Albumin-free botulinum toxin formulations

1. A method for stabilizing a botulinum toxin composition comprising a botulinum toxin, a non-reducing disaccharide or a non-reducing trisaccharide, a physiologically compatible buffer, and a non-ionic surfactant, the method comprising:

combining the botulinum toxin, the non-reducing disaccharide or the non-reducing trisaccharide, the non-ionic surfactant, and a physiologically compatible buffer to form a liquid composition;

wherein the concentration of the non-reducing disaccharide or the non-reducing tri-saccharide present in the liquid composition is in the range of 10% to 40% (w/v), wherein the concentration of the botulinum toxin present in the liquid composition is not greater than 1.074 μg/mL; and

drying the liquid composition to produce a solid amorphous composition.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the pH of the liquid composition is in the range of pH 4.5 to 6.5.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of drying comprises lyophilizing or vacuum-drying the liquid composition to produce the solid composition.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the step of drying comprises lyophilization to produce the solid composition.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the combining step is performed without adding animal-derived proteinaceous excipients.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the combining step is performed without adding animal-derived proteinaceous excipients comprising albumin.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising combining with the botulinum toxin, the non-reducing disaccharide or the non-reducing trisaccharide, the non-ionic surfactant, and the physiologically compatible buffer a positively charged backbone selected from

(a) a positively charged peptide with an amino acid sequence selected from RKKRRQRRR-G-(K)15-G-RKKRRQRRR (SEQ ID NO: 1), RGRDDRRQRRR-G-(K)15-G-RGRDDRRQRRR (SEQ ID NO: 2), or YGRKKRRQRRR-G-(K)15-G-YGRKKRRQRRR (SEQ ID NO: 3); or

(b) a positively charged polypeptide or a nonpeptidyl polymer having covalently attached thereto at least one positively charged efficiency group having an amino acid sequence selected from (gly)n1-(arg) n2 (SEQ ID NO: 4), wherein the subscript n1 is an integer of from 0 to 20 and the subscript n2 is independently an odd integer of from 5 to 25; (gly)p-RGRDDRRQRRR-(gly)q (SEQ ID NO 5); (gly)p-YGRKKRRQRRR-(gly)q (SEQ ID NO 6); (gly) p-RKKRRQRRR-(gly)q, (SEQ ID NO 7); wherein the subscripts p and q are each independently an integer of from 0 to 20; to form the liquid composition comprising a formulation bulk drug product.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the positively charged backbone is a positively charged polypeptide which is polylysine.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the positively charged backbone is a positively charged nonpeptidyl polymer which is a polyalkyleneimine.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the non-reducing disaccharide or tri-saccharide used to prepare the composition is selected from the group consisting of trehalose dihydrate, anhydrous trehalose, sucrose, raffinose and combinations thereof.

11. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the non-reducing disaccharide used to prepare the composition is selected from sucrose, trehalose dihydrate or anhydrous trehalose.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the non-ionic surfactant used to prepare the composition is selected from the group consisting of polysorbates, sorbitan esters, octylphenol ethylene oxide nonylphenol ethoxylate, poloxamers and combinations thereof.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the non-ionic surfactant used to prepare the composition is selected from the group consisting of polysorbate 20, polysorbate 40, polysorbate 60, polysorbate 80, sorbitan monolaurate, sorbitan monostearate, sorbitan tristearate, and sorbitan monooleate.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the physiologically compatible buffer is selected from the group consisting of citric acid, acetic acid, succinic acid, tartaric acid, maleic acid, histidine, citrate/acetate, citrate/histidine, citrate/tartrate, maleate/histidine, succinate/histidine, or salts thereof, and phosphate buffer.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the positively charged backbone is the peptide with an amino acid sequence selected from RKKRRQRRR-G-(K)15-G-RKKRRQRRR (SEQ ID NO: 1), RGRDDRRQRRR-G-(K)15-G-RGRDDRRQRRR (SEQ ID NO: 2), or YGRKKRRQRRR-G-(K)15-G-YGRKKRRQRRR (SEQ ID NO: 3).

16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the positively charged backbone is polylysine having attached thereto at least one positively charged efficiency group selected from amino acid sequence (gly)p-RKKRRQRRR-(gly)q (SEQ ID NO: 5); (gly)p-RGRDDRRQRRR-(gly)q (SEQ ID NO: 6); or (gly)p-YGRKKRRQRRR-(gly)q (SEQ ID NO: 7); wherein the subscripts p and q are each independently an integer of from 0 to 20.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the subscript n1 is an integer of from 2 to 5; and the subscript n2 is independently an odd integer of from 7 to 13.

18. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the subscripts p and q are each independently an integer of from 2 to 5.

19. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the non-reducing disaccharide is in the range of 10% to 40%.