Multiplexed Chromatography-Immunoassay for Immune Complex Characterization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for detecting and characterizing circulating immune complexes in biological matrices are inadequate for correlating with altered pharmacokinetics, loss of efficacy, and immune and hypersensitivity reactions, as they do not provide sufficient information on complex size and composition, which are critical for understanding the severity and mechanisms of adverse events.

Innovation Solution

A multi-step method combining size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) with at least one immunoassay and optionally mass-spectrometry-based analysis to determine the size and composition of circulating immune complexes, allowing for the characterization of immune complexes formed in vivo, including anti-drug antibodies and their complexes with therapeutic polypeptides.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If conventional immunoassays are used to detect anti-drug antibodies, then ADA incidence can be determined, but insufficient information on complex size and composition is obtained

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecharacterization of immune complex size and compositionVSAvoidmulti-step method combining SEC and immunoassay
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The method segments the analysis into distinct steps: first separating immune complexes by size using size-exclusion chromatography to obtain size distribution information, then analyzing specific fractions using immunoassays to detect ADA-D complexes. This segmentation allows comprehensive characterization while maintaining manageable procedural complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention merges size-exclusion chromatography with immunoassay techniques in a sequential workflow. The SEC provides physical separation based on size, while the subsequent immunoassay provides biochemical identification of ADA-D complexes. This combination enables simultaneous determination of both size and compositional characteristics that neither method could achieve alone

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Loss of information

If size-exclusion chromatography is used to separate immune complexes by size, then complex size information is obtained, but additional time and procedural steps are required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation on complex sizeVSAvoidanalysis time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The size-exclusion chromatography is performed as a preliminary separation step before immunoassay analysis. By pre-separating the complex mixture into size-based fractions, the subsequent immunoassay can focus on detecting ADA-D complexes in specific size ranges, thereby obtaining comprehensive size information without requiring analysis of the entire complex mixture at once

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach enables a correlation between immune complex characteristics and altered pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and hypersensitivity reactions, providing valuable insights into the mechanisms of adverse events and aiding in the assessment of immunogenicity and drug tolerance.

Implementation Method 1

a size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) and an immunoassay

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSize-exclusion chromatography: Chromatography

Data Source

PatentEP2823310B1Multiplexed chromatography-immunoassay method for the characterization of circulating immune complexes
Publication Date: 2018.06.20 F HOFFMANN LA ROCHE & CO AG
  • EP2823310B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2823310B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2823310B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Thus, herein is reported a method for analyzing/characterizing circulating immune complexes (CICs) formed in vivo comprising a size-exclusion chromatography of a sample obtained from a mammal to which the drug had been administered at least once for determining the weight/size of the immune complexes, optionally a second non-SEC chromatography, and at least one immunoassay, whereby the immune complex is characterized by the correlation of the immune complex size and the immunoassay result/read-out. Also reported herein is the use of a method as reported herein for determining a correlation to altered pharmacokinetics, for determining loss or reduction of efficacy, for determining neutralization of natural counterparts of the drug, for determining immune and hypersensitivity reactions, including serum sickness/type III hypersensitivity reaction/immune complexmediated disease.