Exploring the design space for Triton X-100 substitutes in viral inactivation applications

The urgent need to replace the European-prohibited Triton X-100 in biomanufacturing has been hindered by insufficient data on alternative detergents' minimum effective concentrations (MECs) and process robustness in viral inactivation. This study makes systematic research including: (1) Establishment of MECs for novel Triton X-100 substitutes (TXR-1/VIS/13-S9/C16) achieving effective inactivation of Xenotropic murine leukemia virus and Pseudorabies virus (log₁₀ reduction factor >4) across diverse CHO harvest fluids; (2) Demonstration of broad-spectrum efficacy against various viruses, with TXR-1/VIS/13-S9 maintaining effective inactivation for Bovine viral diarrhea virus, Vesicular stomatitis virus, Baculovirus, and Herpes simplex virus type 1; (3) Identification of PS20's material-dependent inactivation dynamics, establishing standalone parameters (4 h at 37°C) that achieve equivalent viral inactivation to traditional tri(n-butyl)phosphate -combined methods without requiring lipase activity-a paradigm shift in detergent application. Crucially, process optimization revealed that extending exposure time (1-4 h) enhanced PS20/PS80 efficacy more effectively than two fold concentration increases, providing cost-effective solutions. These findings deliver broader design spaces for implementing eco-friendly detergents while ensuring compliance with EMA/ICH viral safety standards.