Report on the AAPS Immunogenicity Guidance Forum.

In September 2018, the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) conducted an Annual Guidance Forum on the considerations related to immunogenicity testing for therapeutic protein products. In addition to a broad representation by the pharmaceutical industry, the event included strong representation by leading scientists from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The agency and industry perspectives and updates to the guidance were presented.

Methotrexate and BAFF interaction prevents immunization against TNF inhibitors.

Objectives: TNF inhibitors (TNFi) can induce anti-drug antibodies (ADA) in patients with autoimmune diseases (AID) leading to clinical resistance. We explored a new way of using methotrexate (MTX) to decrease this risk of immunisation.

Methods: We treated BAFF transgenic (BAFFtg) mice, a model of AID in which immunisation against biologic drugs is high, with different TNFi.

Detection of Memory B Activity Against a Therapeutic Protein in Treatment-Naïve Subjects.

Bridging immunoassays commonly used to detect and characterize immunogenicity during biologic development do not provide direct information on the presence or development of a memory anti-drug antibody (ADA) response. In this study, a B cell ELISPOT assay method was used to evaluate pre-existing ADA for anti-TNFR1 domain antibody, GSK1995057, an experimental biologic in treatment naive subjects. This assay utilized a 7-day activation of PBMCs by a combination of GSK1995057 (antigen) and polyclonal stimulator followed by GSK1995057-specific ELISPOT for the enumeration of memory B cells that have differentiated into antibody secreting cells (ASC) in vitro.

A Microdose PET Study of the Safety, Immunogenicity, Biodistribution, and Radiation Dosimetry of F-FB-A20FMDV2 for Imaging the Integrin αβ.

The αβ integrin is involved in the pathogenesis of cancer and fibrosis. A radiolabeled 20-amino-acid αβ-binding peptide, derived from the foot and mouth virus (NAVPNLRGDLQVLAQKVART [A20FMDV2]), has been developed to image αβ levels preclinically. This study was designed to translate these findings into a clinical PET imaging protocol to measure the expression of αβ in humans.