Arginine inactivation of viruses

Abstract

The present invention pertains to methods of using arginine to inactivate or reduce the infectious titer of enveloped viruses potentially present in biological compositions produced by eukaryotic cells (such as a antibodies or other therapeutic proteins). In some embodiments, inactivation or reduction of viral titers by exposure to arginine is achieved in a neutral (pH˜7) or near neutral (˜pH 6 to ˜pH 8) environment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of inactivating or reducing the infectious titer of an enveloped virus comprising contacting said virus with arginine, wherein said contacting occurs in a solution comprising at least about 0.8 M arginine and wherein said solution is at a pH above about 6.0. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said enveloped virus contaminates a therapeutic biological product. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said pH is selected from the group consisting of:
 a) pH of about 6.0 to about 8.5;   b) pH of about 6.5 to about 8.0;   c) pH of about 6.5 to about 7.5;   d) pH of about 6.0 to 8.0;   e) pH of about 7.0 to about 8.0;   f) pH of about 7.0 to about 7.5;   g) pH of about 6.0;   h) pH of about 6.5;   i) pH of about 7.0;   j) pH of about 7.5;   k) pH of about 8.0; and,   l) pH of about 8.5.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said concentration of arginine is selected from the group consisting of:
 a) about 0.8 M;   b) about 0.9 M;   c) about 1.0 M;   d) about 1.1 M;   e) about 1.2 M;   f) about 1.3 M;   g) about 1.4 M;   h) about 1.5 M;   i) about 1.6 M;   j) about 1.7 M;   k) about 1.8 M;   l) about 1.9 M;   m) about 2.0 M;   n) about 2.1 M;   o) about 2.2 M;   p) about 2.3 M;   q) about 2.4 M;   r) about 2.5 M;   s) about 3 M;   t) about 3.5 M;   u) about 4 M;   v) about 4.5M;   w) about 5 M;   x) about 5.5 M;   y) about 6 M;   z) about 6.5 M;   aa) about 7 M; and   ab) about 7.5M.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said enveloped virus is contacted with said solution that further comprises a glycol compound. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said glycol compound is present at a concentration of less than or equal to about 50% (weight to volume). 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said glycol compound is selected from the group consisting of:
 a) propylene glycol;   b) polypropylene glycol;   c) ethylene glycol;   d) polyethylene glycol;   e) hexylene glycol; and,   f) polyhexylene glycol.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said inactivating or reducing is performed as part of a product purification process. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said product purification process is selected from the group consisting of a cell culture harvest procedure, a cell culture clarification procedure, a chromatography purification procedure, a virus filtration procedure, and an ultrafiltration or diafiltration procedure. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the therapeutic biological product comprises a recombinant protein. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said therapeutic biological product comprises a naturally occurring or recombinant immunoglobulin. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said therapeutic biological product comprises a naturally occurring or recombinant blood coagulation factor. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said blood coagulation factor is selected from the group consisting of:
 a) fibrinogen (Factor I);   b) fibrin;   c) prothrombin (Factor II);   d) thrombin;   e) anti-thrombin;   f) Tissue factor Co-factor of VIIa (Factor III);   g) Protein C;   h) Protein S;   i) protein Z;   j) Protein Z-related protease inhibitor;   k) heparin cofactor II;   l) Factor V;   m) Factor-VII;   n) Factor-VIII;   o) Factor-IX;   p) Factor-X;   q) Factor-XI;   r) Factor-XII;   s) Factor-XIII;   t) von Willebrand factor;   u) prekallikrein;   v) high molecular weight kininogen;   w) plasminogen;   x) plasmin;   y) tissue-plasminogen activator;   z) urokinase;   aa) plasminogen activator inhibitor-1; and   ab) plasminogen activator inhibitor-2.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said therapeutic biological product is produced by eukaryotic cells. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said eukaryotic cells are mammalian cells. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the concentration of arginine is gradually increased using a step-wise or continuous gradient to a final concentration of at least about 0.8 M arginine. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said final concentration of arginine is increased by the step-wise or continuous gradient at a rate of about 20% or less per minute. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the concentration of arginine is selected from about 1 M to about 3 M or about 1 M to about 2 M. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said enveloped virus is Suid herpesvirus 1 (SuHV-1). 
     
     
         20 . A method of inactivating or reducing the infectious titer of a Suid herpesvirus 1 (SuHV-1) comprising contacting said virus with arginine, wherein said contacting occurs in a solution comprising at least about 0.2 M arginine and wherein said solution is at a pH above about 6.0.