Development and Analytical Characterization of Pegunigalsidase Alfa, a Chemically Cross-Linked Plant Recombinant Human α-Galactosidase-A for Treatment of Fabry Disease.

The current treatment of Fabry disease by enzyme replacement therapy with commercially available recombinant human α-Galactosidase A shows a continuous deterioration of the disease patients. Human recombinant α-Galactosidase A is a homodimer with noncovalently bound subunits and is expressed in the ProCellEx plant cell-based protein expression platform to produce pegunigalsidase alfa. The effect of covalent bonding between two α-Galactosidase A subunits by PEG-based cross-linkers of various lengths was evaluated in this study. The results show that cross-linking by a bifunctional PEG polymer of 2000 Da produces a more stable protein with improved pharmacokinetic and biodistribution properties. The chemical modification did not influence the tertiary protein structure but led to an increased thermal stability and showed partial masking of immune epitopes. The developed pegunigalsidase alfa is currently tested in phase III clinical trials and has a potential to show superior efficacy versus the currently used enzyme replacement therapies in the treatment of Fabry disease patients.

α-Sila-Dipeptides: Synthesis and Characterization.

The first two α-sila-dipeptides, 7 and cyclo-sila-dipeptide 8, were synthesized and characterized by several methods, including X-ray crystallography. Bulky t-BuMe2 Si substituents provide some kinetic stabilization to the synthesized molecules. 7 and 8 are the first examples of a "Si for C switch" in the central α-position of an amino acid or a peptide, in which silicon is bonded to both the amino and the carbonyl groups.

Large-scale production of pharmaceutical proteins in plant cell culture-the Protalix experience.

Protalix Biotherapeutics develops recombinant human proteins and produces them in plant cell culture. Taliglucerase alfa has been the first biotherapeutic expressed in plant cells to be approved by regulatory authorities around the world. Other therapeutic proteins are being developed and are currently at various stages of the pipeline. This review summarizes the major milestones reached by Protalix Biotherapeutics to enable the development of these biotherapeutics, including platform establishment, cell line selection, manufacturing process and good manufacturing practice principles to consider for the process. Examples of the various products currently being developed are also presented.

Characterization of a chemically modified plant cell culture expressed human α-Galactosidase-A enzyme for treatment of Fabry disease.

Fabry disease is an X-linked recessive disorder caused by the loss of function of the lysosomal enzyme α-Galactosidase-A. Although two enzyme replacement therapies (ERTs) are commercially available, they may not effectively reverse some of the Fabry pathology. PRX-102 is a novel enzyme for the therapy of Fabry disease expressed in a BY2 Tobacco cell culture. PRX-102 is chemically modified, resulting in a cross-linked homo-dimer. We have characterized the in-vitro and in-vivo properties of PRX-102 and compared the results with the two commercially produced α-Galactosidase-A enzymes. Results show that PRX-102 has prolonged in-vitro stability in plasma, after 1h incubation it retains 30% activity compared with complete inactivation of the commercial enzymes. Under lysosomal-like conditions PRX-102 maintains over 80% activity following 10 days of incubation, while commercial enzymes become inactive after 2days. Pharmacokinetic profile of PRX-102 measured in male Fabry mice shows a 10 fold increase in t1/2 in mice (581min) compared to approved drugs. The enzyme has significantly different kinetic parameters to the alternative ERTs available (p-value<0.05, one way ANOVA), although these differences do not indicate any significant biochemical variations. PRX-102 is uptaken to primary human Fabry fibroblasts. The repeat administration of the enzyme to Fabry mice caused significant reduction (p-value<0.05) of Gb3 in various tissues (the measured residual content was 64% in kidney, liver was cleaned, 23% in heart, 5.7% in skin and 16.2% in spleen). PRX-102 has a relatively simple glycosylation pattern, characteristic to plants, having mainly tri-mannose structures with the addition of either α(1-3)-linked fucose or ß(1-2)-linked xylose, or both, in addition to various high mannose structures, while agalsidase beta has a mixture of sialylated glycans in addition to high mannose structures. This study concludes that PRX-102 is equivalent in functionality to the current ERTs available, with superior stability and prolonged circulatory half-life. Therefore we propose that PRX-102 is a promising alternative for treatment of Fabry disease.

Preclinical and first-in-human evaluation of PRX-105, a PEGylated, plant-derived, recombinant human acetylcholinesterase-R.

PRX-105 is a plant-derived recombinant version of the human 'read-through' acetylcholinesterase splice variant (AChE-R). Its active site structure is similar to that of the synaptic variant, and it displays the same affinity towards organophosphorus (OP) compounds. As such, PRX-105 may serve as a bio-scavenger for OP pesticides and chemical warfare agents. To assess its potential use in prophylaxis and treatment of OP poisoning we conducted several preliminary tests, reported in this paper. Intravenous (IV) PRX-105 was administered to mice either before or after exposure to an OP toxin. All mice who received an IV dose of 50nmol/kg PRX-105, 2min before being exposed to 1.33×LD50 and 1.5×LD50 of toxin and 10min after exposure to 1.5×LD50 survived. The pharmacokinetic and toxicity profiles of PRX-105 were evaluated in mice and mini-pigs. Following single and multiple IV doses (50 to 200mg/kg) no deaths occurred and no significant laboratory and histopathological changes were observed. The overall elimination half-life (t½) in mice was 994 (±173) min. Additionally, a first-in-human study, to assess the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of the compound, was conducted in healthy volunteers. The t½ in humans was substantially longer than in mice (average 26.7h). Despite the small number of animals and human subjects who were assessed, the fact that PRX-105 exerts a protective and therapeutic effect following exposure to lethal doses of OP, its favorable safety profile and its relatively long half-life, renders it a promising candidate for treatment and prophylaxis against OP poisoning and warrants further investigation.