Protein-Excipient Interactions Evaluated via Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Studies in Polysorbate-Based Multidose Protein Formulations: Influence on Antimicrobial Efficacy and Potential Study Approach.

Preservatives are excipients essentially needed in pharmaceutical multidose formulations to prevent microbial growth. Among available substances, phenol is widely used for parenterals; however, it is known to interact with nonionic surfactants like polysorbate and potentially with the active pharmaceutical ingredient. Although the need for combinations of surfactants and preservatives is growing, to date possible molecular interactions which can eventually weaken the stability and antimicrobial activity of the formulation are not yet well understood and properly investigated. In the current study, the binding of phenol to a model fusion protein as well as to polysorbate 20 was investigated. For this purpose, the fraction of bound phenol was successfully quantified via diffusion ordered nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The binding of phenol to the surfactant is negligible in pharmaceutically relevant polysorbate concentrations, but the binding to the employed active pharmaceutical ingredient was relevant and concentration dependent. The resulting consequence of this interaction was the decrease of the antimicrobial efficacy. As a final outcome of this study, nuclear magnetic resonance analysis is proposed as a material saving method to be used in combination with the antimicrobial activity testing described in the Pharmacopeias.

Chemical and Biophysical Characteristics of Monoclonal Antibody Solutions Containing Aggregates Formed during Metal Catalyzed Oxidation.

PURPOSE: To physicochemically characterize and compare monoclonal antibody (mAb) solutions containing aggregates generated via metal catalyzed oxidation (MCO). METHODS: Two monoclonal IgG2s (mAb1 and mAb2) and one monoclonal IgG1 (rituximab) were exposed to MCO with the copper/ascorbic acid oxidative system, by using several different methods. The products obtained were characterized by complementary techniques for aggregate and particle analysis (from oligomers to micron sized species), and mass spectrometry methods to determine the residual copper content and chemical modifications of the proteins. RESULTS: The particle size distribution and the morphology of the protein aggregates generated were similar for all mAbs, independent of the MCO method used. There were differences in both residual copper content and in chemical modification of specific residues, which appear to be dependent on both the protein sequence and the protocol used. All products showed a significant increase in the levels of oxidized His, Trp, and Met residues, with differences in extent of modification and specific amino acid residues modified. CONCLUSION: The extent of total oxidation and the amino acid residues with the greatest oxidation rate depend on a combination of the MCO method used and the protein sequence.

Development of a transgenic mouse model to study the immunogenicity of recombinant human insulin.

Mouse models are commonly used to assess the immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins and to investigate the immunological processes leading to antidrug antibodies. The aim of this work was to develop a transgenic (TG) Balb/c mouse model for evaluating the immunogenicity of recombinant human insulin (insulin) formulations. Validation of the model was performed by measuring the antibody response against plain and particulate insulin in TG and nontransgenic (NTG) mice. Intraperitoneal administration of insulin (20 µg/dose, 12 doses over a period of 4 weeks) did not break the immune tolerance of the TG mice, whereas it did elicit antibodies in NTG mice. The immune tolerance of TG mice could be circumvented, albeit at low titers, by administering insulin covalently bound to 50-nm polystyrene nanoparticles. The TG mouse model was employed to compare the immunogenicity of oxidized aggregated insulin, oxidized nonaggregated insulin, and three commercially available formulations of insulin variants (i.e., Levemir®, Insulatard®, and Actrapid®). Oxidized insulin, aggregated or nonaggregated, was moderately immunogenic in TG mice (50% and 33% responders, respectively), whereas the immunogenicity of the commercial formulations was low. This model can be used to compare the immunogenicity of insulin formulations and to study immune mechanisms of antibody formation against insulin.

Oxidation of therapeutic proteins and peptides: structural and biological consequences.

Oxidation is a common degradation pathway that affects therapeutic proteins and peptides during production, purification, formulation, transportation, storage and handling of solid and liquid preparations. In the present work we review the scientific literature about structural and biological consequences of protein/peptide oxidation. Representative examples are discussed of specific products whose oxidation has been recently studied, including monoclonal antibodies, calcitonin, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, growth hormone, insulin, interferon alpha and beta, oxytocin and parathyroid hormone. These examples illustrate that oxidation often leads to modifications of higher-order structures, including aggregate induction, and can generate products that are pharmacokinetically different, biologically less active and/or potentially more immunogenic than their native counterpart. It is therefore crucially important during the pharmaceutical development of therapeutic proteins and peptides to comprehensively characterize oxidation products and evaluate the impact of oxidation-induced structural modifications on the biological properties of the drug.

Identification of oxidation sites and covalent cross-links in metal catalyzed oxidized interferon Beta-1a: potential implications for protein aggregation and immunogenicity.

Oxidation via Cu(2+)/ascorbate of recombinant human interferon beta-1a (IFNß1a) leads to highly immunogenic aggregates, however it is unknown which amino acids are modified and how covalent aggregates are formed. In the present work we mapped oxidized and cross-linked amino acid residues in aggregated IFNß1a, formed via Cu(2+)/ascorbate catalyzed oxidation. Size exclusion chromatography (SEC) was used to confirm extensive aggregation of oxidized IFNß1a. Circular dichroism and intrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy indicated substantial loss of secondary and tertiary structure, respectively. Derivatization with 4-(aminomethyl)benzenesulfonic acid was used to demonstrate, by fluorescence in combination with SEC, the presence of tyrosine (Tyr) oxidation products. High performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry of reduced, alkylated, and digested protein was employed to localize chemical degradation products. Oxidation products of methionine, histidine, phenylalanine (Phe), tryptophan, and Tyr residues were identified throughout the primary sequence. Covalent cross-links via 1,4- or 1,6-type addition between primary amines and DOCH (2-amino-3-(3,4-dioxocyclohexa-1,5-dien-1-yl)propanoic acid, an oxidation product of Phe and Tyr) were detected. There was no evidence of disulfide bridge, Schiff base, or dityrosine formation. The chemical cross-links identified in this work are most likely responsible for the formation of covalent aggregates of IFNß1a induced by oxidation, which have previously been shown to be highly immunogenic.

Triethylenetetramine prevents insulin aggregation and fragmentation during copper catalyzed oxidation.

Metal catalyzed oxidation via the oxidative system Cu(2+)/ascorbate is known to induce aggregation of therapeutic proteins, resulting in enhanced immunogenicity. Hence, inclusion of antioxidants in protein formulations is of great interest. In this study, using recombinant human insulin (insulin) as a model, we investigated the ability of several excipients, in particular triethylenetetramine (TETA), reduced glutathione(GSH) and ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), for their ability to prevent protein oxidation, aggregation, and fragmentation. Insulin (1mg/ml) was oxidized with 40 µM Cu(2+) and 4mM ascorbic acid in absence or presence of excipients. Among the excipients studied, 1mM of TETA, EDTA, or GSH prevented insulin aggregation upon metal catalyzed oxidation (MCO) for 3h at room temperature, based on size exclusion chromatography (SEC). At lower concentration (100 µM), for 72 h at +4 °C, TETA was the only one to inhibit almost completely oxidation-induced insulin aggregation, fragmentation, and structural changes, as indicated by SEC, nanoparticle tracking analysis, light obscuration particle counting, intrinsic/extrinsic fluorescence, circular dichroism, and chemical derivatization. In contrast, GSH had a slight pro-oxidant effect, as demonstrated by the higher percentage of aggregates and a more severe structural damage, whereas EDTA offered substantially less protection. TETA also protected a monoclonal IgG1 against MCO-induced aggregation, suggesting its general applicability. In conclusion, TETA is a potential candidate excipient for inclusion in formulations of oxidation-sensitive proteins.

Chemical modifications in aggregates of recombinant human insulin induced by metal-catalyzed oxidation: covalent cross-linking via michael addition to tyrosine oxidation products.

PURPOSE: To elucidate the chemical modifications in covalent aggregates of recombinant human insulin induced by metal catalyzed oxidation (MCO). METHODS: Insulin was exposed for 3 h at room temperature to the oxidative system copper(II)/ascorbate. Chemical derivatization with 4-(aminomethyl) benzenesulfonic acid (ABS) was performed to detect 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) formation. Electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) was employed to localize the amino acids targeted by oxidation and the cross-links involved in insulin aggregation. Oxidation at different pH and temperature was monitored with size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and ESI-MS analysis to further investigate the chemical mechanism(s), to estimate the aggregates content and to quantify DOPA in aggregated insulin. RESULTS: The results implicate the formation of DOPA and 2-amino-3-(3,4-dioxocyclohexa-1,5-dien-1-yl) propanoic acid (DOCH), followed by Michael addition, as responsible for new cross-links resulting in covalent aggregation of insulin during MCO. Michael addition products were detected between DOCH at positions B16, B26, A14, and A19, and free amino groups of the N-terminal amino acids Phe B1 and Gly A1, and side chains of Lys B29, His B5 and His B10. Fragments originating from peptide bond hydrolysis were also detected. CONCLUSION: MCO of insulin leads to covalent aggregation through cross-linking via Michael addition to tyrosine oxidation products.

Plain and mono-pegylated recombinant human insulin exhibit similar stress-induced aggregation profiles.

PEGylation has been suggested to improve the stability of insulin, but evidence for that is scarce. Here, we compared the forced aggregation behavior of insulin and mono-PEGylated insulin. Therefore, recombinant human insulin was conjugated on lysine B29 with 5-kDa PEG. PEG-insulin was purified by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) and characterized by mass spectrometry (MS). Next, insulin and PEG-insulin were subjected to heating at 75 °C, metal-catalyzed oxidation, and glutaraldehyde cross-linking. The products were characterized physicochemically by complementary analytical methods. Mono-PEGylation of insulin was confirmed by SEC and MS. Under each of the applied stress conditions, insulin and PEG-insulin showed comparable degradation profiles. All the stressed samples showed submicron aggregates in the size range between 50 and 500 nm. Covalent aggregates and conformational changes were found for both oxidized products. Insulin and its PEGylated counterpart also exhibited similar characteristics when exposed to heat stress, that is, slightly changed secondary and tertiary structures, covalent aggregates with partially intact epitopes, and separation of chain A from chain B. Both glutaraldehyde-treated insulin and PEG-insulin contained covalent and noncovalent aggregates with intact epitopes, showed partially perturbed secondary structure, and substantial loss of tertiary structure. From these results, we conclude that PEGylation does not protect insulin against forced aggregation.

Elution behavior of insulin on high-performance size exclusion chromatography at neutral pH.

The pharmacopoeia protocol for HP-SEC of insulin, using an acidic non-physiological eluent, does not represent insulin's association state in the formulation. This study aimed to evaluate insulin's elution behavior in HP-SEC in a "physiological" (aqueous, neutral pH) eluent, using on-line UV absorption and multi-angle laser light scattering detection. The effect of insulin concentration and association state in the formulation (monitored by circular dichroism) and eluent composition (zinc ion, arginine) on its elution behavior was assessed. We showed that the elution behavior of insulin in "physiological" HP-SEC is affected by both dynamic association-dissociation of insulin molecules and insulin-column interactions. Insulin molecules re-equilibrated in the HP-SEC eluent, making its elution behavior practically insensitive to the association state of insulin in the formulation. Zinc ions in the eluent promoted association of insulin to hexamers, whereas arginine overruled the effect of zinc ions and induced on-column dissociation of insulin to dimers and monomers. Combined results from "physiological" and compendial HP-SEC were shown to provide a better view of the aggregation state of heat-stressed insulin than either of the single methods. The insights obtained with this study are crucial for a proper evaluation of HP-SEC data of insulin.

Catalytic formal Homo-Nazarov cyclization.

The first catalytic method for the cyclization of vinyl-cyclopropyl ketones (formal homo-Nazarov reaction) is reported. Starting from activated cyclopropanes, heterocyclic, and carbocyclic compounds were obtained under mild conditions using Brønsted acid catalysts. Preliminary investigation of the reaction mechanism indicated a stepwise process.