Formulation of an antibody and use thereof

1. A method for providing a lyophilized formulation of an anti-CD 20 antibody, comprising the steps of:

I) providing a solution comprising the anti-CD 20 antibody,

II) freezing the antibody solution and,

III) subjecting the antibody solution to at least one drying step at a shelf temperature of −10° C. to 30° C., in order to obtain the lyophilized formulation, wherein the lyophilized formulation has a residual moisture content in the range of about 1.5% to 1.8%.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the antibody solution is subjected to one drying step.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further including subjecting the antibody solution to a second drying step, wherein the shelf temperature used in the second drying step is lower than the shelf temperature used in the first drying step.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the shelf temperature used in the second drying step is at least 2° C. lower, optionally at least 3° C. lower than the shelf temperature used in the first drying step.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the shelf temperature used in the first drying step is 8° C. and/or the shelf temperature used in the second drying step is 5° C.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the solution provided in step (I) comprises a buffering agent, optionally a buffering agent comprising histidine or phosphate.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the solution provided in step (I) comprises a tonicity modifying agent, optionally sucrose.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the solution provided in step (I) comprises a surfactant, optionally a nonionic surfactant.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the solution provided in step (I) has a pH value in the range of 5.0 to 7.0, optionally a pH value of 5.5±0.3.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the solution provided in step (I) comprises

a) at least 40 mg/g anti-CD 20 antibody,

b) 5-15 mM histidine,

c) 100-150 mM sucrose,

d) 0.05-0.5 mg/g polysorbate 20; and

wherein the solution provided in step (I) has a pH value of 5.5±0.3.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the anti-CD 20 antibody is Veltuzumab or a fragment thereof.

12. A method for providing a liquid formulation of an anti-CD 20 antibody, comprising providing a lyophilized formulation according to the method of claim 1 and subsequently performing a step IV) of reconstituting the lyophilized formulation.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the liquid formulation obtained in step IV) comprises

a) at least 80 mg/mL anti-CD 20 antibody,

b) 10-40 mM buffering agent, optionally a buffering agent comprising histidine,

c) 200-400 mM tonicity modifying agent, optionally sucrose,

d) 0.2-0.5 mg/mL surfactant, optionally polysorbate 20; and

has a pH value of 5.5±0.3.

14. A lyophilized formulation of an anti-CD 20 antibody, obtained by a method comprising the steps of:

I) providing a solution comprising the anti-CD 20 antibody,

II) freezing the antibody solution, and

III) subjecting the antibody solution to at least two drying steps, with a first drying step at a shelf temperature of −10° C. to 30° C., and a second drying step,

wherein the anti-CD 20 antibody is veltuzumab or an antigen-binding fragment thereof,

wherein the first drying step and the second drying step each changes the temperature to the shelf temperature at a rate of 1° C. per minute,

wherein the second drying step is at a shelf temperature lower than the shelf temperature of the first drying step,

wherein the formulation has a residual moisture content in the range of about 1.5% to 1.8%,

and wherein the formulation exhibits increased stability and reduced tendency to form aggregates during storage, as determined by measurement of particulate contamination, or by HP-SEC (high performance size-exclusion chromatography) monomer %.

15. The lyophilized formulation according to claim 14 , further comprising a buffering agent, optionally a buffering agent comprising histidine or phosphate.

16. The lyophilized formulation according to claim 14 , further comprising a tonicity modifying agent, optionally sucrose.

17. The lyophilized formulation according to claim 14 , further comprising a surfactant, optionally a nonionic surfactant.

18. The lyophilized formulation of claim 14 , wherein the residual moisture content is about 1.5%.

19. The lyophilized formulation according to claim 14 , wherein the shelf temperature of the second drying step is at least 2° C. lower than the shelf temperature of the first drying step.

20. A reconstituted formulation of an anti-CD 20 antibody, obtained by a method comprising reconstituting the lyophilized formulation of claim 14 .

21. A reconstituted formulation of an anti-CD 20 antibody, obtained by a method comprising reconstituting the lyophilized formulation of claim 19 .

22. A medicament comprising the reconstituted formulation according to claim 21 .

23. The medicament according to claim 22 , wherein the medicament is formulated for parenteral administration, optionally for subcutaneous administration.

24. The lyophilized formulation according to claim 19 , wherein the shelf temperature of the first drying step is about 8° C., and the shelf temperature of the second drying step is about 5° C.

25. A medicament comprising the reconstituted formulation according to claim 20 .

26. The medicament according to claim 25 , wherein the medicament is formulated for parenteral administration, optionally for subcutaneous administration.

27. The reconstituted formulation of claim 21 , wherein the lyophilized formulation of step III) has a residual moisture content of about 1.5%.

28. The medicament according to claim 25 , wherein the lyophilized formulation has a residual moisture content of about 1.5%.

29. The medicament according to claim 26 , where in the lyophilized formulation has a residual moisture content of about 1.5%.