C-terminal modification of monoclonal antibody drugs: Amidated species as a general product-related substance

Twelve therapeutic mAbs, comprising 10 IgG1s and 2 IgG4s, were analyzed by a peptide mapping technique to detect and quantify C-terminal modifications. C-terminal amidated structures were found in 8 out of the 12 mAbs. An in vitro study using a commercially available peptidylglycine alpha-amidating monooxygenase (PAM) revealed that both IgG1 and IgG4 can be substrates for PAM. This study showed that C-terminal amidation is a general C-terminal modification on the heavy chains of therapeutic mAbs and that C-terminal amidation of mAbs can be catalyzed by a certain PAM(s) in the Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells that are widely used for manufacturing therapeutic mAbs.