The effects of excipients on the viscosities of protein formulations are examined in a new application note published by Malvern Panalytical in which low volume viscometry was performed with the recently launched Viscosizer 200.
This benchtop system performs automated viscosity measurements on very low sample volumes over a wide range of concentrations, which makes the instrument particularly useful in early stage biopharmaceutical development.
The work was conducted at Malvern Panalytical by Applications Engineer Dr Oksana Leszczyszyn, who specializes in the analytical characterization of proteins. It demonstrates the utility of the Viscosizer 200 in discerning differences resulting from different formulations and shows how the system can be used as a tool in screening for appropriate formulation candidates.
“As biotherapeutics are usually delivered by injection at relatively high concentrations, formulation viscosity is critically important, and a variety of small molecule excipients may be used to reduce viscosity by inhibiting protein aggregation,” said Dr Leszczyszyn. “Having the ability to screen formulations for viscosity issues or against a particular viscosity threshold at an early stage of development when sample volumes are limited, using a system such as the Viscosizer 200, will facilitate and expedite candidate selection and contribute to quicker, more cost-effective routes to market.”
The new Viscosizer 200 from Malvern Panalytical is the latest product to reach commercialization as a result of Malvern Panalytical’s highly focused Bioscience Development Initiative. Designed primarily to help solve key analytical challenges at the preformulation stage of pharmaceutical, and particularly biopharmaceutical, development, the automated Viscosizer 200 delivers viscosity and molecular size data on UV-active samples, using volumes of less than 10 µL.