Stabilized aqueous liquid preparation of blood coagulation factor XIII

Abstract: A stabilized aqueous liquid preparation of human blood coagulation factor XIII, prepared by recombinant DNA technology, which comprises as a stabilizer at least one element selected from the group consisting of galactose, sucrose, sorbitol, glutamate, aspartate and histidine. A stabilized aqueous liquid preparation of human blood coagulation factor XIII prepared by recombinant DNA technology can be obtained, of which biological activity is reduced little even when stored for a longer time.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a stabilized aqueous liquid preparation of human blood coagulation factor XIII, preferentially prepared by recombinant DNA technology, which comprises as a stabilizer at least one element selected from galactose, sucrose, sorbitol, glutamates, aspartates and histidine. [Description of the Related Art] Human blood coagulation factor XIII (hereinafter referred to as "factor XIII") exists widely in human blood plasma or human placenta, and is activated by thrombin and Ca 2+ forming ε-(γ-glutamyl)lysine bonds among various proteins to make molecules cross-linked. Dimerization of fibrin γ-chain and polymerization of fibrin α-chain by this active type factor XIII give fibrin strength and elasticity and pertain to the hemostatic mechanism. Further, this active type factor XIII catalyzes cross-linking of fibronectin to fibrin α-chain or collagen and plays an important role in the process of wound healing [Matsuda, NIPPON KETSUEKI GAKKAI ZASSHI, Vol 40, No. 6, pp. 995-1002, (1977)]. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Factor XIII is extracted, purified and isolated from human placenta or human plasma and may be formed into a pharmaceutical preparation through pasteurization (heated at 60°C for a period of 10 hours in an aqueous solution) to inactivate various viruses (retrovirus such as hepatitis virus B, HIV-1 and others). It is generally known that factor XIII tends to decrease its activity during the production process and in storage. In particular, it is known that 1.0-3.0 M amino acids or 20-60 w/w% monosaccharides or oligosaccharides can be added as a stabilizer in view of the remarkable decrease in its activity during the pasteurization (U.S. Patent No. 4,297,344). When factor XIII is stored in a liquid form, the stability is poor. Hence, human serum albumin and glucose are added as stabilizers for storage; thereafter, freeze-drying is made. Presently, it has been marketed in the form of a freeze-dried preparation packed with the water for injection of the Pharmacopoeia of Japan (JP) as a solution therefor. This type of form is troublesome in that physicians need to dissolve the freeze-dried preparation in the water for injection just before administering to patients and further it requires the time for dissolution to obtain a homogeneous solution, which has presented a major problem in administering to patients in emergency. Factor XIII produced according to recombinant DNA technology does not need any sterilization by heating as it contains no pathogens such as viruses and others, but an aqueous solution thereof is unstable. Then, it is an object of this invention to provide a stabilized aqueous liquid preparation wherein factor XIII can be stored in the form of an aqueous liquid over a prolonged period of time without any need for lyophilization. [Means for solving the Problem] The present invention is directed to a stabilized aqueous liquid preparation of human blood coagulation factor XIII, prepared by recombinant DNA technology, characterized in that the preparation comprises as a stabilizer at least one element selected from galactose, sucrose, sorbitol, glutamates, aspartates and histidine. Examples of the stabilizer usable in the present invention include galactose, sucrose, sorbitol, glutamates, aspartates and histidine. These are used in single or in combination of two or more. Preferable glutamates and aspartates are their alkali metal salts and alkaline earth metal salts; their examples include salts of potassium, sodium and magnesium. Glycine, alanine, hydroxyproline, glutamine, α-, β-, and γ-aminobutyrates, and glucose, which are used in heating disinfection of natural factor XIII extracted and refined from human placenta or human blood plasma, have not been unexpectedly ineffective as the storage stabilizer for the factor XIII prepared by recombinant DNA technology. The factor XIII to be stabilized according to the present invention is factor XIII prepared by recombinant DNA technology as well as its homologues having blood-coagulation activity. Examples of such factor include the factor XIII described in DE 3804890A1, of which amino acid sequence is based on the amino acid sequence of the factor XIII described in Fig. 3 of the report of "Grundmann et al., Natl. Acad. Sci. USA Vol. 83, pp. 8024-8028 (1986)", has the amino acid sequence from No. 1 Ser through No. 731 Met of the Fig. 3, and has Phe in place of No. . 88 Leu of the Fig. 3. The.DNA sequence encoding the above-mentioned amino acid sequence is inserted between Sst I and Hind III, polylinker sites, of pEMBLyex4 (J. K. Selton, Genetic Engineering (1987), Plenum Publishing Co., vol. 9, pp. 134-154), which is an expression vector of yeast; thereby, a plasmid for preparing factor XIII is formed. By use of the resulting plasmid, CL3ABYS86 (DE 3804830A1), which is a yeast host, is transformed to produce recombinant factor XIII in yeast; the recombinant factor XIII is purified from the supernatant in which the yeast is destroyed; and thereby, an extract liquid containing biologically active factor XIII is obtained. Homologue herein means what is modified from the amino acid sequence of factor XIII by replacement, deletion or addition; thus, proteins having sequences equivalent to the amino acid sequence of factor XIII are naturally included in the homologues. Furthermore, homologue may be also defined as a protein having a main part of the amino acid sequence in a way wherein main properties of factor XIII are maintained. Pharmaceutical preparation of factor XIII has been currently administered by intravenous injection as a freeze-dried preparation for the improvement of bleeding tendency caused by congenital lack of blood-coagulation factor XIII, therapy of ruptured suture and fistula by decrease of blood-coagulation factor XIII, and symptom improvement of Schoenlein-Henoch purpura. Judging from the administered cases not less than 20,000 in Japan and abroad and from the acute toxicity test shown in Table 1, there is usually no need of concern for side effect and toxicity when the administration amount is 20-50 units/kg/person/day. Animal Administration Sex LD 50 (unit/kg) Mouse (NMR 1 strain) 10 males and 10 females/group i.v. Male > 3,125 Female Wistar rat 10 males and 10 females/group i.v. Male > 625 Female The liquid preparation of the present invention may be administered in various forms in the same way as a freeze-dried. preparation; it may be administered intravenously, hypodermically and intramuscularly, and preparation for external of skin may be administered as well. The liquid preparation of the present invention should be preferably stored in a dark cold place in the same way as a freeze-dried preparation; storage nearly at 4°C is preferable. For the purpose of the present invention, sucrose, D-sorbitol, sodium L-glutamate, sodium L-aspartate and L-histidine were respectively added to an aqueous solution of factor XIII (adjusted to a final liter of 100 units/ml) prepared by the recombinant DNA technology mentioned above; then the optimum concentration was studied for respective cases. Referring the results of these studies, severe tests were made for liquid preparations in which the solutions listed below were added respectively to the factor XIII (adjusted to a final titer of 100 units/ml) for determining the activity change of factor XIII: 20% D-sorbitol; 15% sucrose; 0.5% sodium L-glutamate; 1% sodium L-aspartate; 1% L-histidine; 20% D-sorbitol plus 0.5% sodium L-glutamate; 20% D-sorbitol plus 1% sodium L-aspartate; 20% D-sorbitol plus 1% L-histidine; 15% sucrose plus 0.5% sodium L-glutamate; 15% sucrose plus 1% sodium L-aspartate; 15% sucrose plus 1% L-histidine; and, as a control, the water for injection of the Pharmacopoeia of Japan. The results showed nearly 100% maintenance by the addition of the stabilizers according to the present invention. Furthermore, for the purpose of the present invention, factor XIII (adjusted to a final titer of 100 units/ml) prepared by the recombinant DNA technology mentioned above was added, as an additive, by 0.5% sodium L-glutamate, 15% sucrose plus 1% sodium L-aspartate, 15% sucrose plus 1% L-histidine, and, as a control, the water for injection of the Pharmacopoeia of Japan respectively; the respective solutions were subjected to acceleration tests for predicting the long term change of factor XIII activity. No deterioration of the factor XIII activity was shown by the addition of the stabilizers according to the present invention. As for the measuring methods of factor XIII activity, fibrin formation, transglutaminase activity measurement and immunologic measurement of antigen amount are mentioned. Herein, dansylcadaverine method (Nishida J., et al. Thromb. Res., vol. 36 pp. 123-131 (1984) ) was adopted, however, which can determine the active factor XIII quantitatively with high accuracy. Dansylcadaverine (purchased from YATRON) is a fluorescent amine which is the substrate of factor XIII, and forms dansylcadaverine-casein complex with casein by the action of factor XIII; the complex is separated by gel-filtration after the reaction and the factor XIII activity can be determined by the fluorescence intensity of the complex. The factor XIII activity is expressed by units; one unit is the amount of factor XIII which is contained in one milliliter plasma of normal human. In the pharmaceutical preparation, galactose, sucrose or sorbitol is used in a concentration of 1.25 to 40, preferably 10 to 20, weight for volume percent (w/v%). The amino acid is effective when used in a concentration of 0.125 to 20 w/v%, preferably 0.5 to 2 w/v%. Factor XIII is used in a concentration of 1 to 2,500 units/ml, preferably 60 to 200 units/ml. A pH adjuster and an osmotic pressure adjuster for isotonization may be incorporated into the pharmaceutical preparation of the present invention. The pH of the pharmaceutical preparation of the.present invention preferably ranges from 6 to 9, most preferably ranges from 7 to 8. [EXAMPLES] Now, the present invention is illustrated more specifically by way of examples and formulation examples. Example 1 Optimum concentration of the present stabilizers was investigated. To factor XIII produced according to the recombinant DNA technology as disclosed in DE 3804890 A1 (adjusted to the final titer of 100 units/ml with the water for injection of the Pharmacopoeia of Japan) was added galactose, sucrose, D-sorbitol, sodium L-glutamate, sodium L-aspartate or L-histidine, and the mixture was warmed in a hot water bath at 60°C for 30 minutes and then the activity of factor XIII was determined. Residual activity rate (%) of factor XIII was calculated, defining as 100% factor XIII activity of the preparation wherein factor XIII solution was adjusted to a titer of 100 units/ml. The results are shown in Table 1. A concentration of galactose, sucrose or sorbitol may be effectively 1.25-40 w/v%, 10-20 w/v% being particularly preferred. A concentration of amino acid may be effectively 0.125-10 w/v%, 0.5-2 w/v% being particularly preferred. On the bases of the above results, the following formulation examples were prepared. Residual Activity Rate (%) Additive Conc. (w/v%) Sucrose D-Sorbitol Sodium L-glutamate Sodium L-aspartate L-Histidine 0 61.2 61.2 61.2 61.2 61.2 0.125 76 83.3 62.2 0.25 71.1 80.9 71.6 0.5 98.6 93.3 78.4 1.0 92.5 101.1 97.4 1.25 86.7 73.8 2.0 87.8 66.5 65.3 2.5 88.6 73.9 5.0 90.0 74.5 79.4 58.8 10 99.0 94.0 65.3 55.4 15 100.0 98.4 20 96.2 96.0 40 75.7 86.9 Formulation Example 1 The purified recombinant factor XIII was adjusted to a titer of 200 units/ml and admixed with a 40% D-sorbitol solution in equal volumes to prepare a liquid preparation having the final titer of factor XIII of 100 units/ml and containing a 20% D-sorbitol solution. Formulation Examples 2 - 13 The stabilizers as indicated in Table 2 were used in the same manner as described in Formulation Example 1 to prepare the liquid preparations having the final titer of factor XIII of 100 units/ml and containing the solutions of saccharides, sugar alcohol and amino acids with the concentrations as indicated in Table 2. Example 2 Severe test The preparations of the Formulation Examples 1-13 were heated in a hot water bath at 60°C for 30 minutes and then factor XIII activity was determined. Residual activity rate (%) of factor XIII was calculated, defining as 100% factor XIII activity in the preparation wherein the recombinant factor XIII solution was adjusted to a titer of 100 units/ml. The results are shown in Table 3. Inactivation of factor XIII by heating at 60°C for 30 minutes was prevented by the addition of saccharides, sugar alcohol and amino acids and approximately 100% activity was retained. Formulation Example Additive Residual activity rate (%) 1 20% D-Sorbitol 96.0 2 15% sucrose 99.0 3 0.5% sodium L-glutamate 98.6 4 1% sodium L-aspartate 101.1 5 1% L-histidine 97.4 6 20% D-sorbitol+0.5% sodium L-glutamate 97.3 7 20% D-sorbitol+1% sodium L-aspartate 99.6 8 20% D-sorbitol+1% L-histidine 101.0 9 15% sucrose+0.5% sodium L-glutamate 101.5 10 15% sucrose+1% sodium L-aspartate 100.9 11 15% sucrose+1% L-histidine 100.5 12 1% L-lysine L-glutamate dihydrate 84.0 13 0.5% galactose 87.5 Control water for injection (Pharmacopoeia of Japan) 61.2 As apparent from the results of Table 3, a stable solution having factor XIII residual activity of 84% or more was obtained by the addition of at least one of the present stabilizers to a solution of the biologically active factor XIII produced using recombinant DNA technology. As stated above, a stable and highly safe liquid preparation which comprises as an active ingredient the biologically active factor XIII could be obtained by the addition of at least one of the present stabilizers. Example 3 Acceleration test The formulations of the Formulation Examples 3, 10 and 11 were stored at 40°C. At the commencement of storage and the first, second and third months, samples were collected and residual activity rate (%) of factor XIII was calculated. The results are shown in Table 4. Formulation Example Additive Residual activity rate(%) Started 1st month 2nd month 3rd month 3 0.5% sodium L-glutamate 100 99.5 91.6 96.1 10 15% sucrose+1% sodium L-aspartate 100 93.0 92.4 91.9 11 15% sucrose+1% L-histidine 100 99.2 99.8 95.5 Control water for injection (Pharmacopoeia of Japan) 100 76.8 46.0 7.8 As shown in Table 4, the Control, the liquid preparation of factor XIII produced according to recombinant DNA technology containing no stabilizer, showed a lowered activity with aging during the storage at 40°C. On the other hand, the aqueous liquid preparations having incorporated therein at least one of the present stabilizers showed the residual activity of factor XIII of 90% or more after 3 months at 40°C. According to this invention, there is provided a stable and safe aqueous liquid preparation comprising as an active ingredient factor XIII by the addition of at least one selected from galactose, sucrose, sorbitol, glutamate, aspartate and histidine. In this way, the preparation may be stored in a liquid state over a prolonged period of time, while maintaining its biological activity, and there is no need for redissolution like the freeze-dried preparation so that clinical physicians may be saved from the troubles in administering to patients.

Claims: Use of a non-lyophilized composition comprising: a. a first element selected from galactose, sucrose and sorbitol; and b. a second element selected from glutamate, aspartate and histidine; in the manufacture of a stable aqueous liquid preparation of recombinant Factor XIII, wherein said first element is present at a concentration of between 1.25 and 40 w/v% ofsaid preparation, and said second element is present at a concentration of between 0.125 and 10 w/v% of said preparation. Use according to Claim 1, wherein the second element is present at a concentration of between 0.5 and 2 w/v%. Use according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the second element is L-histidine. Use according to any of Claims 1-3, wherein the first element is sucrose at a concentration of between 1.25 and 20 w/v%. Use according to any previous claim, wherein the preparation further comprises a pH adjuster and an osmotic pressure adjuster. A stable liquid preparation of recombinant Factor XIII, wherein the preparation comprises a first and second element as described in any of Claims 1-4 and wherein the preparation is in stored, non-lyophilized form. A preparation according to Claim 6, further comprising a pH adjuster and an osmotic pressure adjuster. A stable aqueous liquid preparation of recombinant factor XIII, characterized in that the preparation comprises as a stabilizer: a. a first element selected from galactose, sucrose and sorbitol, wherein said first element is present in said preparation at a concentration of between 10 and 20 w/v%; and b. a second element selected from glutamate, aspartate and histidine, wherein said second element is present in said preparation at a concentration of between 0.125 and 10 w/v%. A preparation according to Claim 8, wherein the second element is present at a concentration of between 0.5 and 2 w/v%. A preparation according to Claims 8 or 9, wherein the second element is L-histidine. A preparation according to any of Claims 8-10, wherein the first element is sucrose. A preparation according to any of Claims 8-11, wherein the preparation further comprises a pH adjuster and an osmotic pressure adjuster.

Inventors: KATO NAOKO, KONDO SHUJI, KATO, NAOKO, KONDO, SHUJI
Applicants: HOECHST JAPAN, HOECHST JAPAN LIMITED
Application year: 1996
Main classification: A61K9
IPC codes: A61K9, C07K14, A61K47, A61P7, A61K38