Development of a rapid sanitization solution for silica-based protein A affinity adsorbents

Protein A chromatography media require sanitization between batches as well as prior to long-term storage. While sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is probably one of the most widely used sanitants within the bioprocess industry, it cannot be used with silica- or controlled pore glass (CPG)-based adsorbents due to the instability of the base matrix at high pH. Benzyl alcohol is commonly used for sanitizing such adsorbents, though extended contact times may be required to meet desired microbial log reduction values, especially for fungal and bacterial spore formers. With the rising market need for monoclonal antibody therapeutics, higher manufacturing throughput may be required. In such cases, a shorter sanitization cycle would be extremely beneficial to maximize manufacturing throughput and productivity. This paper describes the development of a new synergistic sanitant solution, designated PAB (120 mM phosphoric acid, 167 mM acetic acid, 2.2% benzyl alcohol) that delivers improved microbial kill kinetics, enabling sanitization times of 2–3 h at room temperature, while maintaining acceptable adsorbent stability. Both the approaches taken to establish the effectiveness of the improved solution as well as confirmation of its process compatibility are covered here.