Efficient and controlled expansion of IgG1 producing CHO-DG44 cells using the ActiCHO Media System and WAVE Bioreactor

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1 Efficient and controlled expansion of IgG1 producing CHO-DG44 cells using the ActiCHO Media System and WAVE Bioreactor Thomas Falkman, Eric Fäldt, Anita Vitina and Cecilia Annerén. GE Healthcare Bio-Sciences AB, Uppsala, Sweden First presented at the Bioprocessing Summit in Boston, MA on August 20-24, 2012

2 Introduction Demands for more potent drugs, higher yields, smaller batch sizes and the cost pressure on R&D budgets push upstream bioprocessing towards single use bioreactors and cell culture media that support high density cultures and good process control. We have developed a high cell density fed-batch process based on an IgG1 producing CHO-DG44 cell line and the ActiCHO Media System. The process was successfully run in a conventional stainless steel stirred tank bioreactor (SS STR) up to 100L cultivation volume as well as the single use WAVE Bioreactor system at 10 and 100L scales. The seedtrain expansion step was performed in shake flasks and the WAVE Bioreactor 20/50 system. 2

3 Workflow 3

4 ActiCHO Media System Especially designed for easy largescale production in fed-batch culture, using recombinant CHO- DG44 cells All components are based on the same chemically defined raw materials. 4

5 Material CHO-DG44 cell line expressing monoclonal antibody IgG1. WAVE Bioreactor 20/50 and 200 system WAVEPOD II Cellbag 20L and 200L with optical ph sensor. UNICORN DAQ 1.0 software 100 L stainless steal STR Bioreactor (Belach Bioteknik AB) ActiCHO Media System: ActiCHO SM CD suppl. with 6 mm L-Glut. : selective medium for adaptation of CHO cells. ActiCHO P CD suppl. with 6 mm L-Glut. : non-selective production medium. ActiCHO Feed-A CD & ActiCHO Feed-B CD: Supplements added in fed-batch process 5

6 Methods Seed-train expansion: Cells were recovered in complete ActiCHO SM CD medium, a basal and nutrient limited medium suitable for cell maintenance and cell expansion. Shake flask cultures were maintained in humidified incubators at 36.8 C with 7.5% CO2 on an orbital platform at 103 rpm. Cells were sub-cultured at 0.2 x 106 cells/ml every 3 days. The last subculture up to 20 x 10 9 cells was performed in WAVE Bioreactor 20/50. Production: The bioreactor was filled with ActiCHO P CD medium at 60% of the maximum volume. Cells were inoculated at 0.3x106 cells/ml. Feeding of Feed A and Feed B started at day 3 postinoculation with 43.2 g/l/day and 4.32 g/l/day respectively. Feeding of glucose was started at day 6 post-inoculation and carried out to maintain glucose level at ~6 g/l. The WAVE Bioreactor 200 culture was inoculated with 0.18 x 106 cells/ml. Analysis: Nutrients and physical parameters were measured off-line using the Bioprofile Flex (Nova Biomedical). Cell density and viability were measured using CASY Cell Counter and Analyzer (Roche). IgG titers were determined with MabSelect SuRe analytical chromatography and Biacore. 6

7 Seed-train expansion in WAVE Bioreactor 20/50 system at 10L scale The potential of the WAVE Bioreactor system to increase the volume 10-fold using the same Cellbag suggests that the seed-train expansion step could be initiated in the WAVE bioreactor 20/50 system using a 20L Cellbag going from 0,2 x 10 9 to 30 x 10 9 cells in less than a week assuming a maximum cell density of 3 x 10 9 cells/ml. 7

8 WAVE Bioreactor 20/50 system Cell growth and viability were comparable between the two cultures in the WAVE Bioreactor 20/50 system with maximum cell densities >20 x 10 6 cell/ml. The IgG production levels were also similar with final product titers consistently around 5 g/l. 8

9 WAVE Bioreactor 200 and 100L STR Cell growth, viability and product titers were comparable between the two WAVE Bioreactor 20/50 cultures and the 100L STR with maximum cell densities >20 x 10 6 cell/ml. The cell growth and production was a bit lower in the WAVE Bioreactor 200 culture, likely due to a lower inoculum density and a shorter production period. The final concentration of IgG in the WAVE Bioreactor 200 system was 3.96 g/l on day 11, which was similar to the other process runs at the same time-point of the culture. 9

10 Metabolic profiles from STR culture The ActiCHO Media System promoted low lactate production with high viability of the cells 10

11 Metabolic profiles from WAVE Bioreactor cultures The optical ph sensor in the Cellbag display accurate and precise readings with stable regulation at a given setpoint giving an excellent stability of parameter control. 11

12 Conclusions The process consequently resulted in maximum viable cell densities around 20 x 10 6 cells/ml and product titers of approximately 5 g/l. The ActiCHO Media System promoted low lactate production with high viability of the cells IgG production and cell growth was independent of the type of bioreactor and scale being used showing the stability of the process and the strength of the medium platform Culture of IgG producing CHO-DG44 cells in the single use WAVE Bioreactor systems using the ActiCHO Media System is a simple and robust process option for seed-train expansion and IgG production up to at least 100L scale. 12

13 Acknowledgments GE, imagination at work, and GE monogram are trademarks of General Electric Company. BiaCore, Cellbag, MabSelect SuRe, UNICORN, WAVE Bioreactor, and WAVEPOD are trademarks of GE Healthcare companies. All third party trademarks are property of their respective owners General Electric Company All rights reserved. First published All goods and services are sold subjects to the terms and conditions of sale of the company within GE Healthcare which supplies them. A copy of these terms and conditions is available on request. Contact your local GE Healthcare representative for the most current information. GE Healthcare Bio-Sciences AB, Björkgatan 30, Uppsala, Sweden. 13