Tracking the Behavior of Monoclonal Antibody Product Quality Attributes Using a Multi-Attribute Method Workflow

The multi-attribute method (MAM) is a liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry based method that is used to directly characterize and monitor many product quality attributes and impurities on biotherapeutics, most commonly at the peptide level. It utilizes high-resolution accurate mass spectral data which are analyzed in an automated fashion. MAM is a promising approach that is intended to replace or supplement several conventional assays with a single LC-MS analysis and can be implemented in a Current Good Manufacturing Practice environment. MAM provides accurate site-specific quantitation information on targeted attributes and the nontargeted new peak detection function allows to detect new peaks as impurities, modifications, or sequence variants when comparing to a reference sample. The high resolution MAM workflow was applied here for three independent case studies. First, to monitor the behavior of monoclonal antibody product quality attributes over the course of a 12-day cell culture experiment providing an insight into the behavior and dynamics of product attributes throughout the process. Second, the workflow was applied to test the purity and identity of a product through analysis of samples spiked with host cell proteins. Third, through the comparison of a drug product and a biosimilar with known sequence variants. The three case studies presented here, clearly demonstrate the robustness and accuracy of the MAM workflow that implies suitability for deployment in the regulated environment.