David E. Overcashier

A specific molar ratio of stabilizer to protein is required for storage stability of a lyophilized monoclonal antibody

The selection of the appropriate excipient and the amount of excipient required to achieve a 2-year shelf-life is often done by using iso-osmotic concentrations of excipients such as sugars (e.g., 275 mM sucrose or trehalose) and salts. Excipients used for freeze-dried protein formulations are selected for their ability to prevent protein denaturation during the freeze-drying process as well as during storage. Using a model recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody (rhuMAb HER2), we assessed the impact of lyoprotectants, sucrose, and trehalose, alone or in combination with mannitol, on the storage stability at 40 degrees C. Molar ratios of sugar to protein were used, and the stability of the resulting lyophilized formulations was determined by measuring aggregation, deamidation, and oxidation of the reconstituted protein and by infrared (IR) spectroscopy (secondary structure) of the dried protein. A 360:1 molar ratio of lyoprotectant to protein was required for storage stability of the protein, and the sugar concentration was 3-4-fold below the iso-osmotic concentration typically used in formulations. Formulations with combinations of sucrose (20 mM) or trehalose (20 mM) and mannitol (40 mM) had comparable stability to those with sucrose or trehalose alone at 60 mM concentration. A formulation with 60 mM mannitol alone provided slightly less protection during storage than 60 mM sucrose or trehalose. The disaccharide/mannitol formulations also inhibited deamidation during storage to a greater extent than the lyoprotectant formulations alone. The reduction in aggregation and deamidation during storage correlated directly with inhibition of unfolding during lyophilization, as assessed by IR spectroscopy. Thus, it appears that the protein must be retained in its native-like state during freeze-drying to assure storage stability in the dried solid. Long-term studies (23-54 months) performed at 40 degrees C revealed that the appropriate molar ratio of sugar to protein stabilized against aggregation and deamidation for up to 33 months. Therefore, long-term storage at room temperature or above may be achieved by proper selection of the molar ratio and sugar mixture. Overall, a specific sugar/protein molar ratio was sufficient to provide storage stability of rhuMAb HER2.

Effect of moisture on the stability of a lyophilized humanized monoclonal antibody formulation

AbstractPurpose. To determine the effect of moisture and the role of the glass transition temperature (Tg) on the stability of a high concentration, lyophilized, monoclonal antibody. Methods. A humanized monoclonal antibody was lyophilized in a sucrose/histidine/polysorbate 20 formulation. Residual moistures were from 1 to 8%. Tg values were measured by modulated DSC. Vials were stored at temperatures from 5 to 50°C for 6 or 12 months. Aggregation was monitored by size exclusion chromatography and Asp isomerization by hydrophobic interaction chromatography. Changes in secondary structure were monitored by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). Results. Tg values varied from 80°C at 1% moisture to 25°C at 8% moisture. There was no cake collapse and were no differences in the secondary structure by FTIR. All formulations were stable at 5°C. High moisture cakes had higher aggregation rates than drier samples if stored above their Tg values. Intermediate moisture vials were more stable to aggregation than dry vials. High moisture samples had increased rates of Asp isomerization at elevated temperatures both above and below their Tg values. Chemical and physical degradation pathways followed Arrhenius kinetics during storage in the glassy state. Only Asp isomerization followed the Arrhenius model above the Tg value. Both chemical and physical stability at T ≤ Tg were fitted to Williams-Landel-Ferry (WLF) kinetics. The WLF constants were dependent on the nature of the degradation system and were not characteristic of the solid system. Conclusion. High moisture levels decreased chemical stability of the formulation regardless of whether the protein was in a glassy or rubbery state. In contrast, physical stability was not compromised, and may even be enhanced, by increasing residual moisture if storage is below the Tg value.

Replacing succinate with glycolate buffer improves the stability of lyophilized interferon-γ

Abstract Lyophilization is commonly used to dry protein pharmaceuticals to enhance their shelf life. During the freezing step of this process, significant events (e.g. pH shifting) can occur in the uncrystallized, liquid portion which influence the stability of the product. Herein, we present evidence of such an effect and the impact on the quality of recombinant human interferon-γ (IFN-γ) lyophilized from mannitol-containing succinate buffer at pH 5. In the frozen matrix, we hypothesize that the monosodium form of succinic acid crystallized, as evidenced by electrical resistance data, affecting the buffer systems ability to maintain pH, as probed by Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The latter indicated that the succinate buffer lyophilized from aqueous solution at pH 5 exhibited an ionization state corresponding to that of some 1–2 pH units lower. In exploring the implications for stability, we found that IFN-γ exhibited a marked bioactivity loss during aqueous incubation at pH 3 compared with pH 5. This loss correlated with (reversible) unfolding of the IFN-γ molecule at low pH, as determined by both FT-IR spectroscopy and circular dichroism. We also examined the stability of IFN-γ following lyophilization from pH 5 in two different buffer systems, succinate and glycolate. The latter, which appeared to minimize the freeze-induced pH shifting, exhibited superior solid-state stability upon 4-week incubation at 25°C. Both samples had a similar cake structure (based on X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry) and had the same residual moisture content. The data suggest that the difference in stability was a consequence of the freeze-induced pH shifting in the succinate buffer system, resulting in a more perturbed (solid-state) structure for IFN-γ. This is consistent with our FT-IR spectroscopic analysis of the lyophilized protein.