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Bioconjugation Reaction Engineering and Kinetics Simulation

Bioconjugates represent an important and growing class of pharmaceuticals that include PEGylated proteins, vaccines, and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) (1–8). Numerous protein conjugation techniques exist (9). Among the more important conjugation chemistries used for protein therapeutics are N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS), aldehyde, and maleimide (10–13). To date, process development of industrial biopharmaceutical conjugation reactions has largely been empirical in nature. Typically, many experiments testing different reaction parameters are required to identify optimal process conditions. In some instances, nonmechanistic statistical models can be used,…

Fine-Tuning ADCs for Best-in-Class Therapeutics

by Trevor Hallam, Jeremy Bender and Bill Newell

Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) use the targeting ability of a monoclonal antibody (MAb) to deliver a highly biologically active drug to diseased cells while sparing healthy cells, creating potent and effective therapies. This emerging class of novel drugs currently focuses almost exclusively on cancer treatment. Two blockbuster ADCs — brentuximab vedotin (Adcetris from Seattle Genetics) for treatment of rare lymphomas and ado-trastuzumab emtansine (Kadcyla from Genentech/ Roche, manufactured by Lonza) for treatment of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer — have improved treatment…

Predicting Aggregation Propensity and Monitoring Aggregates in ADCs

by Nicolas Schneider, Morgan Mathieu, Christian Belmant, Agnès Represa, Sandra Savard-Chambard Gas, Angélique Boedec Herbette, Hélène Rispaud, Naouel Lovera, Delphine Bregeon and Courtney Noah

Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) are monoclonal antibodies coupled to cytotoxic agents with stable linkers. ADCs travel to target cells, where the antibody binds to its antigen expressed on the cell surface. Upon binding, the full ADC can be internalized by a process called receptor-mediated endocytosis. That process is followed by lysosomal degradation of ADC complexes, which ultimately leads to release of the cytotoxic agent and apoptosis of the target cell. Drugs used in ADCs can be up to a thousand times…

Technology Advances Enable Creation of Better ADCs

by Sally Waterman

Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) for treatment of cancer combine the tumor-targeting properties of antibodies with the cell-killing properties of cytotoxic drugs. By targeting a drug to a tumor, it is possible to reduce systemic toxicity and thereby enable administration of drugs that are otherwise too toxic to be effective therapies. Although the concept of an ADC is simple, in reality developing an effective treatment is somewhat more challenging. Whether an ADC has sufficient efficacy at a tolerable dose depends on four…

Using a CMO for Your ADC: Access Analytical and Manufacturing Platforms, Specialized Facilities, and Expertise

by Cynthia Wooge

[Audio Recording] Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) are an exciting new area of therapeutics. They bring the “magic bullet” that was promised by Paul Ehrlich over a hundred years ago to reality by targeting cancer cells to deliver chemotherapies without poisoning a patient’s whole body. ADCs offer a promising form of therapy by providing higher safety margins than traditional chemotherapeutics alone, and they make selectivity possible. We should be able to personalize a therapy to the specific cancer expressed in a given…

Integrated Optical Single-Use Sensors: Moving Toward a True Single-Use Factory for Biologics and Vaccine Production

by Henry Weichert, Julia Lüders, Mario Becker, Thorsten Adams and Joerg Weyand

Through the past decade, single-use bioreactors for culturing mammalian and insect cells have been widely adopted in preclinical, clinical, and production-scale biopharmaceutical facilities (1, 2). With such bioreactors in operation, monitoring and control of process parameters is vital for ensuring critical quality attributes (CQAs) of biologicals or vaccines are met for production of a safe product. Traditionally, bag-based and bench-top vessels have been fitted with conventional pH and dissolved oxygen (DO) probes similar to those used in stainless steel or…

Designing Single-Use Solutions for the Future: A Conversation with Christel Fenge

by Brian Caine and S. Anne Montgomery

Recently, BPI publisher Brian Caine and editor in chief Anne Montgomery had the opportunity to talk with Christel Fenge, Sartorius Stedim’s VP of marketing for fermentation technologies, in the Göttingen, Germany, Sartorius facility. They began by talking about fermentation technology, a topic that led them to touch upon a number of key issues in the biopharmaceutical industry. Fermentation Technology Caine: Because this special issue focuses on fermentation technology, let’s begin by talking about some recent technological improvements and what impact…

Robust and Convenient Single-Use Processing: The Superior Strength and Flexibility of Flexsafe Bags

by Elisabeth Vachette, Christel Fenge, Jean-Marc Cappia, Lucy Delaunay, Gerhard Greller and Magali Barbaroux

With the increased use of disposable bioprocessing bags in all critical process steps of the biopharmaceutical drug production, there is a growing requirement for high-quality, robust, and easy-to-handle bioprocessing bags. The new generation of films and bags must combine multiple mechanical, physical, and chemical properties to make these products suitable and scalable for all processing steps in upstream, downstream, and final filling operations, including cell culture in rocking motion and/or stirred-tank, single-use bioreactors as well as storage, mixing, shipping, and…

Enhanced Assurance of Supply for Single-Use Bags: Based on Material Science, Quality By Design, and Partnership with Suppliers

by Jean-Marc Cappia, Elisabeth Vachette, Carole Langlois, Magali Barbaroux and Heiko Hackel

Growing adoption of single-use bags in commercial production of biopharmaceutical drugs raises new challenges for bag suppliers and drives the need for consistent product quality, improved assurance of supply, robust change management, and business continuity planning. In close collaboration with resin and film suppliers, polymer scientists and biologists at Sartorius Stedim Biotech have followed a stringent material science and quality by design (QbD) program to develop a completely new polyethylene film and to achieve consistent performance of new Flexsafe bags…

Verification of New Flexsafe STR Single-Use Bioreactor Bags: Using a CHO Fed-Batch Monoclonal Antibody Production Process at 1,000-L Scale

by Regina Reglin, Sebastian Ruhl, Joerg Weyand, Davy De Wilde, Ute Husemann, Gerhard Greller and Christel Fenge

In the past decade, single-use bioreactors have gained wide acceptance for biomanufacturing. The biopharmaceutical industry is increasingly interested in performing modern production processes in single-use facilities. That trend is driven by the time and cost benefits of single-use technologies, as well as the enhanced manufacturing flexibility they offer (1). With single-use bioreactors increasingly used in late-phase clinical trials and commercial production, their quality, reliability, and assurance of supply becomes more critical. Many industry experts consider process control of film and…