METHOD FOR THE REDUCTION OF HETEROGENEITY OF MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES

• Main Authors: MCDONOUGH, JAMES P, BARTHOLOMEW, RICHARD M, JUE, RODNEY A, FURMAN, THOMAS C
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 11.10.1994
• Edition: 5
• Subjects: BEER; BIOCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL ORENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES; CULTURE MEDIA; ENZYMOLOGY; FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIREDCHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERSFROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; MEASURING; MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEICACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; METALLURGY; MICROBIOLOGY; MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; ORGANIC CHEMISTRY; PEPTIDES; PHYSICS; PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL, OR TOILET PURPOSES; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; SPIRITS; TESTING; VINEGAR; WINE

Novel methods for reducing the heterogeneity of secreted monoclonal antibodies are disclosed. The first method comprises incubating the heterogeneous antibodies at low pH for a length of time sufficient to convert the heterogeneous forms of antibodies into substantially homogeneous forms. Another method produces the same result using ascites fluid, while yet another method produces the same result using carboxypeptidase. The homogeneous antibodies can then be purified in high yield.