Chromatographic separations are vital both to the analysis of biological macromolecules and to their manufacturing. When properly applied, chromatography provides exquisite specificity in separating different molecules from solution based on their size, electrical charge, or other physicochemical properties. Large liquid chromatographic (LC) columns remove host-cell nucleic acids, endotoxins, viruses, and process intermediates from harvest material. Combine high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) with mass spectrometric (MS) or ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectroscopic detection, and you can qualify and quantify macromolecules in such…
Chromatography
Approaches to Debottlenecking and Process Optimization
Two major challenges associated with optimizing biomanufacturing operations remain unresolved. The first is variability: how to understand and improve manufacturing with significant variation in process times throughout all unit operations. The second is complexity: modern biomanufacturing facilities are complex and interconnected, with piping segments, transfer panels, and valve arrays, as well as water for injection (WFI) and other shared resource constraints. That complexity is becoming even greater with the need for process standardization and processing of higher (and…
Key Downstream Problems Decline While Industry Continues to Demand New Technologies
Downstream problems for biomanufacturers finally appear to be lessening. Over the past six years, demand for better purification has topped the list of biomanufacturing areas in need of improvement. This year, however, it appears that purification woes — though still a hot topic — are cooling off. After seven years of measuring the impact on capacity of specific biomanufacturing operations, preliminary data from BioPlan Associates’ ninth annual survey shows that activities associated with both optimizing internal downstream processes (DSPs) and…
Revisiting Protein A Chromatography
Due to the molecular complexity of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) and potential impurities in cell culture media before purification (host-cell proteins, DNA, media components) (1), subsequent downstream operations must consistently and reproducibly purify products to ensure safety and efficacy. The latest member of GE Healthcare’s MabSelect family is called MabSelect SuRe LX (2). As Table 1 shows, it has been developed using the same highly cross-linked agarose base matrix and protein A ligand as for other MAb affinity resins (Table 1).…
Understanding Chromatographic Media Ligand Density
The concept of quality by design (QbD), although not new, has presented implementation opportunities and challenges to both the bioprocessing industry and regulators (1,2,3,4). Tools such as design of experiments (DoE), cause and effect analysis, and multivariate analysis provide for systematic risk assessment and help identify critical quality attributes (CQAs) and critical process parameters (5,6,7). QbD is intended to ensure that manufacturing processes make products that meet predefined quality parameters. Key elements in defining such parameters (quality profile)…
Efficient Aggregate Removal from Impure Pharmaceutical Active Antibodies
Polishing with membrane chromatography (MC) has achieved acceptance as state-of- the-art technology for charged impurities. Traditionally, anion-exchange (AEX) and cation-exchange (CEX) membrane chromatography have been used to remove charged contaminants such as host-cell proteins (HCPs), recombinant DNA, protein A, endotoxins, and viruses. In monoclonal antibody (MAb) processes, polishing steps usually follow a protein A affinity column step. In some cases, CEX capture is applied, either with at least one AEX or a combined AEX and CEX step. The latter may…
Industrial-Scale Biochromatography Columns Address Challenging Purification Needs
Chromatographic purification remains the most critical step in biopharmaceutical downstream processing. Its purpose is to separate biologic impurities such as host-cell proteins (HCPs), nucleic acids, and oligomers from a target biologic, which must be purified to very high levels (often >99%). Biological separations usually require medium to high salt concentrations and bear inherent risks of microbial contamination in waterbased process streams. Thus they require specifically designed equipment. Depending on process constraints, chromatographic media, and equipment limitations, biochromatographic separations…
Monoliths Open the Door to Key Growth Sectors
The enabling value of monoliths was strongly in evidence at the 4th International Monolith Symposium, held 29 May – 2 June in the Adriatic resort city of Portoroz, Slovenia. Forty-seven oral presentations and 34 posters highlighted important advances in vaccines, gene therapy, phage therapy for infectious disease, and monoclonal antibodies, as well as continuing advances in the performance of monoliths themselves. As these fields advance in parallel, it becomes increasingly apparent that monoliths offer industrial capabilities substantially beyond…
How to Choose an Industrial Cation Exchanger for IgG Purification
Cation-exchange chromatography is the third most used industrial method for antibody purification after anion-exchange and protein A affinity chromatography. It is most commonly used as an intermediate step but continues to attract attention as a capture method. This offers obvious cost and cleaning advantages over protein A but also imposes some sacrifices, all of which are discussed in a number of recent articles (1,2,3,4,5). Whichever application may be intended, end users seek a common set of performance characteristics.…
Improving IEX Throughput and Performance with Differentiated Chromatography Sorbents
Optimized upstream processing and high-productivity cell culture increase not only target protein titers, but also impurity and contaminant concentrations to be removed from large volumes of feedstock. Simultaneously, biopharmaceutical drug production is increasingly driven by manufacturing cost reduction. These facts together increase the pressure on downstream processing and create an urgent need for more productive and streamlined chromatography operations. Key parameters to consider for enhanced process economics in chromatography are higher protein binding capacities at high flow rates…