Prediction of the Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Methionine Oxidation Propensity in Monoclonal Antibodies.

Methionine oxidation in therapeutic antibodies can impact the product's stability, clinical efficacy, and safety and hence it is desirable to address the methionine oxidation liability during antibody discovery and development phase. Although the current experimental approaches can identify the oxidation-labile methionine residues, their application is limited mostly to the development phase. We demonstrate an in silico method that can be used to predict oxidation-labile residues based solely on the antibody sequence and structure information. Since antibody sequence information is available in the discovery phase, the in silico method can be applied very early on to identify the oxidation-labile methionine residues and subsequently address the oxidation liability. We believe that the in silico method for methionine oxidation liability assessment can aid in antibody discovery and development phase to address the liability in a more rational way.

Effect of pH, temperature, and salt on the stability of Escherichia coli- and Chinese hamster ovary cell-derived IgG1 Fc.

The circulation half-life of a potential therapeutic can be increased by fusing the molecule of interest (an active peptide, the extracellular domain of a receptor, an enzyme, etc.) to the Fc fragment of a monoclonal antibody. For the fusion protein to be a successful therapeutic, it must be stable to process and long-term storage conditions, as well as to physiological conditions. The stability of the Fc used is critical for obtaining a successful therapeutic protein. The effects of pH, temperature, and salt on the stabilities of Escherichia coli- and Chinese hamster ovary cell (CHO)-derived IgG1 Fc high-order structure were probed using a variety of biophysical techniques. Fc molecules derived from both E. coli and CHO were compared. The IgG1 Fc molecules from both sources (glycosylated and aglycosylated) are folded at neutral pH and behave similarly upon heat- and low pH-induced unfolding. The unfolding of both IgG1 Fc molecules occurs via a multistep unfolding process, with the tertiary structure and C(H)2 domain unfolding first, followed by changes in the secondary structure and C(H)3 domain. The acid-induced unfolding of IgG1 Fc molecules is only partially reversible, with the formation of high-molecular weight species. The CHO-derived Fc protein (glycosylated) is more compact (smaller hydrodynamic radius) than the E. coli-derived protein (aglycosylated) at neutral pH. Unfolding is dependent on pH and salt concentration. The glycosylated C(H)2 domain melts at a temperature 4-5 °C higher than that of the aglycosylated domain, and the low-pH-induced unfolding of the glycosylated Fc molecule occurs at a pH ~0.5 pH unit lower than that of the aglycosylated protein. The difference observed between E. coli- and CHO-derived Fc molecules primarily involves the C(H)2 domain, where the glycosylation of the Fc resides.

Applications of circular dichroism (CD) for structural analysis of proteins: qualification of near- and far-UV CD for protein higher order structural analysis.

Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy is routinely used in the biopharmaceutical industry to study the effects of manufacturing, formulation, and storage conditions on protein conformation and stability, and these results are often included in regulatory filings. In this context, the purpose of CD spectroscopy is often to verify that a change in the formulation or manufacturing process of a product has not produced a change in the conformation of a protein. A comparison of two or more spectra is often required to confirm that the protein's structure has been maintained. Traditionally, such comparisons have been qualitative in nature, based on visually inspecting the overlaid spectra. However, visual assessment is inherently subjective and therefore prone to error. Furthermore, recent requests from regulatory agencies to demonstrate the suitability of the CD spectroscopic method for the purpose of comparing spectra have highlighted the need to appropriately qualify CD spectroscopy for characterization of biopharmaceutical protein products. In this study, we use a numerical spectral comparison approach to establish the precision of the CD spectroscopic method and to demonstrate that it is suitable for protein structural characterization in numerous biopharmaceutical applications.

Qualification of FTIR spectroscopic method for protein secondary structural analysis.

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is widely used to study protein secondary structure both in solution and in the solid state. The FTIR spectroscopic method has also been employed as a characterization method by the biopharmaceutical industry to determine the higher order structure of protein therapeutics, and to determine if any changes in protein conformation have occurred as a result of changes to process, formulation, manufacture, and storage conditions. The results of these studies are often included in regulatory filings; when comparability is assessed, the comparison is often qualitative. To demonstrate that the method can be quantitative, and is suitable for these intended purposes, the precision and sensitivity of the FTIR method were evaluated. The results show that FTIR spectroscopic analysis is reproducible with suitable method precision, that is, spectral similarity of replicate measurements is greater than 90%. The method can detect secondary structural changes caused by pH and denaturant. The sensitivity of the method in detecting structural changes depends on the extent of the changes and their impact on the resulting spectral similarity and characteristic FTIR bands. The results of these assessments are described in this paper.

NMR spectroscopic evaluation of the internal environment of PLGA microspheres.

The internal environment of poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microspheres was characterized using 31P and 13C solid-state and solution NMR spectroscopy. Physical and chemical states of encapsulated phosphate- and histidine-containing porogen excipients were evaluated using polymers with blocked (i.e., esterified) or unblocked (free acid) end groups. Spectroscopic and gravimetric results demonstrated that the encapsulated porogen deliquesced upon hydration at 84% relative humidity to form a solution environment inside the microspheres. Dibasic phosphate porogen encapsulated in unblocked PLGA was partially titrated to the monobasic form, while in the same formulation 13C NMR showed partial protonation of the histidine imidazole. Similarly, encapsulated monobasic phosphate was partially converted to phosphoric acid. Coencapsulation of monobasic and dibasic phosphate porogens resulted in a single peak on hydration, indicating chemical exchange between discrete excipient microphases. Exogenous buffer addition differentiated external from internal, nontitratable, excipient populations. Microspheres containing dibasic phosphate porogen were hydrated with fetal calf serum, incubated at 37 degrees C, and characterized by 31P NMR through the polymer erosion phase. Within 48 h the 31P chemical shift moved over 2 ppm upfield and the line width narrowed to <60 Hz; there was little additional change through day 14. This indicated complete conversion to the monobasic phosphate form throughout the polydisperse sample and that pH remained below 4 but above the phosphoric acid p K a during matrix erosion.

Poly(lactide-co-glycolide) microsphere formulations of darbepoetin alfa: spray drying is an alternative to encapsulation by spray-freeze drying.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this work was to evaluate spray-freeze drying and spray drying processes for encapsulation of darbepoetin alfa (NESP, Aranesp). METHODS: Darbepoetin alfa was encapsulated in poly(lactide-co-glycolide) by spray-freeze drying and by spray drying. Integrity was evaluated by size-exclusion chromatography and Western blot. Physical properties and in vitro release kinetics were characterized. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics were evaluated in nude rats. RESULTS: Microspheres produced by spray drying were larger than those produced by spray-freeze drying (69 microm vs. 29 microm). Postencapsulation integrity was excellent for both processes, with < 2% dimer by size-exclusion chromatography. In vitro release profiles were similar, with low burst (< 25%) and low cumulative protein recovery at 4 weeks (< or = 30%), after which time covalent dimer (< or = 6.5%) and high molecular weight aggregates (< or = 2.3%) were recovered by denaturing extraction. After a single injection, darbepoetin alfa was detected in serum through 4 weeks for all microsphere formulations tested in vivo, although relative bioavailability was higher for spray-freeze drying (28%) compared with spray drying (21%; p = 0.08) as were yields (73-82% vs. 34-57%, respectively). For both processes hemoglobin was elevated for 7 weeks, over twice as long as unencapsulated drug. CONCLUSIONS: Spray drying, conducted at pilot scale with commercial equipment, is comparable to spray-freeze drying for encapsulation of darbepoetin alfa.

Protein powders for encapsulation: a comparison of spray-freeze drying and spray drying of darbepoetin alfa.

PURPOSE: To evaluate spray-freeze drying and spray drying processes for fabricating micron-sized particles of darbepoetin alfa (NESP, Aranesp) with uniform size distribution and retention of protein integrity, requirements for encapsulation. METHODS: Darbepoetin alfa was spray-freeze dried using ultrasonic atomization at 120 kHz and 25 kHz and spray dried at bench-top and pilot scales. Reconstituted powders were evaluated by size exclusion chromatography and UV/VIS spectroscopy. Powder physical properties were also characterized. RESULTS: Spray-freeze drying resulted in aggregation of darbepoetin alfa. Aggregates (primarily insoluble) formed on drying and/or reconstitution. Particle size distributions were broad (span > or = 3.6) at both nozzle frequencies. Annealing before drying reduced aggregate levels slightly but increased particle size over 5-fold. Spray drying at inlet temperatures up to 135 degrees C (and outlet temperatures up to 95 degrees C) showed little impact on integrity. Integrity at bench-top and pilot scales was identical, with 0.2% dimer and no high molecular weight or insoluble aggregates detected. Particle size was small (< or = 2.3 microm) with uniform distribution (span < or = 1.4) at both process scales. CONCLUSIONS: Under the conditions tested spray drying, conducted at bench-top and pilot scales with commercially available equipment, was superior to spray-freeze drying for the fabrication of darbepoetin alfa particles for encapsulation.