Impact of Surfactants on the Functionality of Prefilled Syringes

Previous studies revealed the impact of formulation factors (excipients and pH) on the functionality of prefilled syringes. Surfactant, a critical formulation component for therapeutic proteins and antibodies, aids in minimizing protein adsorption onto interfaces and reduces protein aggregation or particulate formation. This study evaluated the impact of different surfactants and protein concentration on the functionality of prefilled syringes. Syringes filled with solution formulations with different surfactants were stored at various temperatures and evaluated at selected time points. Upon thermal stress, polysorbate 80 and dodecyl-β-d-maltoside containing formulations showed significantly greater increase in glide force when compared with poloxamer 407 containing formulations. In contrast, syringes filled with poloxamer 188 containing formulations did not show any increase in glide force under the same conditions. Based on the results from this study, the increase in syringe glide force was inversely correlated with hydrophobic-lipophilic balance values and surface tension of different surfactants. The mechanism of increase in glide force was primarily the change of silicone oil coverage and lubricity in the barrel of syringes.