical Development and Attribute Sciences, Bristol Myers Squibb, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Isabella de Jong
- Genentech, Pharmaceutical Development, South San Francisco, California, 94080, USA
| | - Jonas Fast
- Pharmaceutical Development, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, CH-4070, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Ehab M Moussa
- Drug Product Development, AbbVie, North Chicago, Illinios, 60064, USA
| | - M Reza Nejadnik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 52242, USA
| | - Indira Prajapati
- Dosage Form Design and Development, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, 1 Medimmune Way, Gaithersburg, Maryland, 20878, USA
| | | | - Yusra Rahman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Experimental Therapeutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 52242, USA
| | - Shubhadra Singh
- GlaxoSmithKline R&D, Biopharmaceutical Product Sciences, Collegeville, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19426, USA
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6
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Yuk IH, Koulis T, Doshi N, Gregoritza K, Hediger C, Lebouc-Haefliger V, Giddings J, Khan TA. Formulation mitigations for particle formation induced by enzymatic hydrolysis of polysorbate 20 in protein-based drug products: insights from a full-factorial longitudinal study. AAPS OPEN 2022. [DOI: 10.1186/s41120-022-00064-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Hydrolytic degradation of the polysorbate 20 (PS20) surfactant in protein-based liquid formulations releases free fatty acids (FFAs), which can accumulate to form particles in drug products during real-time (long-term) storage. To identify formulation conditions that mitigate the risk of particle formation, we conducted a longitudinal study using purified recombinant monoclonal antibody (mAb) formulated in 24 conditions. In this real-time stability study at 5 °C, three key formulation parameters—mAb concentration, initial PS20 concentration, and pH—were varied across representative ranges in a full-factorial design. A longitudinal regression analysis was used to evaluate the effects of these parameters and their interactions on PS20 degradation (via measurements of PS20, FFAs, and PS20 ester distribution) and on particle formation (via visible particle observations and subvisible particle counts). The time-dependent onset of visible particles trended with the rise in subvisible particle counts and FFA levels and fall in PS20 concentration. In the ranges studied here, lower mAb concentration and higher initial PS20 concentration delayed the onset of particles, whereas pH had a negligible effect. These observations were consistent with the general trends predicted by our previously published FFA solubility model. Taken together, these findings highlight the complex relationships between formulation parameters, PS20 degradation, and particle formation.
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7
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Thacker SG, Her C, Kelley-Baker L, Ireland DDC, Manangeeswaran M, Pang ES, Verthelyi D. Detection of innate immune response modulating impurities (IIRMI) in therapeutic peptides and proteins: Impact of excipients. Front Immunol 2022; 13:970499. [PMID: 36148237 PMCID: PMC9485840 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.970499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Unintended immunogenicity can affect the safety and efficacy of therapeutic proteins and peptides, so accurate assessments of immunogenicity risk can aid in the selection, development, and regulation of biologics. Product- and process- related impurities can act as adjuvants that activate the local or systemic innate immune response increasing the likelihood of product immunogenicity. Thus, assessing whether products have innate immune response modulating impurities (IIRMI) is a key component of immunogenicity risk assessments. Identifying trace levels of individual IIRMI can be difficult and testing individually for all potential impurities is not feasible. Therefore, to mitigate the risk, cell-based assays that use human blood cells or monocyte-macrophage reporter cell lines are being developed to detect minute quantities of impurities capable of eliciting innate immune activation. As these are cell-based assays, there is concern that excipients could blunt the cell responses, masking the presence of immunogenic IIRMI. Here, we explore the impact of frequently used excipients (non-ionic detergents, sugars, amino acids, bulking agents) on the sensitivity of reporter cell lines (THP-1- and RAW-Blue cells) and fresh human blood cells to detect purified TLR agonists as model IIRMI. We show that while excipients do not modulate the innate immune response elicited by TLR agonists in vivo, they can impact on the sensitivity of cell-based IIRMI assays. Reduced sensitivity to detect LPS, FSL-1, and other model IIRMI was also evident when testing 3 different recombinant drug products, product A (a representative mAb), B (a representative growth factor), C (a representative peptide), and their corresponding formulations. These results indicate that product formulations need to be considered when developing and validating cell-based assays for assessing clinically relevant levels of IIRMI in therapeutic proteins. Optimization of reporter cells, culture conditions and drug product concentration appear to be critical to minimize the impact of excipients and attain sensitive and reproducible assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth G. Thacker
- Laboratory of Immunology, Office of Biotechnology Products, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Cheng Her
- Laboratory of Immunology, Office of Biotechnology Products, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Logan Kelley-Baker
- Laboratory of Immunology, Office of Biotechnology Products, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Derek D C. Ireland
- Laboratory of Immunology, Office of Biotechnology Products, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Mohanraj Manangeeswaran
- Laboratory of Immunology, Office of Biotechnology Products, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Eric S. Pang
- Division of Therapeutic Performance, Office of Research and Standards, Office of Generic Drugs, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Daniela Verthelyi
- Laboratory of Immunology, Office of Biotechnology Products, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: Daniela Verthelyi,
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