Improving affinity chromatography resin efficiency using semi-continuous chromatography.

Protein A affinity chromatography is widely used for purification of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) from harvested cell culture fluid (HCCF). At the manufacturing scale, the HCCF is typically loaded on a single Protein A affinity chromatography column in cycles until all of the HCCF is processed. Protein A resin costs are significant, comprising a substantial portion of the raw material costs in MAb manufacturing. Cost can be reduced by operating the process continuously using multiple smaller columns to a higher binding capacity in lieu of one industrial scale column. In this study, a series of experiments were performed using three 1-ml Hi-Trap™ MabSelect SuRe™ columns on a modified ÄKTA™ system operated according to the three Column Periodic Counter Current Chromatography (3C PCC) principle. The columns were loaded individually at different times until the 70% breakthrough point was achieved. The HCCF with unbound protein from the column was then loaded onto the next column to capture the MAb, preventing any protein loss. At any given point, all three columns were in operation, either loading or washing, enabling a reduction in processing time. The product yield and quality were evaluated and compared with a batch process to determine the effect of using the three column continuous process. The continuous operation shows the potential to reduce both resin volume and buffer consumption by ∼40%, however the system hardware and the process is more complex than the batch process. Alternative methods using a single standard affinity column, such as recycling load effluent back to the tank or increasing residence time, were also evaluated to improve Protein A resin efficiency. These alternative methods showed similar cost benefits but required longer processing time.

The effect of low intensity ultraviolet-C light on monoclonal antibodies.

As part of an investigation to identify potential new viral reduction strategies, ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light was examined. Although this technology has been known for decades to possess excellent virus inactivation capabilities, UV-C light can also introduce significant unwanted damage to proteins. To study the effect on monoclonal antibodies, three different antibodies were subjected to varying levels of UV-C light using a novel dosing device from Bayer Technology Services GmbH. The range of fluencies (or doses) covered was between 0 and 300 J/m(2) at a wavelength of 254 nm. Product quality data generated from the processed pools showed only minimal damage done to the antibodies. Aggregate formation was low for two of the three antibodies tested. Acidic and basic variants increased for all three antibodies, with the basic species increasing more than the acidic species. Peptide maps made for the three sets of pools showed no damage to two of the three antibody backbones, whereas the third antibody had very low levels of methionine oxidation evident. Samples held at 2-8 degrees C for 33 days showed no increase in aggregates or charge variants, indicating that the proteins did not degrade and were not damaged further by reactive or catalytic species that may have been created on exposure to UV-C light. Overall, UV-C light was shown to induce very little damage to monoclonal antibodies at lower fluencies and appears to be a viable option for viral inactivation in biotechnology applications.