Enhanced expression of a biosimilar monoclonal antibody with a novel NS0 platform

The precise product quality and lower cost of goods demands of the growing biosimilars industry are driving biomanufacturing innovation. Biosimilar cell lines that produce complex glycoproteins such as monoclonal antibodies must be both highly productive and express a product with critical quality attributes closely matching those of the innovator reference. In this work, a biomanufacturing platform is described that harnesses the commercially-established NS0 host cell in new ways to create stable, highly productive cell lines with characteristics meeting the current demands. A cholesterol metabolic selection marker and implementation strategy that can be generically applied are shown to yield high expressing cell lines as well as eliminate the need for cholesterol addition, which has been a significant barrier in both stainless steel reactors as well as in single-use plastic systems. Additionally, for the first time, a multiplex selection strategy was implemented that served to increase NS0 cell line specific productivity >10-fold and volumetric yields >6-fold. The best overall performing cell line had a Qp of 28.5 picograms per cell per day and was rapidly adapted to a lean production medium. Yields in l-glutamine fed-batch shaker cultures exceeded 500 mg/L. An initial screening of four feeding strategies resulted in a final 13-day yield of over 1.4 g/L in small shaker culture. Overall, this work shows both the strategy to develop biosimilar cell lines and the commercial potential of a novel expression system highly suited for the manufacture of biosimilars of reference biologics currently produced in murine cells. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 34:455-462, 2018.