Local Treatment of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer with a Spray-Dried Bevacizumab Formulation

✅ 全文

喷雾干燥贝伐珠单抗制剂局部治疗非小细胞肺癌

作者 Kimberly B. Shepard; D. Vodak; Philip J. Kuehl; David Revelli; Yue Zhou; Amanda M. Pluntze; Molly S. Adam; Julia C. Oddo; Lauren Switala; Jonathan L. Cape; John M. Baumann; Michael Banks 期刊 AAPS PharmSciTech 发表日期 2021 ISSN 1530-9932 DOI 10.1208/s12249-021-02095-7 类型 原创研究 (Original Research)

📄 中文摘要 Chinese Abstract

中文
肺部局部递送生物制剂在治疗肺部疾病方面具有巨大前景,但开发物理稳定、具有生物活性的大分子(如单克隆抗体,mAbs)干粉吸入制剂仍面临重大挑战。贝伐珠单抗是一种重组人源化单克隆抗体,可抑制血管内皮生长因子(VEGF),目前经静脉(IV)输注获批用于非小细胞肺癌(NSCLC)的治疗。然而,全身给药伴随高剂量、严重不良反应以及因需频繁门诊就诊导致的患者依从性差等问题。将贝伐珠单抗重新制剂化以实现肺部局部递送,可降低全身暴露、减少所需剂量、减轻不良反应,并实现患者自行给药。

📋 英文结构化总结 English Structured Summary

全文整理

EN

Background:

Local delivery of biotherapeutics to the lung offers significant promise for treating lung diseases, but developing physically stable, biologically active dry powder formulations of large molecules like monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for inhalation has remained challenging. Bevacizumab, a recombinant humanized mAb that inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), is approved for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) via intravenous (IV) infusion. However, systemic delivery is associated with high doses, serious side effects, and poor patient compliance due to the need for frequent clinic visits. Reformulating bevacizumab for local pulmonary delivery could reduce systemic exposure, lower required doses, minimize adverse effects, and enable self-administration.

Methods:

Spray drying was used to produce a dry powder formulation of bevacizumab with trehalose and L-leucine as excipients. The process involved dialyzing the drug substance, spray drying under controlled conditions (outlet temperature: 50°C), and collecting powder via cyclone. Formulations with 10%, 20%, and 40% bevacizumab loading were evaluated for physical stability, aerosol performance, and biological activity. The lead formulation (40% bevacizumab/trehalose/L-leucine) was assessed using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Karl Fischer titration, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), size-exclusion chromatography with multi-angle laser light scattering (SEC-MALLS), geometric and aerodynamic particle size analysis, Next Generation Impactor (NGI), and an anti-VEGF reporter bioassay. In vivo efficacy was tested in an orthotopic nude rat model of NSCLC, comparing inhaled bevacizumab (1.5 mg/kg deposited dose) to IV bevacizumab (15 mg/kg), with and without cisplatin.

Results:

The 40% bevacizumab spray-dried powder exhibited favorable aerosol properties, with a mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) of 2.2 μm and fine-particle fraction (FPF) of 82%, indicating suitability for deep lung delivery. The formulation showed a glass-transition temperature (Tg) onset of ~117°C, confirming good physical stability. SEC-MALLS analysis revealed minimal aggregation after reconstitution, and the anti-VEGF bioactivity was preserved (IC₅₀ = 0.23 μg/mL vs. 0.16 μg/mL for control). In vivo, inhaled bevacizumab combined with cisplatin reduced tumor burden by 73%—comparable to IV bevacizumab plus cisplatin—despite a 10-fold lower dose. Maintenance therapy with inhaled bevacizumab also significantly improved survival and reduced lung tumor regrowth.

Data Summary:

The spray-dried powder had a water content of 3–4% w/w, geometric D₅₀ of 2.2 μm, and aerodynamic MMAD of 2.0–2.5 μm. FPF ranged from 78% to 84% across stability time points. Anti-VEGF activity remained stable over 6 months at both 5°C and 25°C/60% RH (IC₅₀ values: 0.10–0.17 μg/mL). In the primary efficacy study, mean lung weights were 7.3 g (untreated), 1.9 g (IV bevacizumab + cisplatin), and 2.0 g (inhaled bevacizumab + cisplatin). During maintenance, median survival increased from 64 days (untreated) to 74–75 days (treated groups).

Conclusions:

A spray-dried bevacizumab formulation was successfully developed with preserved bioactivity, excellent aerosol performance, and 6-month physical stability at ambient conditions. In an orthotopic NSCLC rat model, inhaled bevacizumab at one-tenth the IV dose achieved equivalent efficacy when combined with cisplatin, demonstrating the potential for significant dose reduction through local pulmonary delivery. This approach may mitigate systemic toxicity and expand treatment eligibility for NSCLC patients.

Practical Significance:

This work demonstrates a viable strategy for delivering monoclonal antibodies directly to the lung via dry powder inhaler, enabling home-based maintenance therapy for NSCLC. The 10-fold dose reduction could lower treatment costs, reduce serious adverse events like pulmonary hemorrhage, and improve patient compliance by eliminating frequent IV infusions. The platform technology may be applicable to other mAbs targeting lung diseases, potentially transforming care for conditions such as asthma, COPD, and pulmonary infections.

📋 中文结构化总结 Chinese Structured Summary

中文

背景:

肺部局部递送生物制剂在治疗肺部疾病方面具有巨大前景,但开发物理稳定、具有生物活性的大分子(如单克隆抗体,mAbs)干粉吸入制剂仍面临重大挑战。贝伐珠单抗是一种重组人源化单克隆抗体,可抑制血管内皮生长因子(VEGF),目前经静脉(IV)输注获批用于非小细胞肺癌(NSCLC)的治疗。然而,全身给药伴随高剂量、严重不良反应以及因需频繁门诊就诊导致的患者依从性差等问题。将贝伐珠单抗重新制剂化以实现肺部局部递送,可降低全身暴露、减少所需剂量、减轻不良反应,并实现患者自行给药。

方法:

采用喷雾干燥技术,以海藻糖和L-亮氨酸为赋形剂制备贝伐珠单抗干粉制剂。工艺过程包括对原料药进行透析、在受控条件下(出口温度:50°C)进行喷雾干燥,以及通过旋风分离器收集粉末。对含10%、20%和40%贝伐珠单抗载量的制剂进行了物理稳定性、雾化性能和生物学活性评估。对先导制剂(40%贝伐珠单抗/海藻糖/L-亮氨酸)进行了粉末X射线衍射(PXRD)、差示扫描量热法(DSC)、卡尔费休滴定法、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、多角度激光光散射体积排阻色谱(SEC-MALLS)、几何粒径和空气动力学粒径分析、新一代撞击器(NGI)以及抗VEGF报告基因生物测定。在NSCLC原位裸大鼠模型中评估了体内疗效,比较了吸入式贝伐珠单抗(沉积剂量1.5 mg/kg)与静脉注射贝伐珠单抗(15 mg/kg)联合或不联合顺铂的疗效。

结果:

40%贝伐珠单抗喷雾干燥粉末表现出良好的雾化特性,质量中值空气动力学直径(MMAD)为2.2 μm,细颗粒分数(FPF)为82%,表明适合肺部深部递送。该制剂的玻璃化转变温度(Tg)起始点约为117°C,证实其具有良好的物理稳定性。SEC-MALLS分析显示复溶后聚集极少,抗VEGF生物活性得以保留(IC₅₀ = 0.23 μg/mL,对照为0.16 μg/mL)。在体内实验中,吸入式贝伐珠单抗联合顺铂使肿瘤负荷降低73%,与静脉注射贝伐珠单抗联合顺铂疗效相当,而剂量仅为后者的十分之一。吸入式贝伐珠单抗维持治疗还显著提高了生存率并减少了肺部肿瘤的再生长。

数据摘要:

喷雾干燥粉末的水分含量为3–4% w/w,几何D₅₀为2.2 μm,空气动力学MMAD为2.0–2.5 μm。在各稳定性时间点,FPF范围为78%至84%。在5°C和25°C/60% RH条件下储存6个月,抗VEGF活性保持稳定(IC₅₀值:0.10–0.17 μg/mL)。在主要疗效研究中,平均肺重量分别为:未治疗组7.3 g,静脉注射贝伐珠单抗+顺铂组1.9 g,吸入式贝伐珠单抗+顺铂组2.0 g。在维持治疗期间,中位生存期从未治疗组的64天提高至治疗组的74–75天。

结论:

成功开发了一种喷雾干燥的贝伐珠单抗制剂,在常温条件下保持了生物活性、优异的雾化性能和6个月的物理稳定性。在NSCLC大鼠原位模型中,吸入式贝伐珠单抗以静脉注射剂量十分之一的用量联合顺铂即可达到同等疗效,证明了通过肺部局部递送实现显著剂量降低的潜力。该方法可能减轻全身毒性并扩大NSCLC患者的治疗适用性。

实际意义:

本研究展示了一种通过干粉吸入器将单克隆抗体直接递送至肺部的可行策略,为NSCLC的居家维持治疗提供了可能。剂量降低十倍可降低治疗成本、减少肺出血等严重不良事件,并通过消除频繁静脉输注提高患者依从性。该技术平台可能适用于其他靶向肺部疾病的单克隆抗体,有望改变哮喘、慢性阻塞性肺疾病(COPD)和肺部感染等疾病的治疗模式。

📖 英文全文 English Full Text

EN

365 springeropen AAPS PharmSciTech AAPS PharmSciTech PMC8408070 8408070 8408070 34467438 10.1208/s12249-021-02095-7 Local Treatment of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer with a Spray-Dried Bevacizumab Formulation Shepard Kimberly B 1 ✉ Vodak David T 1 Kuehl Philip J 2 Revelli David 2 Zhou Yue 2 Pluntze Amanda M 1 Adam Molly S 1 Oddo Julia C 1 Switala Lauren 1 Cape Jonathan L 1 Baumann John M 1 Banks Michael 3 1 Research & Development, Lonza, 64550 Research Rd., Bend, Oregon, 97703 USA 2 Lovelace Biomedical, Albuquerque, New Mexico USA 3 Global Business Development, Lonza, Portsmouth, New Hampshire USA ✉ Corresponding author. 31 8 2021 22 7 230 230 9 9 2021 © The Author(s) 2021 Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Abstract Local delivery of biotherapeutics to the lung holds great promise for treatment of lung diseases, but development of physically stable, biologically active dry powder formulations of large molecules for inhalation has remained a challenge. Here, spray drying was used to manufacture a dry powder pulmonary formulation of bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody approved to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by intravenous infusion. By reformulating bevacizumab for local delivery, reduced side effects, lower doses, and improved patient compliance are possible. The formulation had aerosol properties suitable for delivery to the deep lung, as well as good physical stability at ambient temperature for at least 6 months. Bevacizumab’s anti-VEGF bioactivity was not impacted by the manufacturing process. The formulation was efficacious in an in vivo rat model for NSCLC at a 10-fold decrease in dose relative to the intravenous control. KEY WORDS: spray drying, monoclonal antibody, biotherapeutics, lung cancer, local delivery status released display-pdf yes is-in-collection-domain yes is-olf no is-manuscript no is-preprint no is-journal-matter no is-scanned no is-retracted no Received 2021 May 28; Accepted 2021 Jul 13; Collection date 2021 Oct. Introduction Noninvasive strategies to deliver biologic active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), such as proteins, peptides, and antibodies, have generated intense interest [ 1 ]. For lung indications, local treatment by delivering inhaled formulations directly to the site of action, when appropriate, is preferred, since this approach avoids the drawbacks of systemic delivery, making reduced side effects, lower doses, convenient at-home administration, and improved patient compliance possible. Local treatment of lung diseases is common for indications such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), with more than 100 inhalation products approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the market as of 2018 [ 2 ]. Here, we explore expansion of the local delivery concept for lung cancer treatment using a spray-dried monoclonal antibody (mAb) delivered with a dry powder inhaler. As of 2017, lung cancer was the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Americans, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) making up the majority of cases [ 3 ]. Lung cancer is treated with a combination of small molecule chemotherapeutics, radiation, and biotherapeutics. Delivery directly to the lung has been proposed as a means to avoid systemic toxicity and side effects [ 4 – 6 ]. In previous studies with small molecule APIs, local treatment of a preclinical lung cancer model using dry powder inhalers has proven efficacious [ 7 , 8 ]. An extension of this approach to biotherapeutic lung cancer APIs such as bevacizumab could present numerous benefits. Bevacizumab is a recombinant humanized mAb that acts as an anti-angiogenic agent. It is used to treat lung cancer, colon cancer, glioblastoma, renal cell carcinoma, and age-related macular degeneration. Bevacizumab reduces tumor growth by interrupting formation of new blood vessels. Specifically, it disrupts the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway, which is critical in tumor vascularization [ 9 ]. A bevacizumab intravenous (IV) formulation has been approved for cancer treatment in combination with chemotherapy since 2004. For advanced NSCLC, bevacizumab is used as a first-line treatment with chemotherapeutic agents such as carboplatin or cisplatin [ 10 , 11 ]. Several clinical trials showed use of bevacizumab that significantly increased overall survival and progression-free survival in patients [ 12 ]. Bevacizumab treatment is often continued as a maintenance therapy after the patient can no longer tolerate chemotherapy to reduce regrowth of tumors [ 13 , 14 ]. However, numerous challenges are associated with bevacizumab therapy because it is delivered systemically. The therapy is expensive and must be administered in a clinical setting by IV infusion, typically at 7.5 to 15 mg/kg [ 13 , 14 ]. Due to this high dose and challenges with concentrating mAb solutions above 50 mg/mL, intramuscular or subcutaneous injections are not feasible. Maintenance treatment with bevacizumab is typically delivered by IV infusion every 3 weeks until the disease progresses—a regimen that is expensive, inconvenient, and time-consuming, testing patient compliance [ 15 ]. Because of the high bevacizumab doses that are required and the lack of specificity associated with systemic treatment, many patients must be excluded from treatment due to the risk of serious adverse effects including pulmonary hemorrhage. To reduce the risk of serious bleeding, many patients are excluded from treatment for any of the following reasons: squamous histology, age over 75, bleeding in the airway, brain metastases, or tumors near or inside major blood vessels [ 3 ]. Local delivery of bevacizumab to the site of the tumor ( e.g. , the lung for NSCLC) would reduce the risk of adverse events and enable use of a much smaller dose because delivery is targeted, reducing systemic exposure. This approach could reduce side effects and adverse events, potentially enabling treatment for a wider range of patients. Local delivery would also be more convenient for patients, since an inhaled formulation would allow self-administration of the maintenance treatment, reducing cost and improving patient compliance. Development of inhaled formulations to deliver large, delicate molecules such as mAbs has proven challenging, but success has been achieved using spray drying to generate respirable powders of small molecules for drug delivery to the deep lung [ 8 , 16 – 20 ]. In spray drying, the API and excipients are co-dissolved in a solvent. The resulting solution is pumped into a drying chamber, where it is atomized into droplets. The droplets come into contact with drying gas, which rapidly removes the solvent, forming solid microparticles. By fine-tuning the spray drying process parameters, powders suitable for inhaled delivery ( e.g. , with aerodynamic diameters < 5 μm) can be generated. Spray drying of proteins and mAbs has been demonstrated in the literature, typically for reconstitution into an IV formulation, and a few reports for inhalation [ 21 – 23 ]. A recent review extensively detailed work on spray-dried proteins [ 24 ]. This work demonstrates the successful development of a spray-dried bevacizumab formulation with preserved biological activity, good physical stability, and the physico-chemical and aerosol performance characteristics needed for inhaled delivery. The inhaled bevacizumab formulation was tested for efficacy in vivo using an orthotopic lung cancer model in nude rats, where it had comparable efficacy to an injected bevacizumab formulation at one-tenth the IV dose. Materials and Methods Materials Bevacizumab drug substance was supplied as a sterile solution of 30 mg/mL bevacizumab in 50 mM phosphate buffer, pH 6.2, with 60 mg/mL trehalose and 0.04% polysorbate 20. Trehalose dihydrate was purchased from Pfanstiehl (Waukegan, IL, USA), and L-leucine was purchased from J.T. Baker Inc. (Phillipsburg, NJ, USA). Methods Spray Drying Bevacizumab solution was used as received. It was placed inside a Snakeskin dialysis membrane (10,000 Dalton molecular weight cutoff) (Thermo Fisher Scientific Co., Waltham, MA, USA) and clipped on both ends. The membrane was floated in 1 mM sodium phosphate buffer with 20 mg/mL trehalose, at a volume ratio of 1:100, and gently stirred. Dialysis lasted 24 h with one buffer replacement. Spray drying was conducted on a custom laboratory scale dryer with a nominal drying gas flow rate of 35 kg/h nitrogen. The liquid spray solution was fed to the dryer using a peristaltic pump and atomized through a two-fluid nozzle (Model ¼ J, with a 1650 liquid body and 64 air cap, Spraying Systems Co., Wheaton, IL, USA). The outlet temperature was 50°C. A 2-inch cyclone was used to collect the powder in a glass jar. The powder was then dried under vacuum at ambient temperature with a nitrogen sweep gas and stored with desiccant at 5°C. The resulting spray-dried particle had a target morphology of an amorphous phase containing trehalose and bevacizumab, with crystalline L-leucine enriched on the particle surface to act as a dispersing agent. Powder X-Ray Diffraction (PXRD) To assess the crystallinity of the L-leucine in the spray-dried powder, PXRD patterns were collected using a MiniFlex 600 instrument (Rigaku Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) using a copper anode generator ( K α1 = 1.54060 Å; K α2 = 1.54439 Å, 45 kV, 15 mA). Samples were placed on a zero-background sample cup and analyzed over a 2Θ range of 3 to 40°, at a rate of 2.5° 2 Θ/min. As-received L-leucine was used as a reference material to compare with the polymorph found in the spray-dried powder. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) DSC was performed using a DSC3+ instrument (Mettler Toledo, Columbus, OH, USA). To measure the glass-transition temperature ( T g ) of the amorphous material in the spray-dried powder, samples were sealed in aluminum pans, vented, and scanned in ADSC mode (a single-frequency temperature-modulated DSC technique) from 0 to 170°C at 2.5°C/min with a modulation of 1.5°C every 60 s. The T g was analyzed using STAR e software (Mettler Toledo), reporting the onset and midpoint temperatures of the transition. To measure the unfolding (melting) temperature of the as-received bevacizumab in solution, 10 μL of solution was pipetted into a 40-μL aluminum pan and hermetically sealed. Then 10 μL of pH 6.3 phosphate buffer was pipetted into the reference pan to subtract the contribution of the liquid to the thermal trace. The sample was scanned from 30 to 110°C at 5°C/min. Karl Fischer (KF) Titration The water content of the spray-dried powder was measured using a coulometric Metrohm® 851 Titrando KF oven titrator (Metrohm USA Inc., Tampa, FL, USA), with the generator electrode operated in diaphragm-less mode. A 10- to 30-mg sample was sealed into a crimped KF vial and analyzed at 105°C. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) To assess morphology, SEM images of bevacizumab spray-dried powders were obtained using a Hitachi SU3500 (Hitachi High Technologies America Inc., Schaumburg, IL, USA). A trace amount of sample was applied to double-sided carbon tape mounted on an aluminum stub. The sample was then sputter-coated with gold/palladium for 10 min at 15 to 20 mV using a Hummer® 6.2 Sputter System (Anatech Ltd., Battle Creek, MI, USA). Size-Exclusion Chromatography with Multiple-Angle Laser Light Scattering (SEC-MALLS) Bevacizumab spray-dried powder and control solution was analyzed by SEC-MALLS to determine the presence of high molecular weight species ( e.g. , dimers and trimers of the mAb). Materials were diluted to 5 mg/mL with pH 6.3 phosphate buffer. An Agilent 1100 high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) instrument (Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA, USA) was used with a TSKgel GMPW XL column (7.8 mm ID, 30-cm length, 13-μm particle size, 10- to 100-nm pore size)(Tosoh Bioscience, Tokyo, Japan). The mobile phase was pH 7.4 phosphate buffered saline. Samples were run isocratically at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min for 50 min with an injection volume of 20 μL. Geometric Particle Size Distribution The geometric particle size distribution of the spray-dried powder was measured with a Malvern Mastersizer 3000 using an Aero S dry powder disperser. Mastersizer software was used to analyze the results using the Fraunhofer approximation. Samples were run in triplicate with obscuration levels between 0.1 and 8%, disperser pressure of 2 to 3 bar, and feed rate of 30 to 70%. Aerodynamic Particle Size Distribution The aerodynamic particle size distribution of spray-dried powder was measured using a TSI Aerodynamic Particle Sizer® 3321 spectrometer with a Model 3433 small-scale powder disperser and Model 3302A diluter (TSI, Shoreview, MN, USA). The air flow rate was 18.5 L/min in the powder disperser, and the sheath flow rate was 4 L/min. The diluter used a 100:1 capillary at pressure of 0.32 in. of water. Samples were measured in triplicate for 30 s each. Next Generation Impactor (NGI) The aerosolization properties of the spray-dried powder were analyzed using an MSP NGI Model 170, MSP Corp., Shoreview, MN, USA) with a high-resistance 4-kPa Plastiape dry powder inhaler (Plastiape S.p.a., Osnago, Italy). Spray-dried powder (10 mg) was hand-filled into size 3 Vcaps® Plus capsules (Lonza, Morristown, NJ, USA). A pre-separator containing 10 mL of pH 7.4 PBS was used upstream of the NGI. The test was operated at 65 L/min for 4.0 s. The contents of Pans 2 through 7 were dissolved in 5 mL of pH 7.4 PBS, and Pans 1 and 8 were dissolved in 10 mL of PBS. The bevacizumab content in the spray-dried powders was measured using an absorbance technique that employed ultraviolet (UV) probes (Pion Rainbow MicroDISS Profiler™, 20-mm path length). Standards were prepared using as-received bevacizumab stock. The second derivative of the absorbance over the range from 276 to 284 nm was used to quantify the bevacizumab, because trehalose and L-leucine do not absorb at this wavelength range. Activity Assay A reporter-based assay (Promega, Madison, WI, USA) for anti-VEGF antibodies was used to determine the biological activity of the spray-dried powders. Detailed information about the assay is available on Promega’s website and in Wang et al. [ 25 ]. In the VEGF bioassay, an engineered cell line (KDF/NFAT-RE HEK293) that expresses VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR2/KDR) was used, combined with a VEGF-stimulated luciferase reporter. When VEGF binds to KDR, luminescence is induced, which is detected by adding the kit’s Bio-Glo™ reagent and quantified with a luminometer. When the anti-VEGF antibody is present, VEGF has reduced or no binding to KDR, and luminescence is reduced. Formulation Selection Spray-dried powders with three active loadings were manufactured for the feasibility stage of this study, consisting of 10/70/20, 20/60/20, and 40/40/20 bevacizumab/trehalose/L-leucine (by weight). (For brevity, these will be referred to as the 10%, 20%, and 40% formulations.) The physical stability, aerosol properties, and biological activity of the formulations were evaluated. For physical stability, we focused on two characteristics: (1) the L-leucine portion of the spray-dried powder should be crystalline, and (2) the amorphous phase containing trehalose and bevacizumab should have a high-onset glass-transition temperature ( T g ). All three formulations met these criteria, exhibiting T g onset temperatures of ~117°C and PXRD peaks that were characteristic of spray-dried crystalline L-leucine. The aerosol properties of the formulations, measured by NGI, are shown in Table I . The 10% and 40% formulations met the MMAD specification of 2 to 3 μm, and the 40% formulation had the highest FPF. Biological activity was assessed using the anti-VEGF activity assay described above. All three formulations inhibited VEGF expression similar to that of a bevacizumab solution control.

Table I Analytical Results for Bevacizumab Feasibility Formulations Before and After Storage for 2 Weeks at 40°C/75% RH Condition a Value 10% Formulation 20% Formulation 40% Formulation Initial 2 wk Initial 2 wk Initial 2 wk Onset T g (°C) 117 117 117 117 117 117 MMAD (μm) 2.4 2.1 1.6 2.1 2.4 2.5 FPF (%) 66 72 73 74 78 75 VEGF activity assay (IC 50 /IC 50, control ) 0.93 1.03 1.26 1.38 0.97 1.08 a MMAD median mass aerodynamic diameter, FPF fine-particle fraction (defined here as the mass percentage of drug particles with an aerodynamic diameter <5 μm), IC 50 concentration of a drug that reduces the luminescense by 50% The three formulations were also subjected to an accelerated stability challenge, where samples were stored for 2 weeks in a closed vial with desiccant at 40°C/75% relative humidity (RH). The same tests described above were repeated. The largest changes were found for the 20% formulation, and only small changes were observed for 10% and 40% formulations. Based on these results, the 40% bevacizumab spray-dried powder was selected as the lead formulation for the remainder of this study due to its good stability and high active loading. All further references to spray-dried powders refer to this formulation. Real-Time Stability Study Design A real-time stability study was conducted, storing the bevacizumab spray-dried powder at two conditions: 5°C and 25°C/60% RH. A sample of the spray-dried powder (150 mg) was sealed in a glass vial. Samples (10 mg each) were also filled into size 3 capsules (Vcaps Plus HPMC capsules, Capsugel) in triplicate for the 6-month stability sample and sealed in a glass vial. The vials were heat-sealed in a Mylar® bag containing 2 g of silica gel desiccant. Samples were removed for analysis after storage for 1, 3, and 6 months. In Vivo Study Design An in vivo study was designed for the bevacizumab spray-dried powder using an orthotopic nude rat model for NSCLC [ 26 ]. All protocols were reviewed and approved by an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) at LBRI. Research was conducted under an IACUC-approved protocol in compliance with the Animal Welfare Act, PHS Policy, and other federal statutes and regulations relating to animals and experiments involving animals. The facilities where this research was conducted are accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care. The study tested the effect on tumor size for bevacizumab spray-dried powder delivered by inhalation (INH) and bevacizumab administered by intraperitoneal (IP) injection, with and without cisplatin, a chemotherapy medication. The NSCLC cell line Calu-3 was intratracheally instilled into the lungs of seven study groups of X-irradiated rats, targeting 1.5 × 10 7 cells per installation [ 27 ]. No treatment was given for the first 4 weeks of the study, enabling growth of the tumor cells. The study design is shown in Table II .

Table II In Vivo Study Design with NSCLC Orthotopic Nude Rat Model Study Group Primary treatment (weeks 4–8) Maintenance therapy (weeks 8–12) a Rats Endpoints Cisplatin Bevacizumab Bevacizumab 1 a No No No 15 • 8-week lung weight 2 b Yes (IP) Yes (IP) No 15 3 No Yes (INH) No 15 4 Yes (IP) Yes (INH) No 15 5 No No No 20 • Survival • 12-week lung weight 6 Yes (IP) Yes (IP) Yes (INH) 15 7 Yes (IP) Yes (INH) Yes (INH) 15 a Negative control b Positive control (standard of care for NSCLC) During the primary treatment phase (weeks 4 through 8), bevacizumab was administered either by IP injection (15 mg/kg, once per week) or by INH (15 mg/kg presented dose, 1.5 mg/kg deposited dose, once per week). For some study groups, cisplatin was administered by IP injection (3 mg/kg). For INH administration, the spray-dried powder was aerosolized using a rotating-brush generator and delivered to the rats passively through nasal inhalation. During the maintenance treatment phase (weeks 8 through 12), only INH bevacizumab was administered (15 mg/kg presented dose, 1.5 mg/kg deposited dose, once per week). No additional cisplatin was administered. Groups 1 through 4 were evaluated for primary efficacy after 8 weeks with lung weight as the endpoint. Groups 5 through 7 were evaluated for maintenance efficacy after 12 weeks with lung weight and survival as the endpoints. Results Manufacturing of 40% Bevacizumab Spray-Dried Formulation Solution Thermal Stability During spray drying, particles encounter temperatures ranging from the wet-bulb temperature of the environment to the outlet temperature of the dryer. To ensure thermal stability, the unfolding (melting) temperature of bevacizumab in solution was quantified using DSC. Two endothermic peaks were observed, in qualitative agreement from literature reports [ 28 ]. The onset of the lowest peak occurred at 71°C. In a report from Akbas et al. [ 29 ], DLS was used to measure aggregate formation in bevacizumab solutions as a function of temperature. In this study, large aggregates were detectable by DLS starting at 61°C. Therefore, the upper limit to the spray dryer outlet temperature was set at ~55°C. Spray Drying Spray drying a biologic material such as bevacizumab for inhalation applications requires careful selection of process conditions. First, droplet size must be controlled to generate a respirable particle with a target aerodynamic diameter of <5 μm. The spray solution solids loading, atomization conditions, and drying kinetics can all impact the resulting aerodynamic diameter of the product. Second, to reduce degradation of the thermally labile biologic material, temperature exposure must be limited. This is a balancing act, since the drying process must still rapidly remove enough water from the product that the trehalose remains amorphous and good yield is achieved. To this end, an outlet temperature of 50°C was chosen, and the drying gas flow rate was maximized for the spray dryer geometry. A yield of 90%, including residual water, was observed for the 40-g batch of spray-dried powder prepared for the in vivo study. Physical State of Bevacizumab Spray-Dried Powder Water Content The water content of the spray-dried powder is important to ensure stability, good aerosol properties, and powder flow. Spray-dried powders with adequate physical stability should retain their physical state for at least 2 years without recrystallization of the amorphous phase. Amorphous trehalose is known to recrystallize to its dihydrate form if the water content is too high, resulting in destabilization. However, formulations with water contents below 1 to 2% may result in static issues, reducing aerosol performance. To this end, the water content of the spray-dried powder was evaluated after storage with desiccant for 72 h by Karl Fisher titration and was 3 to 4% (by weight)—low enough to prevent recrystallization of the amorphous trehalose while maintaining acceptable aerosol properties. Leucine Crystallinity By design, the bevacizumab spray-dried powder consists of two phases: crystalline L-leucine and an amorphous phase of trehalose and bevacizumab. Vehring and coworkers have demonstrated that L-leucine must enrich and crystallize at the surface of the droplet during spray drying to maximize L-leucine’s performance as a dispersing agent [ 30 – 33 ]. PXRD analysis was conducted on the bevacizumab spray-dried powder to qualitatively determine whether L-leucine is crystalline. As Figure 1a shows, the characteristic peaks of spray-dried crystalline L-leucine were observed. The diffractogram of the spray-dried crystalline L-leucine did not exactly match that of the as-received crystalline L-leucine, but this phenomenon has been reported elsewhere [ 34 , 35 ] and is likely due to the submicron-sized crystalline domains formed during rapid spray drying. No peaks characteristic of trehalose dihydrate were observed. Superimposed on the characteristic L-leucine peaks was the amorphous halo characteristic of the trehalose/bevacizumab phase.

Figure 1 Characterization results for bevacizumab spray-dried powder, showing PXRD diffractogram ( a ), reversing heating capacity by DSC ( b ), and SEM image ( c ) Thermal Analysis The T g of an amorphous material is a useful metric for estimating physical stability after storage. To minimize molecular mobility on a timescale of years, the T g should ideally be ~50°C higher than the storage temperature of the material [ 36 ]. The thermal properties of the bevacizumab spray-dried powder were measured by DSC. As the results in Figure 1b show, no melt peaks were observed in the DSC trace. Crystalline L-leucine has no expected thermal transitions in the range of temperatures scanned. A broad T g was observed in the reversing heat flow trace with an onset temperature of 117°C and a midpoint temperature of 128°C. This confirmed that trehalose and bevacizumab form a homogeneous amorphous phase in the spray-dried powder. The bevacizumab had an anti-plasticizing effect on the trehalose, raising the T g of the amorphous material (pure trehalose has an onset temperature of 106°C [ 37 ]), suggesting an interaction between the two components, such as hydrogen bonding. This effect has been previously observed in amorphous solid dispersions [ 38 ]. No thermal signature of degradation was observed in the DSC trace until 155°C, at which point trehalose begins to decompose as well. Overall, thermal analysis indicated that the material has a low risk of failure during storage, as the T g is nearly 100°C above its intended storage temperature. Aerosol Performance of Bevacizumab Spray-Dried Powder Morphology The morphology of the bevacizumab spray-dried powder was observed using SEM. As the representative image in Figure 1c shows, no evidence of particle fusion was observed. Collapsed spherical particles were formed during spray drying, with most particles ~1 to 5 μm in diameter. Particle Size Distribution The geometric and aerodynamic particle size distributions of the spray-dried powder were measured using light scattering and aerodynamic particle sizing by time-of-flight laser velocimetry, respectively. For geometric particle size, the Sauter mean diameter ( D 32 ) was 2.3 μm, D 10 = 0.3 μm, D 50 = 2.2 μm, and D 90 = 4.4 μm. For aerodynamic particle size, the MMAD was 2.0 μm with a geometric standard deviation of 1.6 μm. For spherical particles, the aerodynamic particle size is equal to the geometric particle size times the square root of the particle density. By comparing these distributions, we found that the particle density was approximately 0.8 to 1.0 g/cc, implying the presence of void volume inside the particle. NGI To ensure delivery to the deep lung, the fraction of powder with an aerodynamic diameter of 5 μm or less should be maximized. While the aerodynamic particle sizer measures the distribution of the powder when aggressively aerosolized, the NGI analyzes the distribution of powder emitted from a device under more biorelevant conditions. Using a high-resistance dry powder inhaler at a flow rate of 65 L/min on the NGI, most emitted particles were between 0.9 and 4.3 μm in aerodynamic diameter (Figure 2b ). The FPF was 82%, and the MMAD was 2.2 μm. These results indicate favorable aerodynamic properties for delivery to the deep lung.

Figure 2. Photo of reconstituted bevacizumab spray-dried powder in PBS (left) and spray-drying stock solution (right) ( a ), aerodynamic diameter distribution of bevacizumab spray-dried powder by NGI ( b ), SEC-MALLS chromatogram for reconstituted bevacizumab spray-dried powder (red dashes) and as-received bevacizumab solution (blue solid line) with inset showing low retention time shoulder corresponding to mAb dimers and trimers ( c ) Potency The bevacizumab content of the spray-dried powder was confirmed using absorbance at 280 nm, with an average of 37% ± 1% by weight after adjustment for water content. This sub-potency compared to the 40% target was likely due small amounts of mAb binding to the in-line 0.1-μm filters used to ensure sterility of the spray solution. Any aggregates of bevacizumab created during the solution preparation and pumping process were retained in the filter, reducing the overall potency of the product. Aggregation of Reconstituted Bevacizumab Spray-Dried Powder Bevacizumab spray-dried powder was reconstituted in buffer, resulting in an optically transparent solution, as shown in Figure 2a , with bevacizumab solution as-received as comparison. The solutions were also analyzed by SEC-MALLS, which is particularly sensitive to the presence of dimer and trimer aggregates. The control stock solution and reconstituted spray-dried powder showed similar quantities of aggregated species, which were small in comparison with the primary mAb peak (Figure 2c ). Anti-VEGF Activity Bevacizumab’s mechanism of action is inhibition of VEGF expression in cancer cells. To evaluate the material’s biologic activity before and after spray drying, a commercially available kit was used. The kit uses a VEGF-responsive reporter cell line to assay repression of the VEGF-induced activity by bevacizumab. The cell line is engineered to express luciferase upon stimulation of the VEGF receptor, producing bioluminescence. In the presence of an anti-VEGF molecule, VEGF binding to the receptor is repressed, interrupting the downstream signaling cascade, reducing luciferase expression, and decreasing bioluminescence [ 25 ]. Results for the concentration dependence of luminescence for bevacizumab spray-dried powder and as-received bevacizumab stock solution are shown in Figure 3 . The anti-VEGF activity of control and spray-dried powder are similar within the error of the assay, with IC 50 values of 0.16 μg/mL and 0.23 μg/mL, respectively. This demonstrates that the biologic activity of the bevacizumab remains essentially unchanged after spray drying.

Figure 3 Anti-VEGF activities of bevacizumab spray-dried powder (blue squares) and as-received bevacizumab stock solution (black circles) in VEGF reporter assay Real-Time Stability A real-time stability study was conducted with bevacizumab spray-dried powder stored at two conditions: 5°C and 25°C/60% RH. Samples were stored in sealed vials inside foil pouches with desiccant to reduce humidity exposure, which is known to recrystallize amorphous trehalose. Samples were analyzed before and after 1, 3, and 6 months storage at each condition. As the results in Table III show, minimal changes were observed in the stability samples, with physical stability and aerosol performance remaining constant throughout.

Table III Stability results for bevacizumab spray-dried powder, showing IC 50 sample-to-sample variability is similar to that of control Storage condition Time (mo) T g

Onset (°C) PXRDresult Potency(wt%) FPF(%) MMAD(μm) IC 50 (μg/mL) 5°C 0 117 Crystalline L-leucine 37 81 2.2 0.23 1 117 35 83 2.0 0.10 3 122 35 78 2.0 0.10 6 117 37 83 2.1 0.10 25°C/60% RH 0 117 Crystalline L-leucine 37 81 2.2 0.23 1 119 37 81 2.3 0.13 3 121 37 82 2.2 0.13 6 118 38 84 2.5 0.17 In Vivo Efficacy in Orthotopic Rat Model The efficacy of the inhaled bevacizumab spray-dried powder for NSCLC treatment was evaluated in two tests using an orthotopic nude rat model: (1) a primary 8-week efficacy test and (2) a follow-on 4-week maintenance test. Primary Efficacy Test In the primary efficacy test, the bevacizumab spray-dried powder was evaluated for local inhaled delivery for NSCLC treatment in an orthotopic lung cancer nude rat model, with lung weight as the study endpoint. Untreated rats (study group 1) were the negative control, while rats treated with IP-injected bevacizumab and injected cisplatin (study group 2) were the positive control, representative of the standard of care for NSCLC [ 39 ]. As shown in Figure 4 , the positive control reduced tumor burden significantly more than the negative control (mean lung weight of 1.9 g versus 7.3 g, respectively; p < 0.0005, a 74% reduction). The first experimental group (study group 3), rats treated with inhaled bevacizumab spray-dried powder alone, showed significant reduction in tumor burden compared to the negative control (4.7 g versus 7.3 g, respectively; p < 0.05, a 36% reduction). The second experimental group (study group 4), rats treated with inhaled bevacizumab spray-dried powder and injected cisplatin, also showed significant reduction in tumor burden (2.0 g versus 7.3 g, respectively; p < 0.0005, a 73% reduction). The reduction in tumor burden for the positive control and the inhaled bevacizumab/injected cisplatin combination treatment were indistinguishable (1.9 g versus 2.0 g, respectively). This is especially noteworthy because the delivered dose of inhaled bevacizumab is one-tenth the dose of injected bevacizumab (1.5 mg/kg versus 15 mg/kg). Therefore, delivery of the bevacizumab locally to the lung enables a tenfold dose reduction with equivalent efficacy in the rat model. In previous unpublished work from Lovelace Biomedical, a 42% reduction in tumor burden was found for rats dosed 2 mg/mL of cisplatin IP on a similar weekly regimen as that reported here. This suggests that both bevacizumab and cisplatin contribute to the reduction in tumor burden observed for the combination treatments.

Figure 4 Primary treatment efficacy of inhaled bevacizumab spray-dried powder (INH bev) compared with injected bevacizumab (IP bev) and/or injected cisplatin (IP cis) in a nude orthotopic rat model for NSCLC treatment. N = 18 for untreated group, n = 15 for other groups, error bar is the mean ± one standard deviation. *p <0.05, ***p < 0.0005. Figure adapted from [ 39 ]. Maintenance Efficacy Test Maintenance treatment with bevacizumab is prescribed after completion of chemotherapy to continue the antiangiogenic effect in tumors, slowing regrowth. Maintenance efficacy of the inhaled bevacizumab treatment was evaluated in the rat model with lung weight and survival as endpoints. After primary treatment with injected cisplatin and either inhaled or injected bevacizumab, rats were treated with 4 weeks of maintenance inhaled bevacizumab. Both maintenance treatment groups had significantly lower lung weights (mean 8.1 g and 8.8 g versus 13.5 g, p <0.005 for both comparisons) and increased survival compared (74 and 75 days versus 64 days median survival) with untreated rats (Figures 5 a and b, respectively) [ 39 ]. Tumors had additional time to regrow in the treated maintenance groups due to their increased survival duration. To account for this effect, Figure 5c shows an additional presentation of the data, where the lung weight is divided by the individual rat’s date of removal from the study. These data show a more substantial difference between the treated and untreated groups.

Figure 5. Efficacy of inhaled bevacizumab in maintenance trial, showing normalized lung weight ( a ), survival probability ( b ), and data adjusted to account for increased survival ( c ) in a nude orthotopic rat model for NSCLC treatment .

N = 20 for untreated group, n = 15 for other groups, error bar is the mean ± one standard deviation. ** p < 0.005. c is adapted from [ 39 ] Discussion The in vivo efficacy of inhaled bevacizumab at one-tenth the injected dose demonstrates the potential for dose reduction when a local treatment modality is used for lung cancer. Reports in the literature demonstrate similar effects for small molecule therapies administered to the lung as a dry powders [ 40 ]. Both topotecan [ 7 ] and 5-azacytidine [ 8 ] were administered to the lung as inhaled formulations. The dose-normalized area under the curve (AUC) for 5-azacytidine in lung tissue was 50 times higher for the dry powder aerosol compared with systemic administration. An inhaled topotecan dry powder formulation administered to the lung reduced tumor burden in rats significantly more than intravenous topotecan, despite a twofold reduction in dose. Particularly for highly potent therapies, local administration can provide a way of circumventing dose-limiting toxicity in patients. Expansion of the local lung delivery concept to biotherapeutic molecules formulated for dry powder inhaler is of great interest for numerous indications. A recent review article summarized the potential of dry-powder inhalation formulations for administration of RNA to the lung [ 41 ]. A review by Frohlich and Salar-Behzadi in 2021 [ 42 ] summarized the inhalation delivery of proteins and peptides, most of which was accomplished via nebulization of liquid formulations. Two dry powder inhalation formulations of mAb fragments (fAbs) have progressed to clinical trials to date. First, a phase I clinical trial was reported for dry powder inhaled formulation of VR942 (abrezekimab), a monoclonal antibody fragment used to treat asthma by inhibition of interleukin-13 [ 23 ]. A clinical trial is also in progress for the mAb fragment CSJ117 for asthma [ 42 ]. In another publication, Faghihi et al demonstrated successful formulation and administration of infliximab dry powder to suppress asthma-related inflammation in an animal model [ 22 ]. These studies, considered alongside this work, demonstrate the therapeutic potential of inhaled dry powder mAb formulations to treat a range of lung diseases. The ability to administer bevacizumab in a dry-powder inhaler expands flexibility in treatment protocols. When a clinic visit is no longer required for bevacizumab administration, weekly or daily dosing becomes feasible. Self-administration of the treatment also eliminates the cost and inconvenience of recurring clinic visits. The physical stability of bevacizumab dry powder at ambient temperatures reduces supply chain and distribution constraints in getting medicine to patients. Overall, a bevacizumab dry powder formulation could bring great benefit to patients, removing many barriers to patient compliance. These same advantages could apply to any inhaled mAb therapy which replaces an IV formulation. The spray-drying process and formulation approach described here provides a platform for manufacture of locally administered antibodies of interest to lung indications. At least 10 mAb therapeutics are currently approved in USA or EU for lung-related indications, including lung cancer, asthma, COPD, and pulmonary infections [ 43 ]. Application of the process and formulation and process learnings from this work to other mAbs of interest for pulmonary delivery could enable improved therapeutic outcomes for a broader range of lung diseases. Conclusion This work reviewed the potential therapeutic benefits of pulmonary treatment of lung cancer by a spray-dried bevacizumab formulation. The bevacizumab spray-dried powder exhibited 6-month physical stability at 25°C, aerosol properties appropriate for pulmonary delivery, while retaining anti-VEGF activity. An orthotopic NSCLC rat model was used to test efficacy of the formulation in vivo , and it was found effective at reducing the tumor burden in the lung. When administered in combination with injected cisplatin, the inhaled spray-dried powder was as effective as injected bevacizumab at one-tenth the dose. This dose reduction could provide a way to minimize serious systemic side effects for bevacizumab and other mAb treatments. Pulmonary delivery of bevacizumab and lung cancer treatments, in general, are a promising development for patients and clinicians, opening the possibility of maintenance therapy administered at home with flexible dosing frequencies. Author Contribution KBS wrote the manuscript, designed experiments, and performed spray drying and analytical work. DTV, JMB, and MB designed the experiments. PJK designed the in vivo study and wrote the manuscript. DR and YZ conducted the in vivo study. MSA performed spray drying. AP, JCO, LS, and JC performed analytical work. 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中文

# 喷雾干燥贝伐珠单抗制剂局部治疗非小细胞肺癌

## 摘要

生物治疗药物肺部局部递送在肺部疾病治疗中展现出巨大潜力,但开发物理稳定、具有生物活性的大分子干粉吸入制剂仍面临挑战。本研究采用喷雾干燥技术制备了贝伐珠单抗(一种经静脉输注给药获批用于治疗非小细胞肺癌的单克隆抗体)的干粉肺部制剂。通过将贝伐珠单抗重新制剂化以实现局部递送,有望降低副作用、减少给药剂量并提高患者依从性。该制剂具有适合深部肺部递送的雾化特性,且在室温下具有良好的物理稳定性,至少可稳定保存6个月。贝伐珠单抗的抗血管内皮生长因子(VEGF)生物活性未受制造工艺的影响。在体内大鼠非小细胞肺癌模型中,该制剂在剂量相对于静脉对照组降低10倍的条件下仍显示出显著疗效。

**关键词:** 喷雾干燥、单克隆抗体、生物治疗药物、肺癌、局部递送

## 引言

非侵入性递送生物活性药物活性成分(API),如蛋白质、肽类和抗体的策略引起了广泛关注\[1\]。对于肺部适应症,在适当时通过将吸入制剂直接递送至作用部位进行局部治疗是首选方法,因为这种方法避免了全身给药的缺点,有望实现降低副作用、减少给药剂量、便捷的居家给药以及提高患者依从性。哮喘和慢性阻塞性肺疾病(COPD)等肺部疾病的局部治疗已十分常见,截至2018年,美国食品药品监督管理局(FDA)已批准超过100种吸入产品上市\[2\]。本研究探索了将局部递送概念扩展至肺癌治疗,采用喷雾干燥的单克隆抗体(mAb)配合干粉吸入器进行给药。截至2017年,肺癌是美国癌症相关死亡的首要原因,其中非小细胞肺癌(NSCLC)占大多数病例\[3\]。肺癌的治疗采用小分子化疗药物、放疗和生物治疗药物相结合的方式。直接向肺部递送药物被认为是避免全身毒性和副作用的一种手段\[4-6\]。在先前的小分子API研究中,使用干粉吸入器对临床前肺癌模型进行局部治疗已被证明有效\[7, 8\]。将这一方法扩展至贝伐珠单抗等生物治疗肺癌API可能带来诸多益处。

贝伐珠单抗是一种重组人源化单克隆抗体,作为抗血管生成剂发挥作用。它用于治疗肺癌、结肠癌、胶质母细胞瘤、肾细胞癌和年龄相关性黄斑变性。贝伐珠单抗通过阻断新血管形成来抑制肿瘤生长。具体而言,它破坏血管内皮生长因子(VEGF)通路,该通路在肿瘤血管化中起关键作用\[9\]。自2004年以来,贝伐珠单抗静脉(IV)制剂已获批与化疗联合用于癌症治疗。对于晚期NSCLC,贝伐珠单抗与卡铂或铂铂等化疗药物联合用作一线治疗\[10, 11\]。多项临床试验表明,使用贝伐珠单抗显著提高了患者的总生存期和无进展生存期\[12\]。在患者无法继续耐受化疗后,贝伐珠单抗治疗通常作为维持治疗继续使用,以减少肿瘤再生\[13, 14\]。

然而,由于贝伐珠单抗通过全身给药,其治疗面临诸多挑战。该疗法费用昂贵,且必须在临床环境中通过静脉输注给药,通常剂量为7.5至15 mg/kg\[13, 14\]。由于剂量较高,且将单克隆抗体溶液浓缩至50 mg/mL以上存在技术困难,肌肉注射或皮下注射不可行。贝伐珠单抗维持治疗通常每3周通过静脉输注给药一次,直至疾病进展——这一方案费用高昂、不便且耗时,对患者依从性构成考验\[15\]。由于贝伐珠单抗所需剂量较高且全身治疗缺乏特异性,许多患者因严重不良事件(包括肺出血)的风险而被排除在治疗之外。为降低严重出血风险,许多患者因以下任一原因被排除治疗:鳞状组织学类型、年龄超过75岁、气道出血、脑转移或肿瘤位于大血管附近或内部\[3\]。

将贝vacizumab局部递送至肿瘤部位(如NSCLC的肺部)将降低不良事件的风险,由于递送具有靶向性、减少了全身暴露,可使用更小的剂量。这种方法可减少副作用和不良事件,可能使更广泛的患者群体获得治疗机会。局部递送对患者而言也更加方便,因为吸入制剂允许患者自行给药维持治疗,从而降低成本并提高患者依从性。

开发吸入制剂以递送单克隆抗体等大分子脆弱分子已被证明具有挑战性,但利用喷雾干燥技术生成可呼吸粉末用于小分子深部肺部递送已取得成功\[8, 16-20\]。在喷雾干燥过程中,API和辅料共同溶解在溶剂中。所得溶液被泵入干燥室,在其中被雾化为液滴。液滴与干燥气体接触,溶剂被迅速去除,形成固体微粒。通过精细调节喷雾干燥工艺参数,可生成适合吸入递送的粉末(例如,空气动力学直径<5 μm)。文献中已有蛋白质和单克隆抗体喷雾干燥的报道,通常用于重构为静脉制剂,少数用于吸入\[21-23\]。一篇近期综述详细总结了喷雾干燥蛋白质的相关研究\[24\]。

本研究展示了具有保留生物活性、良好物理稳定性以及吸入递送所需的理化特性和雾化性能的喷雾干燥贝伐珠单抗制剂的成功开发。吸入贝伐珠单抗制剂在裸鼠原位肺癌模型中进行了体内疗效测试,在剂量为静脉注射剂量的十分之一时,其疗效与注射用贝伐珠单抗制剂相当。

## 材料与方法

### 材料

贝伐珠单抗原料药以无菌溶液形式提供,浓度为30 mg/mL,溶于50 mM磷酸盐缓冲液(pH 6.2)中,含60 mg/mL海藻糖和0.04%聚山梨酯20。二水海藻糖购自Pfanstiehl(美国伊利诺伊州沃基根),L-亮氨酸购自J.T. Baker Inc.(美国新泽西州菲利普斯堡)。

### 方法

**喷雾干燥:** 贝伐珠单抗溶液直接使用。将其置于Snakeskin透析膜(分子量截断值10,000道尔顿)(Thermo Fisher Scientific Co.,美国马萨诸塞州沃尔瑟姆)中,两端夹紧。将膜漂浮在含20 mg/mL海藻糖的1 mM磷酸钠缓冲液中,体积比为1:100,轻轻搅拌。透析持续24小时,期间更换一次缓冲液。

喷雾干燥在定制实验室规模干燥器上进行,标称干燥气体流速为35 kg/h氮气。液体喷雾溶液通过蠕动泵输送至干燥器,并通过双流体喷嘴雾化(型号¼ J,配1650液体腔和64空气帽,Spraying Systems Co.,美国伊利诺伊州惠顿)。出口温度为50°C。使用2英寸旋风分离器将粉末收集在玻璃瓶中。随后将粉末在室温下用氮气吹扫气真空干燥,并与干燥剂一起储存于5°C。所得喷雾干燥颗粒的目标形态为含有海藻糖和贝伐珠单抗的非晶相,颗粒表面富集结晶L-亮氨酸作为分散剂。

**粉末X射线衍射(PXRD):** 为评估喷雾干燥粉末中L-结晶度,使用MiniFlex 600仪器(Rigaku Corporation,日本东京)采集PXRD图谱,采用铜阳极发生器(Kα1 = 1.54060 Å;Kα2 = 1.54439 Å,45 kV,15 mA)。样品置于零背景样品杯上,在2Θ范围3至40°内以2.5° 2Θ/分钟的速率进行分析。使用原始L-亮氨酸作为参考材料,与喷雾干燥粉末中发现的晶型进行比较。

**差示扫描量热法(DSC):** 使用DSC3+仪器(Mettler Toledo,美国俄亥俄州哥伦布市)进行DSC分析。为测量喷雾干燥粉末中非晶材料的玻璃化转变温度(Tg),将样品密封在铝制坩埚中并排气,在ADSC模式(单频率温度调制DSC技术)下以2.5°C/分钟从0°C扫描至170°C,调制幅度为1.5°C/60秒。使用STAR e软件(Mettler Toledo)分析Tg,报告转变的起始温度和中点温度。为测量原始溶液中贝vacizumab的解折叠(熔融)温度,将10 μL溶液移液至40 μL铝制坩埚中并密封。然后将10 μL pH 6.3磷酸盐缓冲液移液至参比坩埚中,以扣除液体对热曲线的贡献。样品以5°C/分钟从30°C扫描至110°C。

**卡尔费休(KF)滴定:** 使用库仑法Metrohm® 851 Titrando KF烘箱滴定仪(Metrohm USA Inc.,美国佛罗里达州坦帕)测量喷雾干燥粉末的含水量,发生器电极在无隔膜模式下操作。将10至30 mg样品密封在卷边KF瓶中,在105°C下分析。

**扫描电子显微镜(SEM):** 为评估形貌,使用Hitachi SU3500(Hitachi High Technologies America Inc.,美国伊利诺伊州绍姆堡)获取贝伐珠单抗喷雾干燥粉末的SEM图像。将微量样品涂覆在安装在铝桩上的双面碳带上。然后使用Hummer® 6.2溅射系统(Anatech Ltd.,美国密歇根州巴特尔克里克)在15至20 mV下将样品溅射镀金/钯10分钟。

**多角度激光光散射尺寸排阻色谱(SEC-MALLS):** 通过SEC-MALLS分析贝伐珠单抗喷雾干燥粉末和对照溶液,以确定高分子量物质(如单克隆抗体二聚体和三聚体)的存在。材料用pH 6.3磷酸盐缓冲液稀释至5 mg/mL。使用Agilent 1100高效液相色谱(HPLC)仪器(Agilent Technologies,美国加利福尼亚州圣克拉拉),配TSKgel GMPW XL色谱柱(7.8 mm内径,30 cm长度,13 μm粒径,10至100 nm孔径)(Tosoh Bioscience,日本东京)。流动相为pH 7.4磷酸盐缓冲液。样品以0.8 mL/分钟的流速等度运行50分钟,进样量为20 μL。

**几何粒径分布:** 使用Malvern Mastersizer 3000配Aero S干粉分散器测量喷雾干燥粉末的几何粒径分布。使用Mastersizer软件采用Fraunhofer近似法分析结果。样品在遮蔽水平0.1%至8%、分散器压力2至3 bar、进料速率30至70%的条件下平行运行三次。

**空气动力学粒径分布:** 使用TSI Aerodynamic Particle Sizer® 3321光谱仪配Model 3433小规模粉末分散器和Model 3302A稀释器(TSI,美国明尼苏达州肖尔维尤)测量喷雾干燥粉末的空气动力学粒径分布。粉末分散器中的气流速度为18.5 L/分钟,鞘流速度为4 L/分钟。稀释器使用100:1毛细管,压力为0.32英寸水柱。每次测量平行运行30秒。

**下一代撞击器(NGI):** 使用MSP NGI Model 170(MSP Corp.,美国明尼苏达州肖尔维尤)配高阻力4 kPa Plastiape干粉吸入器(Plastiape S.p.a., 意大利奥斯纳戈)分析喷雾干燥粉末的雾化特性。将喷雾干燥粉末(10 mg)手工填充至3号Vcaps® Plus胶囊(Lonza,美国新泽西州莫里斯敦)中。在NGI上游使用含10 mL pH 7.4 PBS的预分离器。测试在65 L/分钟下运行4.0秒。将2至7号收集盘中的内容物溶于5 mL pH 7.4 PBS中,1号和8号盘中的内容物溶于10 mL PBS中。使用紫外(UV)探针吸光度技术(Pion Rainbow MicroDISS Profiler™,20 mm光程长度)测量喷雾干燥粉末中贝伐珠单抗的含量。使用原始贝伐珠单抗储备液制备标准品。使用276至284 nm范围内吸光度的二阶导数对贝伐珠单抗进行定量,因为海藻糖和L-亮氨酸在此波长范围内不吸收。

**活性检测:** 使用基于报告基因的检测试剂盒(Promega,美国威斯康星州麦迪逊)测定抗VEGF抗体的生物活性。该检测的详细资料可在Promega网站和Wang等人的文献中获取\[25\]。在VEGF生物检测中,使用工程化细胞系(KDF/NFAT-RE HEK293),该细胞系表达VEGF受体-2(VEGFR2/KDR),结合VEGF刺激的荧光素酶报告基因。当VEGF与KDR结合时,诱导发光,通过添加试剂盒的Bio-Glo™试剂并用发光计定量检测。当存在抗VEGF抗体时,VEGF与KDR的结合减少或消失,发光减弱。

**制剂选择:** 为本研究的可行性阶段制备了三种活性载药量的喷雾干燥粉末,分别为10/70/20、20/60/20和40/40/20的贝伐珠单抗/海藻糖/L-亮氨酸(重量比)。(为简洁起见,这些制剂分别称为10%、20%和40%制剂。)评估了各制剂的物理稳定性、雾化特性和生物活性。对于物理稳定性,我们关注两个特性:(1)喷雾干燥粉末中的L-亮氨酸部分应为结晶态;(2)含海藻糖和贝伐珠单抗的非晶相应具有高起始玻璃化转变温度(Tg)。三种制剂均满足这些标准,表现出约117°C的Tg起始温度以及喷雾干燥结晶L-亮氨酸特征的PXRD峰。

通过NGI测量的制剂雾化特性如表I所示。10%和40%制剂满足2至3 μm的MMAD规范,40%制剂具有最高的FPF。使用上述抗VEGF活性检测评估生物活性。三种制剂对VEGF表达的抑制作用与贝伐珠单抗溶液对照相似。

**表I 贝伐珠单抗可行性制剂在40°C/75% RH条件下储存2周前后的分析结果**

| 条件 | 参数 | 10%制剂 | 20%制剂 | 40%制剂 | |------|------|---------|---------|---------| | 初始/2周 | 起始Tg(°C) | 117/117 | 117/117 | 117/117 | | 初始/2周 | MMAD(μm) | 2.4/2.1 | 1.6/2.1 | 2.4/2.5 | | 初始/2周 | FPF(%) | 66/72 | 73/74 | 78/75 | | 初始/2周 | VEGF活性检测(IC50/IC50,对照) | 0.93/1.03 | 1.26/1.38 | 0.97/1.08 |

MMAD:质量中值空气动力学直径;FPF:细颗粒分数(此处定义为空气动力学直径<5 μm的药物颗粒的质量百分比);IC50:将发光降低50%的药物浓度。

三种制剂还接受了加速稳定性挑战,样品在含干燥剂的密封瓶中于40°C/75%相对湿度(RH)条件下储存2周。重复上述相同测试。20%制剂变化最大,10%和40%制剂仅观察到微小变化。基于这些结果,选择40%贝伐珠单抗喷雾干燥粉末作为本研究的领先制剂,因其具有良好的稳定性和高活性载药量。文中后续提及的喷雾干燥粉末均指此制剂。

**实时稳定性研究设计:** 进行了实时稳定性研究,将贝伐珠单抗喷雾干燥粉末储存于两种条件下:5°C和25°C/60% RH。将喷雾干燥粉末样品(150 mg)密封在玻璃瓶中。另将样品(各10 mg)填充至3号胶囊(Vcaps Plus HPMC胶囊,Capsugel)中,平行三份,用于6个月稳定性样品,并密封在玻璃瓶中。将瓶体热封在含2 g硅胶干燥剂的Mylar®袋中。样品在储存1、3和6个月后取出进行分析。

**体内研究设计:** 使用NSCLC原位裸鼠模型\[26\]设计了贝伐珠单抗喷雾干燥粉末的体内研究。所有方案均由LBRI机构动物护理和使用委员会(IACUC)审查和批准。研究在经IACUC批准的方案下进行,符合《动物福利法》、PHS政策及其他与动物和动物实验相关的联邦法规和条例。本研究的实验设施经实验动物护理评估和认证协会认证。

该研究测试了吸入给药的贝伐珠单抗喷雾干燥粉末(INH)和腹腔(IP)注射给药的贝伐珠单抗(联合或不联合化疗药物顺铂)对肿瘤大小的影响。将NSCLC细胞系Calu-3经气管内滴注至七组X射线照射大鼠的肺部,每次滴注目标细胞数为1.5×10^7个\[27\]。研究前4周不予处理,使肿瘤细胞生长。研究设计如表II所示。

**表II NSCLC原位裸鼠模型的体内研究设计**

| 研究组 | 主要治疗(第4-8周) | 维持治疗(第8-12周) | 大鼠数量 | 终点指标 | |--------|---------------------|---------------------|----------|----------| | 1 | 无 | 无 | 15 | • 8周肺重量 | | 2 | 顺铂(IP)+ 贝伐珠单抗(IP) | 无 | 15 | • 8周肺重量 | | 3 | 贝伐珠单抗(INH) | 无 | 15 | • 8周肺重量 | | 4 | 顺铂(IP)+ 贝伐珠单抗(INH) | 无 | 15 | • 8周肺重量 | | 5 | 无 | 无 | 20 | • 生存率 • 12周肺重量 | | 6 | 顺铂(IP)+ 贝伐珠单抗(IP) | 贝伐珠单抗(INH) | 15 | • 生存率 • 12周肺重量 | | 7 | 顺铂(IP)+ 贝伐珠单抗(INH) | 贝伐珠单抗(INH) | 15 | • 生存率 • 12周肺重量 |

在主要治疗阶段(第4至第8周),贝伐珠单抗通过腹腔注射(15 mg/kg,每周一次)或吸入给药(递送剂量15 mg/kg,沉积剂量1.5 mg/kg,每周一次)。部分研究组通过腹腔注射给予顺铂(3 mg/kg)。对于吸入给药,使用旋转刷式发生器将喷雾干燥粉末雾化,通过鼻腔吸入被动递送至大鼠。在维持治疗阶段(第8至第12周),仅给予吸入贝伐珠单抗(递送剂量15 mg/kg,沉积剂量1.5 mg/kg,每周一次)。不再给予额外顺铂。

第1至第4组在8周后评估主要疗效,以肺重量为终点指标。第5至第7组在12周后评估维持疗效,以肺重量和生存率为终点指标。

## 结果

### 40%贝伐珠单抗喷雾干燥制剂的制备

**溶液热稳定性:** 在喷雾干燥过程中,颗粒经历的温度范围从环境的湿球温度到干燥器的出口温度。为确保热稳定性,使用DSC测量贝伐珠单抗在溶液中的解折叠(熔融)温度。观察到两个吸热峰,与文献报道定性一致\[28\]。最低峰的起始温度为71°C。在Akbas等人的报告中\[29\],使用DLS测量贝伐珠单抗溶液中随温度变化的聚集体形成。该研究中,从61°C开始可通过DLS检测到大的聚集体。因此,将喷雾干燥器出口温度的上限设定为约55°C。

**喷雾干燥:** 为吸入应用对贝伐珠单抗等生物材料进行喷雾干燥需要仔细选择工艺条件。首先,必须控制液滴大小以生成具有目标空气动力学直径<5 μm的可呼吸颗粒。喷雾溶液的固含量、雾化条件和干燥动力学均可影响产品的最终空气动力学直径。其次,为减少热不稳定生物材料的降解,必须限制温度暴露。这是一个平衡过程,因为干燥过程仍必须迅速去除产品中足够的水分,使海藻糖保持非晶态并获得良好的收率。为此,选择50°C的出口温度,并将干燥气体流速最大化以适应喷雾干燥器几何结构。用于体内研究的40 g批次喷雾干燥粉末的收率为90%(包括残留水分)。

**贝伐珠单抗喷雾干燥粉末的物理状态**

**含水量:** 喷雾干燥粉末的含水量对于确保稳定性、良好的雾化特性和粉末流动性非常重要。具有足够物理稳定性的喷雾干燥粉末应保持其物理状态至少2年而不发生非晶相的重结晶。众所周知,如果含水量过高,非晶海藻糖会重结晶为其二水合物形式,导致制剂不稳定。然而,含水量低于1%至2%的制剂可能产生静电问题,降低雾化性能。因此,通过卡尔费休滴定法评估喷雾干燥粉末在干燥剂中储存72小时后的含水量,结果为3%至4%(重量比)——低到足以防止非晶海藻糖的重结晶,同时保持良好的雾化特性。

**亮氨酸结晶度:** 按设计,贝伐珠单抗喷雾干燥粉末由两相组成:结晶L-亮氨酸和海藻糖与贝伐珠单抗的非晶相。Vehring及其同事已证明,在喷雾干燥过程中,L-亮氨酸必须在液滴表面富集并结晶,以最大化其作为分散剂的性能\[30-33\]。对贝伐珠单抗喷雾干燥粉末进行PXRD分析,定性确定L-亮氨酸是否为结晶态。如图1a所示,观察到喷雾干燥结晶L-亮氨酸的特征峰。喷雾干燥结晶L-亮氨酸的衍射图与原始结晶L-亮氨酸的衍射图并不完全匹配,但此现象已有其他文献报道\[34, 35\],可能是由于快速喷雾干燥过程中形成的亚微米级结晶域所致。未观察到海藻糖二水合物的特征峰。在L-亮氨酸特征峰之上叠加了海藻糖/贝伐珠单抗非晶相的非晶晕。

**图1 贝伐珠单抗喷雾干燥粉末的表征结果,显示PXRD衍射图(a)、DSC可逆热流(b)和SEM图像(c)**

**热分析:** 非晶材料的Tg是估计储存后物理稳定性的有用指标。为在数年时间尺度上最小化分子流动性,Tg理想情况下应比材料储存温度高约50°C\[36\]。通过DSC测量贝伐珠单抗喷雾干燥粉末的热学性质。如图1b所示,DSC热曲线中未观察到熔融峰。结晶L-亮氨酸在扫描温度范围内无预期的热转变。在可逆热流曲线中观察到宽泛的Tg,起始温度为117°C,中点温度为128°C。这证实了海藻糖和贝伐珠单抗在喷雾干燥粉末中形成均匀的非晶相。贝伐珠单抗对海藻糖具有抗增塑作用,提高了非晶材料的Tg(纯海藻糖的起始温度为106°C\[37\]),表明两种组分之间存在相互作用,如氢键。此前在非晶固体分散体中已观察到这一效应\[38\]。在DSC热曲线中未观察到155°C以下的降解热信号,155°C时海藻糖开始分解。总体而言,热分析表明该材料在储存期间具有较低的失效风险,因为Tg比其预期储存温度高出近100°C。

### 贝伐珠单抗喷雾干燥粉末的雾化性能

**形貌:** 使用SEM观察贝伐珠单抗喷雾干燥粉末的形貌。如图1c中的代表性图像所示,未观察到颗粒融合迹象。在喷雾干燥过程中形成塌陷的球形颗粒,大多数颗粒直径约为1至5 μm。

**粒径分布:** 分别使用光散射和飞行时间激光测速法空气动力学粒径分析测量喷雾干燥粉末的几何和空气动力学粒径分布。对于几何粒径,索特平均直径(D32)为2.3 μm,D10 = 0.3 μm,D50 = 2.2 μm,D90 = 4.4 μm。对于空气动力学粒径,MMAD为2.0 μm,几何标准偏差为1.6 μm。对于球形颗粒,空气动力学粒径等于几何粒径乘以颗粒密度的平方根。通过比较这些分布,发现颗粒密度约为0.8至1.0 g/cc,表明颗粒内部存在空隙体积。

**NGI:** 为确保向深部肺部递送,应最大化空气动力学直径为5 μm或更小的粉末比例。虽然空气动力学粒径谱仪测量的是粉末在强力雾化时的分布,但NGI分析的是在更接近生物相关条件下从装置排出的粉末分布。在NGI上使用高阻力干粉吸入器,流速为65 L/分钟,大多数排出颗粒的空气动力学直径在0.9至4.3 μm之间(图2b)。FPF为82%,MMAD为2.2 μm。这些结果表明该粉末具有良好的空气动力学特性,适合向深部肺部递送。

**图2 贝伐珠单抗喷雾干燥粉末在PBS中重构后的照片(左)和喷雾干燥原液(右)(a),通过NGI测定的贝伐珠单抗喷雾干燥粉末的空气动力学直径分布(b),重构贝伐珠单抗喷雾干燥粉末(红色虚线)和原始贝伐珠单抗溶液(蓝色实线)的SEC-MALLS色谱图,插图显示对应于单克隆抗体二聚体和三聚体的低保留时间肩峰(c)**

**效价:** 使用280 nm处的吸光度确认喷雾干燥粉末中贝伐珠单抗的含量,经水分含量校正后平均为37% ± 1%(重量比)。与40%目标值相比,这一亚效价可能是由于少量单克隆抗体与用于确保喷雾溶液无菌性的在线0.1 μm过滤器结合所致。在溶液制备和泵送过程中产生的任何聚集体均被过滤器截留,从而降低了产品的总体效价。

**重构贝伐珠单抗喷雾干燥粉末的聚集:** 将贝伐珠单抗喷雾干燥粉末在缓冲液中重构,得到光学透明的溶液,如图2a所示,以原始贝伐珠单抗溶液作为对比。还通过SEC-MALLS分析了这些溶液,该方法对二聚体和三聚体聚集体的存在特别敏感。对照原液和重构喷雾干燥粉末显示出相似量的聚集物种,与主峰单克隆抗体峰相比量较小(图2c)。

**抗VEGF活性:** 贝伐珠单抗的作用机制是抑制癌细胞中VEGF的表达。为评估材料在喷雾干燥前后的生物活性,使用了市售试剂盒。该试剂盒使用VEGF响应性报告细胞系来检测贝伐珠单抗对VEGF诱导活性的抑制。该细胞系经工程化改造,在VEGF受体受刺激时表达荧光素酶,产生生物发光。在存在抗VEGF分子的情况下,VEGF与受体的结合受到抑制,中断下游信号级联反应,减少荧光素酶表达,降低生物发光\[25\]。贝伐珠单抗喷雾干燥粉末和原始贝伐珠单抗原液对荧光素酶浓度依赖性的结果如图3所示。对照和喷雾干燥粉末的抗VEGF活性在检测误差范围内相似,IC50值分别为0.16 μg/mL和0.23 μg/mL。这表明贝伐珠单抗的生物活性在喷雾干燥后基本保持不变。

**图3 贝伐珠单抗喷雾干燥粉末(蓝色方块)和原始贝伐珠单抗原液(黑色圆圈)在VEGF报告基因检测中的抗VEGF活性**

### 实时稳定性

进行了实时稳定性研究,将贝伐珠单抗喷雾干燥粉末储存于两种条件下:5°C和25°C/60% RH。样品储存在含干燥剂的密封瓶中,置于铝箔袋中以减少湿度暴露,因为已知湿度会使非晶海藻糖重结晶。在储存前以及每种条件下储存1、3和6个月后对样品进行分析。如表III所示,稳定性样品中观察到微小变化,物理稳定性和雾化性能在整个过程中保持恒定。

**表III 贝伐珠单抗喷雾干燥粉末的稳定性结果,显示IC50样品间变异性与对照相似**

| 储存条件 | 时间(月) | Tg起始(°C) | PXRD结果 | 效价(wt%) | FPF(%) | MMAD(μm) | IC50(μg/mL) | |----------|-----------|-------------|----------|------------|---------|-----------|--------------| | 5°C | 0 | 117 | 结晶L-亮氨酸 | 37 | 81 | 2.2 | 0.23 | | | 1 | 117 | — | 35 | 83 | 2.0 | 0.10 | | | 3 | 122 | — | 35 | 78 | 2.0 | 0.10 | | | 6 | 117 | — | 37 | 83 | 2.1 | 0.10 | | 25°C/60% RH | 0 | 117 | 结晶L-亮氨酸 | 37 | 81 | 2.2 | 0.23 | | | 1 | 119 | — | 37 | 81 | 2.3 | 0.13 | | | 3 | 121 | — | 37 | 82 | 2.2 | 0.13 | | | 6 | 118 | — | 38 | 84 | 2.5 | 0.17 |

### 原位大鼠模型的体内疗效

使用原位裸鼠模型在两项测试中评估了吸入贝伐珠单抗喷雾干燥粉末治疗NSCLC的疗效:(1)8周主要疗效测试和(2)后续4周维持疗效测试。

**主要疗效测试:** 在主要疗效测试中,在裸鼠原位肺癌模型中评估了贝伐珠单抗喷雾干燥粉末用于NSCLC治疗的局部吸入递送效果,以肺重量为研究终点指标。未处理大鼠(研究组1)为阴性对照,接受腹腔注射贝伐珠单抗和注射顺铂的大鼠(研究组2)为阳性对照,代表NSCLC的标准治疗方案\[39\]。如图4所示,阳性对照比阴性对照显著降低了肿瘤负荷(平均肺重量分别为1.9 g和7.3 g;p < 0.0005,降低74%)。第一个实验组(研究组3),仅接受吸入贝伐珠单抗喷雾干燥粉末治疗的大鼠,与阴性对照相比肿瘤负荷显著降低(分别为4.7 g和7.3 g;p < 0.05,降低36%)。第二个实验组(研究组4),接受吸入贝伐珠单抗喷雾干燥粉末和注射顺铂治疗的大鼠,肿瘤负荷也显著降低(分别为2.0 g和7.3 g;p < 0.0005,降低73%)。阳性对照和吸入贝伐珠单抗/注射顺铂联合治疗组的肿瘤负荷降低效果无差异(分别为1.9 g和2.0 g)。这一结果尤为值得关注,因为吸入贝伐珠单抗的沉积剂量为注射贝伐珠单抗剂量的十分之一(1.5 mg/kg对15 mg/kg)。因此,在大鼠模型中,将贝伐珠单抗局部递送至肺部可实现剂量降低十倍而疗效相当。在Lovelace Biomedical此前未发表的工作中,发现按与本文报告的类似每周方案腹腔注射2 mg/mL顺铂的大鼠肿瘤负荷降低42%。这表明贝伐珠单抗和顺铂均对观察到的联合治疗肿瘤负荷降低有贡献。

**图4 吸入贝伐珠单抗喷雾干燥粉末(INH bev)与注射贝伐珠单抗(IP bev)和/或注射顺铂(IP cis)在NSCLC治疗裸鼠原位模型中的主要治疗疗效比较。未处理组n = 18,其他组n = 15,误差棒为平均值±一个标准差。*p < 0.05,***p < 0.0005。图片改编自\[39\]。**

**维持疗效测试:** 贝伐珠单抗维持治疗在完成化疗后开具,以继续发挥肿瘤的抗血管生成作用,减缓肿瘤再生。在大鼠模型中评估了吸入贝伐珠单抗治疗的维持疗效,以肺重量和生存率为终点指标。在接受注射顺铂和吸入或注射贝伐珠单抗的主要治疗后,大鼠接受4周的吸入贝伐珠单抗维持治疗。两个维持治疗组的肺重量均显著低于未治疗组(平均8.1 g和8.8 g对13.5 g,两次比较均p < 0.005),生存率也有所提高(中位生存期分别为74天和75天对64天)(图5a和b)\[39\]。由于治疗维持组生存期延长,肿瘤有更多时间再生。为解释这一效应,图5c展示了数据的另一种呈现方式,即将肺重量除以各只大鼠的退出研究日期。这些数据展示了治疗组与未治疗组之间更为显著的差异。

**图5 吸入贝伐珠单抗在维持试验中的疗效,显示NSCLC治疗裸鼠原位模型中的标准化肺重量(a)、生存概率(b)和经调整以解释生存期延长的数据(c)。未处理组N = 20,其他组n = 15,误差棒为平均值±一个标准差。**p < 0.005。c改编自\[39\]。**

## 讨论

吸入贝伐珠单抗在注射剂量十分之一条件下的体内疗效证明了使用局部治疗方式治疗肺癌时剂量降低的潜力。文献报道展示了以干粉形式向肺部施用小分子疗法的类似效果\[40\]。拓扑替康\[7\]和5-氮杂胞苷\[8\]均以吸入制剂形式施用于肺部。5-氮杂胞苷在肺组织中的剂量标准化曲线下面积(AUC),干粉气雾剂比全身给药高50倍。吸入式拓扑替康干粉制剂尽管剂量降低了两倍,但在降低大鼠肿瘤负荷方面显著优于静脉注射拓扑替康。特别是对于高效疗法,局部给药可提供一种规避患者剂量限制性毒性的途径。

将肺部局部递送概念扩展至配制用于干粉吸入器的生物治疗分子引起了众多适应症的极大兴趣。一篇近期综述文章总结了干粉吸入制剂用于向肺部施用RNA的潜力\[41\]。Frohlich和Salar-Behzadi在2021年的综述\[42\]总结了蛋白质和肽类的吸入递送,其中大多数通过液体制剂的雾化完成。迄今为止,已有两种单克隆抗体片段(fAb)干粉吸入制剂进入临床试验阶段。首先,报道了VR942(abrezekimab)干粉吸入制剂的I期临床试验,该单克隆抗体片段通过抑制白细胞介素-13用于治疗哮喘\[23\]。单克隆抗体片段CSJ117用于哮喘的临床试验也在进行中\[42\]。在另一项研究中,Faghihi等人证明了在动物模型中成功制备和施用英夫利昔单抗干粉以抑制哮喘相关炎症\[22\]。这些研究结合本工作,证明了吸入式干粉单克隆抗体制剂治疗多种肺部疾病的治疗潜力。

以干粉吸入器施用贝伐珠单抗扩展了治疗方案的灵活性。当不再需要临床就诊进行贝伐珠单抗给药时,每周或每日给药变得可行。治疗的自行给药也消除了反复就诊的成本和不便。贝伐珠单抗干粉在室温下的物理稳定性减少了药物到达患者的供应链和分销限制。总体而言,贝伐珠单抗干粉制剂可为患者带来巨大益处,消除患者依从性的诸多障碍。这些优势同样适用于任何替代静脉制剂的吸入式单克隆抗体疗法。

本文所述的喷雾干燥工艺和制剂方法为制造适用于肺部适应症的局部施用抗体提供了平台。目前至少有10种单克隆抗体治疗药物在美国或欧盟获批用于肺部相关适应症,包括肺癌、哮喘、COPD和肺部感染\[43\]。将本工作的工艺和制剂经验应用于其他肺部递送相关的单克隆抗体,可为更广泛的肺部疾病改善治疗效果。

## 结论

本研究综述了喷雾干燥贝伐珠单抗制剂肺部治疗肺癌的潜在治疗益处。贝伐珠单抗喷雾干燥粉末在25°C下表现出6个月的物理稳定性,具有适合肺部递送的雾化特性,同时保留了抗VEGF活性。使用NSCLC原位大鼠模型在体内测试了该制剂的疗效,发现其可有效降低肺部肿瘤负荷。当与注射顺铂联合施用时,吸入喷雾干燥粉末在剂量为十分之一时与注射贝伐珠单抗同样有效。这种剂量降低可为贝伐珠单抗和其他单克隆抗体治疗提供一种最小化严重全身副作用的途径。贝伐珠单抗和肺癌治疗的肺部递送对患者和临床医生而言是一个有前景的发展方向,开启了居家维持治疗和灵活给药频率的可能性。

## 作者贡献

KBS撰写了手稿,设计实验,并进行了喷雾干燥和分析工作。DTV、JMB和MB设计了实验。PJK设计了体内研究并撰写了手稿。DR和YZ进行了体内研究。MSA进行了喷雾干燥。AP、JCO、LS和JC进行了分析工作。

## 资助

本研究由Lonza全额资助。

## 声明

**利益冲突:** 作者声明无竞争利益。

## 脚注

**出版商说明:** Springer Nature对已出版地图和机构隶属关系中的管辖权主张保持中立。