Drug delivery

Hydrogel encapsulation could enhance the physical stability of therapeutic antibodies without affecting their antigen-binding activities, PK or safety. Antibodies were encapsulated in polypseudorotaxane hydrogels composed of PEG and either α-cyclodextrin or γ-cyclodextrin. In binding assays, hydrogel-encapsulated Xolair omalizumab inhibited binding between IgE and Fc fragment of IgE high affinity I receptor for α polypeptide (FCER1A) with comparable potency to unencapsulated Xolair. In physical stability assays, shaking stress induced less aggregation of hydrogel-encapsulated Xolair, Lucentis ranibizumab, Synagis palivizumab and Vectibix panitumumab than of the unencapsulated mAbs. In rats, subcutaneously injected, hydrogel-encapsulated Xolair had a plasma PK profile and a safety profile comparable to unencapsulated Xolair. Next steps could include testing the efficacy of hydrogel-encapsulated antibodies in animal models of disease.

Roche, its Genentech Inc. unit and Novartis AG market Xolair, a recombinant humanized mAb against IgE, for chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU), asthma and allergies, and Lucentis, a humanized mAb fragment against vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and other ophthalmic indications...