Methods for the prevention of aggregation of viral components

1. A method for producing a composition comprising Enteroviral particles, the method comprising, sequentially:

(a) purifying Enteroviral particles from a medium containing Enteroviral particles, whereby during at least a part of the purification a basic amino acid or a derivative thereof is present at a concentration between 0.5-1000 mM to prevent or reduce aggregation of the Enteroviral particles; and, optionally, at least one of:

(b) inactivating the Enteroviral particles; and,

(c) formulating the Enteroviral particles,

wherein the basic amino acid or derivative thereof is selected from the group consisting of arginine, lysine, histidine, arginine-HCl , lysine-HCl , histidine-HCl , agmatine, L-arginine ethyl ester dihydrochloride, tranexamic acid, DL-5-hydroxylysine hydrochloride, L-lysine methyl ester dihydrochloride, 3-methyl-L-histidine, salts thereof and combinations thereof.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the basic amino acid or derivative thereof is present at a concentration sufficient to prevent or reduce aggregation of the Enteroviral particles during at least a part of step (b), and wherein, optionally, also during step (c) the basic amino acid or derivative thereof is present at a concentration sufficient to prevent or reduce aggregation of the Enteroviral particles to formulate a pharmaceutical composition comprising the Enteroviral particles and optionally a concentration of the basic amino acid or derivative thereof sufficient to prevent or reduce aggregation of the Enteroviral particles.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the basic amino acid or derivative thereof that is sufficient to prevent or reduce aggregation of the Enteroviral particles is maintained throughout the entire duration of at least one of steps (a), (b) and (c).

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the basic amino acid or derivative thereof is a concentration of at least 0.81 mM.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the concentration of the basic amino acid or derivative thereof is a concentration between 0.81-500 mM.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the Enteroviral particles are virus-like particles of an Enterovirus.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the Enteroviral particles are of an Enterovirus selected from the group consisting of polioviruses, Coxsackie A viruses, Coxsackie B viruses, Echoviruses, Rhinoviruses and Enteroviruses 68, 69, 70, 71 and 73.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the Enteroviral particles comprise polioviruses of the serotypes 1, 2 and 3.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the composition comprising Enteroviral particles is a vaccine.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the vaccine is an Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV).

11. A method of preventing or reducing aggregation of Enteroviral particles during purification of the Enteroviral particles from a medium, the method comprising adding to a composition comprising Enteroviral particles a basic amino acid or derivative thereof selected from the group consisting of arginine, lysine, histidine, arginine-HCl , lysine-HCl , histidine-HCl , agmatine, L-arginine ethyl ester dihydrochloride, tranexamic acid, DL-5-hydroxylysine hydrochloride, L-lysine methyl ester dihydrochloride, 3-methyl-L-histidine, salts thereof and combinations thereof,

wherein during at least a part of the purification the basic amino acid or a derivative thereof is present at a concentration between 0.5-1000 mM to prevent or reduce aggregation of the viral component.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the Enteroviral particles are of an Enterovirus selected from the group consisting of polioviruses, Coxsackie A viruses, Coxsackie B viruses, Echoviruses, Rhinoviruses and Enteroviruses 68, 69, 70, 71 and 73.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the Enteroviral particles comprise polioviruses of the serotypes 1, 2 and 3.

14. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the Enteroviral particles are an Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV).