Patent ID: 8173411

Claim:
A highly viscous liquid comprising a preserved active agent and a stabilising agent obtainable by a method comprising the steps of: a) preparing a preservation sample by dissolving and/or suspending an active agent in a solution of a stabilising agent; b) subjecting the preservation sample to a temperature condition above 0° C. and a pressure condition below 30 mbar so that the preservation sample loses solvent by evaporation without freezing or bubbling involved in foam formation, thereby forming a viscous liquid; and c) further subjecting the viscous liquid to a temperature condition above 0° C. and a pressure condition below 30 mbar thereby forming a highly viscous liquid; wherein the stabilizing agent comprises a glass forming polyol and a second component which decreases the flow rate of the highly viscous liquid formed in step c), wherein the second component comprises a sugar with a lower moisture sorption isotherm compared to the glass forming polyol wherein the active agent retains at least 40% of its antigenicity compared to the antigenicity of a reference sample which has not been subjected to the drying process of steps b)-c), where antigenicity is measured by ELISA.