Combined Effect of Shaking Orbit and Vial Orientation on the Agitation-Induced Aggregation of Proteins

Assessment of biophysical properties of the first-in-class anti-cancer IgE antibody drug MOv18 IgE demonstrates monomeric purity and stability

Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, which are almost exclusively IgG isotypes, show significant promise but are prone to poor solution stability, including aggregation and elevated solution viscosity at dose-relevant concentrations. Recombinant IgE antibodies are emerging cancer immunotherapies. The first-in-class MOv18 IgE, recognizing the cancer-associated antigen folate receptor-alpha (FRα), completed a Phase 1 clinical trial in patients with solid tumors, showing early signs of efficacy at a low dose. The inaugural process development and scaled manufacture of MOv18 IgE for clinical testing were undertaken with little baseline knowledge about the solution phase behavior of recombinant IgE at dose-relevant concentrations. We evaluated MOv18 IgE physical stability in response to environmental and formulation stresses encountered throughout shelf life. We analyzed changes in physical stability using multiple orthogonal analytical techniques, including particle tracking analysis, size exclusion chromatography, and multidetector flow field flow fractionation hyphenated with UV. We used dynamic and multiangle light scattering to profile aggregation status. Formulation at pH 6.5, selected for use in the Phase 1 trial, resulted in high monomeric purity and no submicron proteinaceous particulates. Formulation at pH 5.5 and 7.5 induced significant submicron and sub-visible particle formation. IgE formulation was resistant to aggregation in response to freeze-thaw stress, retaining high monomeric purity. Exposure to thermal stress at elevated temperatures resulted in loss of monomeric purity and aggregation. Agitation stress-induced submicron and subvisible aggregation, but monomeric purity was not significantly affected. MOv18 IgE retains monomeric purity in response to formulation and stress conditions, confirming stability. Our results offer crucial guidance for future IgE-based drug development.

Impact of protein adsorption during biopharmaceutical manufacture & storage

Protein therapeutics contact multiple interfaces during formulation, filtration, fill-finish, and storage processes. Interactions at these interfaces can compromise the conformational and colloidal stability of therapeutic proteins through surface adsorption, potentially leading to aggregation and particle formation. Surface-induced conformational changes in protein higher-order structures, influenced by interfacial hydrophobicity and charge, are key drivers of these effects. The resulting loss of active protein and increased aggregation risk pose significant challenges to the efficacy and safety of the final biotherapeutic product. Thus, it is imperative to develop strategies that minimize protein-surface interactions that may compromise the protein's conformational and colloidal stability during manufacture and storage. This review focuses on current research related to the adsorption behaviour of biotherapeutics at interfaces encountered during fill-finish and storage. Furthermore, the review introduces the factors influencing protein adsorption and interfacial stability and current methodologies and advancements in mitigating interfacial adsorption, emphasizing rational formulation design strategies.

Evaluation of monoclonal antibody solution propensity for dripping at the filling nozzle tip end

Nonionic surfactants are commonly used as excipients in monoclonal antibody formulations. The interfacial activity of surfactants may contribute to the elongation of solution droplets at the filling nozzle tip end, leading to dripping that may impact dose accuracy and process consistency. Axisymmetric drop shape analysis was used to evaluate the propensity of monoclonal antibody solution droplets for elongation in the presence of a nonionic surfactant (polysorbate 20, polysorbate 80, poloxamer 188, Brij®35, Brij®58 or FM1000). Droplets were created using a syringe and dosing needle, or a pump and filling nozzle. Droplet elongation rate was calculated from the linear evolution of interfacial surface area over time. An increase in elongation rate led to a quicker occurrence of droplet pinch-off, meaning a higher propensity for dripping. Elongation rate increased with both droplet volume and surfactant concentration. The evolution of elongation rate with droplet volume provided some insights into interface stretching capacity. We propose droplet elongation rate as an indicator of monoclonal antibody solution propensity for dripping.

Small scale model for predicting transportation-induced particle formation in biotherapeutics

Understanding protein adsorption and aggregation at the air-liquid interfaces of protein solutions is an important open challenge in biopharmaceutical, medical, and biotechnological applications, among others. Proteins, being amphiphilic, adsorb at the surface, partially unfold, and form a viscoelastic film through non-covalent interactions. Mechanical agitation of the surface can break this film up, releasing insoluble protein particles into the solution. These aggregates are usually highly undesirable and even toxic in cases, such as for biopharmaceutical application. Therefore, it is imperative to be able to predict the behavior of such solutions undergoing surface agitation during handling, usually transport or mixing. We apply the findings on the viscoelastic protein film, formed at the air-liquid interface, to the prediction of surface mediated aggregation in selected protein solutions of direct biopharmaceutical relevance. Our broad study of Brewster angle microscopy and aggregation monitoring across multiple size ranges by micro-flow imaging, light scattering, and size exclusion chromatography shows that formation of protein particles is driven by the adsorption rate as compared to the rate of surface turnover and that surface film dynamics in the quiescent phase directly affect aggregation. We demonstrate how these learnings can be directly applied to the design of a novel small scale biopharmaceutical stability study, simulating relevant transport conditions. More generally, we show the impact of adsorption dynamics at the air-liquid interface on the stability of a distinct protein solution, as a general contribution to understanding different colloidal and biological interfacial systems.

Impact of mixing and shaking on mRNA-LNP drug product quality characteristics

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the interest in RNA-lipid nanoparticle (LNP) based drug products has increased drastically. While one RNA-LNP drug product, Onpattro, was already on the market in 2018, high volume manufacturing was only initiated end of 2020 with the approval of the mRNA-LNP vaccines, Comirnaty and Spikevax. As such, deep product knowledge for RNA-LNPs is continuously increasing. In this article the effect of large-scale mixing and lab-scale shaking on mRNA-LNP drug product quality characteristics is investigated. It is shown that mixing and shaking can have a profound impact on both LNP size distribution and mRNA encapsulation, suggesting a direct correlation between both quality characteristics, and further supported by a proposed underlying mechanism. An in-depth investigation of different drug product (DP) presentations reveals a consistent effect of headspace volume and LNP content on the shaking stress sensitivity. Results reported in this study are of utter importance for both small- and large-scale manufacturers but also for care givers and patients using these products.