Interlaboratory method validation of capillary electrophoresis sodium dodecyl sulfate (CE-SDS) methodology for analysis of mAbs

Capillary electrophoresis sodium dodecyl sulfate (CE-SDS) is an analytical method to assess the purity of proteins, commonly applied to monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in the biopharmaceutical industry. To address the need to standardize the CE-SDS method in the pharmaceutical industry and to enhance the confidence in method transfer between laboratories operating different commercial capillary electrophoresis (CE) instrument platforms, an interlaboratory CE-SDS method validation was organized involving 13 laboratories in 13 companies on four different types of commercial capillary electrophoresis instruments. In the validation, a commercial mAb therapeutic was used as the sample. The validation process followed the analytical guidelines set by the ICH guidelines (International Conference for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use). The method's precision, accuracy, linearity and range, and limit of quantitation (LOQ) were validated in the study. Variations of all the parameters validated in the study passed the pre-set criteria defined at the beginning of the study. The definition was based on previously published works and the intended application purpose of the CE-SDS method for mAbs. The study proved that the CE-SDS method fits its intended application purpose as a size impurity assay and size heterogeneity characterization assay for mAb therapeutic products. This study is the first time a CE-SDS method is validated by multiple laboratories using different commercial CE instrument platforms and on a commercial mAb therapeutic. Its results will enhance the confidence of the biopharmaceutical industry to develop CE-SDS methods and transfer CE-SDS methods between different laboratories.     

Development,validation, and implementation of capillary gel electrophoresis as a replacement for SDS‐PAGE for purity analysis of IgG2 mAbs

Capillary gel electrophoresis (CGE) methods with UV detection were developed for reduced and non‐reduced mAb analysis. These methods can be used to evaluate mAb purity, offering more reproducible quantitation compared with that of traditional SDS‐PAGE methods. These CGE methods have been utilized as platform technology for bioprocess development, formulation development, mAb characterization, drug substance/drug product release testing as well as a required methodology for stability testing. We have found these CGE methods to be applicable across a platform of mAbs in preclinical and clinical development, with the majority of mAbs requiring no modification to the method conditions. This methodology has been ICH validated and transferred to several supporting organizations. The data presented herein describes the development of CGE methodology, platform application to mAb purity analysis, ICH validation, reliability metrics, and considerations on technology enhancement for improved performance and throughput.     

Applications of imaged capillary isoelectric focussing technique in development of biopharmaceutical glycoprotein-based products

CE-based methods have increasingly been applied to the analysis of a variety of different type proteins. One of those techniques is imaged capillary isoelectric focusing (icIEF), a method that has been used extensively in the field of protein-based drug development as a tool for product identification, stability monitoring, and characterization. It offers many advantages over the traditional labor-intensive IEF slab gel method and even standard cIEF with on-line detection technologies with regard to method development, reproducibility, robustness, and speed. Here, specific examples are provided for biopharmaceutical glycoprotein products such as mAbs, erythropoietin (EPO), and recombinant Fc-fusion proteins, though the technique can be adapted for many other therapeutic proteins. Applications of iCIEF using a Convergent Bioscience instrument (Toronto, Canada) with whole-field imaging technology are presented and discussed. These include a quick method to establish an identity test for many protein-based products, product release, and stability evaluation of glycoproteins with respect to charge heterogeneity under accelerated temperature stress, different pH conditions, and in different formulations. Finally, characterization of glycoproteins using this iCIEF technology is discussed with respect to biosimilar development, clone selection, and antigen binding. The data presented provide a "taste' of what icIEF method can do to support the development of biopharmaceutical glycoprotein products from early clone screening for better product candidates to characterization of the final commercial products.     

Development of a highly sensitive imaged cIEF immunoassay for studying AAV capsid protein charge heterogeneity

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsid proteins tune and regulate the AAV infective life cycle, which can impact the safety and efficacy of AAV gene therapy products. Many of these PTMs induce changes in protein charge heterogeneity, including deamidation, oxidation, glycation, and glycosylation. To characterize the charge heterogeneity of a protein, imaged capillary isoelectric focusing (icIEF) has become the gold standard method. We have previously reported an icIEF method with native fluorescence detection for denatured AAV capsid protein charge heterogeneity analysis. Although well suited for final products, the method does not have sufficient sensitivity for upstream, low-concentration AAV samples, and lacks the specificity for capsid protein detection in complex samples like cell culture supernatants and cell lysates. In contrast, the combination of icIEF, protein capture, and immunodetection affords significantly higher sensitivity and specificity, addressing the challenges of the icIEF method. By leveraging different primary antibodies, the icIEF immunoassay provides additional selectivity and affords a detailed characterization of individual AAV capsid proteins. In this study, we describe an icIEF immunoassay method for AAV analysis that is 90 times more sensitive than native fluorescence icIEF. This icIEF immunoassay provides AAV stability monitoring, where changes in individual capsid protein charge heterogeneity can be observed in response to heat stress. When applied to different AAV serotypes, this method also provides serotype identity with reproducible quantification of VP protein peak areas and apparent isoelectric point (pI). Overall, the described icIEF immunoassay is a sensitive, reproducible, quantitative, specific, and selective tool that can be used across the AAV biomanufacturing process, especially in upstream process development where complex sample types are often encountered.     

Simultaneous quantification of brexpiprazole and sertraline HCl in synthetic mixture by thin-layer chromatography method

According to the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH) Q2 (R1) guideline, a sensitive, precise, accurate and robust high-performance thin-layer chromatographic (HPTLC) method was developed and validated for the simultaneous quantification of a newer combination of brexpiprazole (BREX) and sertraline HCl (SERT) in bulk and synthetic mixture. Stationary phase selected was pre-coated silica gel aluminum plate 60 F_254, and n-propanol‒hexane‒toluene‒triethylamine (7:2:1:0.1, V/V) was used as developing mobile phase. An appreciable absorbance shows at 254 nm, therefore the common detection wavelength was selected for the simultaneous quantification of BREX and SERT. The method was validated for different parameters: linearity, precision, accuracy, robustness, limit of detection and limit of quantification as per ICH guideline. The correlation coefficients (r²) for BREX and SERT were found to be 0.9940 and 0.9911, respectively. The mean of percentage recoveries for BREX and SERT were found to be 99.40–102.10% and 99.52–101.05%, respectively. The proposed HPTLC method has potential application for the quantification of BREX and SERT simultaneously in bulk and synthetic mixture both qualitatively and quantitatively.

     

Stress Studies and Identification of Degradation Products of Cephalexin Using LC–PDA and LC–MS/MS

A stability indicating RP-HPLC method for cephalexin has been developed and validated to identify and characterize potential degradation products. Drug was subjected to hydrolytic (acidic, basic, and neutral), oxidative, thermal, and photolytic stresses as per ICH guidelines Q1A (R2) and Q1B. Chromatographic separation was achieved on C8 column with mixture of ammonium acetate buffer pH 4.5 and acetonitrile in gradient mode as a mobile phase with PDA detection. Specificity of the method was established by peak purity studies. Method was validated as per ICH guideline Q2 (R1) for accuracy, precision, linearity, sensitivity, and robustness. Kinetics for each degradation condition was studied with respect to order of reaction and rate constant. Method was found to comply with acceptance criteria of validation parameters with respect to specificity (peak purity greater than 0.999) linearity (r ² greater than 0.99), accuracy (% recovery in the range of 98–102%), and precision (% RSD not more than 2). A total of six degradation products were generated in different stress conditions; these were identified and structures were proposed using LC–MS/MS. Cephalexin undergoes degradation in almost all the conditions. The developed stability indicating method is suitable for analysis of stability samples as it adequately separates all degradation products. Degradation products generated in photolytic and oxidative conditions are reported for the first time.     

Validated Stability-Indicating Method for Alendronate Sodium Employing Zwitterionic Hydrophilic Interaction Chromatography Coupled with Charged Aerosol Detection

Alendronate sodium is widely used in the treatment of osteoporosis and Paget’s disease. The HPLC method development for alendronate sodium, in particular, is challenging owing to the absence of chromophoric group and its high polarity. In the present study, a short and simple isocratic method was developed involving hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography, coupled with a charged aerosol detector. The developed method was validated according to the ICH Q2(R1) guideline and was successfully applied for the analysis of a marketed formulation containing the drug.

     

Ultra HPLC Method for Fixed Dose Combination of Azilsartan Medoxomil and Chlorthalidone: Identification and <Emphasis Type="Italic">in silico</Emphasis> Toxicity Prediction of Degradation Products

The fixed dose combination of azilsartan medoxomil potassium and chlorthalidone has been introduced for the effective treatment of hypertension. In the present work a rapid, simple and accurate stability indicating ultra HPLC assay method has been developed. The separation of azilsartan medoxomil, chlorthalidone and their degradation products were accomplished on an Acquity UPLC BEH C18 (100 mm × 2.1 mm, 1.7 μm) column using mobile phase combination of 0.02% trifluoroacetic acid in water and acetonitrile in gradient mode. The forced degradation products were identified using liquid chromatography?electrospray ionisation-quadrupole time of flight-tandem mass spectrometry (LC?ESIQTOF–MS/MS) and accurate mass experiments. The in silico toxicities of the degradation products for both the drugs were evaluated. The proposed method was validated as per the ICH Q2 (R1) guideline for selectivity, linearity, precision, accuracy and robustness.     

Marker-based standardization of polyherbal capsule formulation by high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC)–densitometric method using andrographolide and catechin

Himalaya PartySmart capsule is a polyherbal formulation recommended for its liver-protective properties. As the formulation contains extracts of six different herbs, a large number of markers are present in the same. This research work reports the standardization of Himalaya PartySmart capsule using andrographolide and catechin as therapeutic phytoconstituents to assess its quality and efficacy. A specific, sensitive, precise, and accurate high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) method has been developed for the quantitative estimation of andrographolide and catechin. Separation was performed on TLC silica gel 60 F₂₅₄ aluminum plates as the stationary phase using chloroform‒acetone‒formic acid (7:3:0.5, V/V) as the mobile phase with densitometric detection at 259 nm. The developed method was validated as per the recommendations of the International Council for Harmonisation (ICH) Q2(R1) guideline. Each marker phytoconstituent showed a good linear relationship with an average correlation coefficient (r²) = 0.99 in the concentration range studied. The proposed method was found to be specific, precise, and accurate with recovery within the range of 95‒105% and hence can be used for the routine analysis of PartySmart capsule formulation.

     

Evaluation of an icIEF-MS system for comparable charge variant analysis of biotherapeutics with rapid peak identification by mass spectrometry

Protein therapeutics are usually produced in heterogeneous forms during bioproduction and bioprocessing. Heterogeneity results from post-translational modifications that can yield charge variants and require characterization throughout product development and manufacturing. Isoelectric focusing (IEF) with UV detection is one of the most common methods to evaluate protein charge heterogeneity in the biopharmaceutical industry. To identify charge variant peaks, a new imaged microfluidic chip-based isoelectric focusing (icIEF) system coupled directly to mass spectrometry was recently reported. Bridging is required to demonstrate comparability between existing and new technology. As such, here we demonstrate the comparability of the pI value measurement and relative charge species distributions between the icIEF-MS system and the control data from a frequently utilized methodology in the biopharmaceutical industry for several blinded development-phase biopharmaceutical monoclonal antibodies across a wide pI range of 7.3–9.0. Hyphenation of the icIEF system with mass spectrometry enabled direct and detailed structural determination of a test molecule, with masses suggesting acidic and basic shifts are caused by sialic acid additions and the presence of unprocessed lysine residues. In addition, MS analysis further identified several low-abundance glycoforms. The icIEF-MS system provides sample quantification, characterization, and identification of mAb proteoforms without sacrificing icIEF quantification comparability or speed.     

Establishment of a knowledge base for identification of residual solvents in pharmaceuticals

A knowledge base for identification of residual solvents in pharmaceuticals has been established using gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatograph-Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (GC-FTIR). Sixty solvents were studied according to the guideline for residual solvents regulated by the International Conference on Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH). The standard mass spectra library, the limit of detection (LOD) mass spectra library, the standard vapor-phase infrared spectra library, and the limit of detection (LOD) vapor-phase infrared spectra library were established and constituted the knowledge base. Using the knowledge base, the problem of qualitation, which was the difficulty of determining residual solvents, can be resolved.     

Quality assessment of liquid pharmaceutical preparations by HSS-GC-FID

A new headspace gas chromatographic method with flame ionization detection (HSS-GC-FID) was developed and validated for the determination of methanol as the main volatile impurity present in ethanolic pharmaceutical preparations. The use of static headspace sampling minimized the interference of other volatile matrix components and provided satisfactory results in purity assessment of different complex samples. The developed procedure revealed to be rapid, sensitive, reproducible and accurate. The detection and quantification limits of methanol were 0.0003 and 0.0011% (v/v), respectively, and were sufficiently low to enable the estimation of organic volatile impurity according to the ICH guideline as well as the examination of methanol limit specified in European Pharmacopoeia for liquid pharmaceutical preparations. The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of diverse alcoholic herbal extracts and tinctures as well as ethanolic dermatological lotions.     

Development and Validation of a Stability-Indicating HPLC Method for Assay of Milbemycin Oxime and Estimation of Its Related Compounds

Chromatographia - A stability-indicating reversed-phase HPLC method for assay of milbemycin oxime (MO) and estimation of its related compounds has been developed and validated as per VICH and ICH...     

Simultaneous Determination of Artesunate and Amodiaquine in Fixed-Dose Combination by a RP-HPLC Method with Double UV Detection: Implementation in Interlaboratory Study Involving Seven African National Quality Control Laboratories

The fixed-dose combination artesunate (AS)–amodiaquine (AQ) is one of the most widely used treatments for uncomplicated falciparum malaria. It is currently proposed to the inclusion in the model list of essential medicines of World Health Organization and has been recently prequalified. Until now, no satisfactory method for the simultaneous determination of the two active ingredients had been available. Thus, a reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography for the quantitative determination of AQ and AS was developed and validated. Chromatography was performed using an end-capped octadecylsilyl silica gel column (100?×?4.6?mm, 3?μm) with a binary gradient using aqueous phase containing potassium dihydrogen phosphate (10?mM) and acetonitrile. Taking into consideration the physico-chemical characteristics of the two compounds related to their ionization, the use of a counter ion was necessary to ensure the retention of AQ in a reversed phase system simultaneously to AS. Thus, aqueous mobile phase was adjusted to pH 3.0 and the chosen counter ion was sodium 1-octanesulfonate (100?mM). In these conditions, the retention times were about 4?min for AQ and 10?min for AS with UV detection at 300 and 210?nm, respectively. Method was then validated according to ICH guideline (specificity/linearity/accuracy/precision) and potential interferences with excipients and degradation products were checked. It has also been used for an interlaboratory study involving seven African National Quality Control Laboratories and Afssaps (Agence fran?aise de sécurité sanitaire des produits de santé) laboratory. The results demonstrate that this rapid and simple method can be easily used by official laboratories for routine control, market survey and for the detection of potential substandard medicines which are very frequent in African countries.     

甲胺化衍生结合基于硅氢化物固定相的正相色谱用于单克隆抗体药物的N-糖基化表征

采用甲胺化衍生结合基于硅氢化物固定相的正相色谱（SiH-NPC）分析单抗的N-糖基化。样品经酶切、甲胺化衍生、纯化后由液相色谱-质谱进行分析。结果表明,相较于亲水相互作用色谱（HILIC）,SiH-NPC分离机制不同,使用常规的无盐流动相即可实现高分离度,避免污染质谱,色谱柱结构稳定,使用寿命长,更适合快速分析。结合唾液酸衍生方法,SiH-NPC在液相色谱-质谱联用鉴定酸性糖和糖异构体方面呈现显著优势,在生物制药行业中具有重要的应用潜力。     

An innovative impurity profiling of Avanafil using LC and LC-MS/MS with in-silico toxicity prediction

Degradation of the drug can lead to the formation of toxic substance hence drug quality and stability is a major concern by pharma regulators. A Selected phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor drug Avanafil (AV) structure has amide, arylchloro and hydroxide as functional groups which can easily eliminated during hydrolysis. Henceforth, thoroughly chemical stability of AV was carried out according to ICH guideline Q1A (R2). The drug and marketed tablet formulation undergoes degradation in hydrolytic (acid, base, neutral), thermal, photolytic, oxidative conditions and forms a total new sixteen degradation products (D.P.s) which were identified by LC, characterized by LC-MS/MS and probable degradation mechanism for each stress conditions are proposed. All sixteen D.P.s were identified by optimized LC conditions; C18 column using 10 mM ammonium acetate: ACN (60:40, v/v), pH 4.5 as mobile phase at 0.9 mL min⁻¹ of flow rate, 239 nm wavelength at 20 °C column temperature and the method being LC-MS compatible characterized by LC-MS/MS confirmed by relative retention time (RRT). The structure of D.P.s was confirmed from the fragmentation pattern obtained by LC-MS/MS and further probable degradation mechanism for each stress condition is proposed. The drug and its marketed tablet formulation showed similar degradation peaks which were confirmed using RRT, photodiode array (PDA) and LC-MS. Drug degradation happens due to nucleophilic substitution reaction, amide hydrolysis, electron withdrawing properties of amide, dechlorination and bond cleavage due to energy. The amide group in AV structure can undergo hydrolysis, while due to aryl chloride and hydroxide group in structure it undergoes photodecomposition. A comprehensive stress study reveals that AV is more prone to degrade in light, temperature and moisture; hence AV requires proper storage condition temperature below 25 °C with protection to light and moisture. In silico toxicity prediction of physicochemical properties revealed that all the physicochemical parameters of impurities were within the acceptable limit which indicates that no impurity is at any risk of toxicity. In detail, the LC-MS/MS compatible AV degradation study is fully validated as per ICH Q2 (R1) guideline.     

Validation of an HPLC Method for Determination of Cefepime (a Fourth-Generation Cephalosporin). Determination in Human Serum, Cerebrospinal Fluid, and Urine. Pharmacokinetic Profiles

A high-performance liquid-chromatographic method with detection at 256 nm has been developed and validated for analysis of cefepime in several biological matrices. Serum samples were deproteinized with acetonitrile and extracted once with dichloromethane. For urine and cerebrospinal fluid samples, only a microfiltration step was necessary. The method was validated in accordance with the recommendations of the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). The method was used to determine levels of the drug in the serum, cerebrospinal fluid, and urine of twelve patients treated with Maxipime. The results obtained were compared with those from previously published HPLC methods.     

A generic static headspace gas chromatography method for determination of residual solvents in drug substance

In order to increase productivity of drug analysis in the pharmaceutical industry, an efficient and sensitive generic static headspace gas chromatography (HSGC) method was successfully developed and validated for the determination of 44 classes 2 and 3 solvents of International Conference of Harmonization (ICH) guideline Q3C, as residual solvents in drug substance. In order to increase the method sensitivity and efficiency in sample equilibration, dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) was selected as the sample diluent based on its high capacity of dissolving drug substance, stability and high boiling point. The HS sample equilibration temperature and equilibration time are assessed in ranges of 125–150 °C and 8–15 min, respectively. The results indicate that the residual solvents in 200 mg of drug substance can be equilibrated efficiently in HS sampler at 140 °C for 10 min. The GC parameters, e.g. sample split ratio, carrier flow rate and oven temperature gradient are manipulated to enhance the method sensitivity and separation efficiency. The two-stage gradient GC run from 35 to 240 °C, using an Agilent DB-624 capillary column (30 m long, 0.32 mm I.D., 1.8 μm film thickness), is suitable to determine 44 ICH classes 2 and 3 solvents in 30 min. The method validation results indicate that the method is accurate, precise, linear and sensitive for solvents assessed. The recoveries of most of these solvents from four drug substances are greater than 80% within the method determination ranges. However, this method is not suitable for the 10 remaining ICH classes 2 and 3 solvents, because they are too polar (e.g. formic acid and acidic acid), or have boiling points higher than 150 °C, (e.g. anisol and cumene). In comparison with the previous published methods, this method has a much shorter sample equilibration time, a better separation for many solvents, a higher sensitivity and a broader concentration range.     

Development and validation of a single RP-HPLC assay method for analysis of bulk raw material batches of four parabens that are widely used as preservatives in pharmaceutical and cosmetic products

A stability-indicating, robust, fast, and user friendly reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (RP-HPLC) assay method has been developed and validated for the analysis of commercial raw material batches of methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben. These four parabens are widely used as preservatives in pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. Accurate assay value of each of the parabens in their respective commercial lots is critical to determine the correct weight of the paraben that is needed to obtain the target concentration of the paraben in a specific lot of pharmaceutical or cosmetic products. Currently, there are no single HPLC assay methods (validated as per ICH requirements) available in the literature that can be used to analyze the commercial lots of each of the four parabens. The analytical method reported herein analyzes all four parabens in less than 10 min. The method presented in this report was successfully validated as per ICH guidelines. Therefore, this method can be implemented in QC laboratories to analyze and assay the commercial bulk lots of the four parabens.     

Capillary electrophoresis for rapid identification of monoclonal antibodies for routine application in hospital

mAbs are widely used in cancer therapy. Their compounding, performed just before their administration to patients, is executed in a production unit of the hospital. Identification of these drugs, individually prepared in bags for infusion before patient administration, is of paramount importance to detect potential mistakes during compounding stage. A fast and reliable analytical method based on CZE combined to a cationic capillary coating (hexadimethrine bromide) was developed for identification of the most widely used compounded therapeutic for cancer therapy (bevacizumab, cetuximab, rituximab, and trastuzumab). Considering the high structural and physico‐chemical similarities of these mAbs, an extensive optimization of the BGE composition has been performed. The addition of perchlorate ions and polysorbate in the BGE greatly increased the resolution. To validate the method, an internal standard was used and the relative migration times (RTm) were estimated. Very satisfactory RSDs of the RTm for rituximab (0.76%), cetuximab (0.46%), bevacizumab (0.31%), and trastuzumab (0.60%) were obtained. The intraday and interday RSD of the method were less than 0.32 and 1.3%, respectively for RTm. Significant differences between theses RTms have been demonstrated allowing mAbs identification. Finally, accurate mAbs identification has been demonstrated by a blind test.