Safety and immunogenicity of a plant-produced recombinant hemagglutinin-based influenza vaccine (HAI-05) derived from A/Indonesia/05/2005 (H5N1) influenza virus: a phase 1 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation study in healthy adults.

Recently, we have reported [1,2] on a subunit influenza vaccine candidate based on the recombinant hemagglutinin protein from the A/Indonesia/05/2005 (H5N1) strain of influenza virus, produced it using 'launch vector'-based transient expression technology in Nicotiana benthamiana, and demonstrated its immunogenicity in pre-clinical studies. Here, we present the results of a first-in-human, Phase 1 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study designed to investigate safety, reactogenicity and immunogenicity of three escalating dose levels of this vaccine, HAI-05, (15, 45 and 90 µg) adjuvanted with Alhydrogel® (0.75 mg aluminum per dose) and the 90 µg dose level without Alhydrogel®. Vaccine was administered intramuscularly in two injections three weeks apart to healthy adults of 18-49 years of age. At all dose levels the vaccine was generally safe and well tolerated, with no reported serious adverse events or dose-limiting toxicities. Mild local and systemic reactions were observed in all vaccine dose groups and the placebo group and their occurrence was not dose related. The incidence rates were higher in the groups receiving vaccine with Alhydrogel®. The immune response elicited by the HAI-05 vaccine was variable with respect to both hemagglutination-inhibition and virus microneutralization antibody titers, with the highest responses observed in the 90 µg unadjuvanted group.

Theoretical analysis of excipient concentrations during the final ultrafiltration/diafiltration step of therapeutic antibody.

Diafiltration of a protein solution into a new buffer is a common final step in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. However, the excipient concentrations in the retentate are not always equal to their corresponding concentrations in the new buffer (diafiltration buffer). This phenomenon was observed repeatedly during diafiltration of different therapeutic monoclonal antibodies in which the concentrations of histidine and either sorbitol or sucrose (depending on which was chosen for the diafiltration buffer) in the retentate were lower than in the diafiltration buffer. Experimental studies and theoretical analyses of the ultrafiltration/diafiltration (UF/DF) step were carried out to determine the primary causes of the phenomenon and to develop a mathematical model capable of predicting retentate excipient concentrations. The analyses showed that retentate histidine concentration was low primarily because of repulsive charge interactions between positively-charged histidine molecules and positively-charged protein molecules, and that volume exclusion effects were secondary for like-charged molecules. The positively-charged protein molecules generate an electrical potential that cause an uneven distribution of charged histidine molecules. This interaction was used to construct a mathematical model based on the Poisson-Boltzmann equation. The model successfully predicted the final histidine concentration in the diafiltered product (retentate) from the UF/DF development and production runs, with good agreement across a wide range of protein and histidine concentrations for four therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. The concentrations of uncharged excipients (sorbitol or sucrose) were also successfully predicted using previously established models, with volume exclusion identified as the primary cause of differences in uncharged excipient concentrations in the retentate and diafiltration buffer.