The Effects of Light-Accelerated Degradation on the Aggregation of Marketed Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibodies Evaluated by Size-Exclusion Chromatography With Diode Array Detection

Research into the effects that exposure to light can have on therapeutic proteins is essential for ensuring the quality and safety of the medicines in which they are used. It is important to understand the effects of light on aggregation to help avoid undesirable colloidal instabilities, both in the original medicines and in the formats in which they are finally administered. In this study, 5 marketed therapeutic mAbs, namely bevacizumab, cetuximab, infliximab, rituximab, and trastuzumab, were investigated for this purpose. The medicines and 2 diluted preparations in 0.9 NaCl (2 mg/mL and 5 mg/mL)—commonly used in clinical practice—were subjected to controlled light-accelerated degradation. The formation of aggregates was monitored by size-exclusion chromatography. The results indicated that light induced protein aggregation. This process of protein damage was influenced above all by mAb concentration, although the particular characteristics of each mAb were also important. Photodegradation also produced the fragmentation of the mAbs. The damage caused to the mAbs as a result of light-induced aggregation and/or fragmentation was demonstrated both in the medicines and in the diluted preparation forms. These findings should be carefully considered when handling the medicines for administration and when recommending beyond-use dates in normal hospital conditions.