Patent ID: 8314063

Claim:
A method for stabilizing an aqueous pharmaceutical formulation comprising combining an osmolyte, a preservative, and a therapeutic protein in an aqueous solution, wherein the osmolyte mitigates the preservative's destabilizing effect, wherein the formulation comprises: (a) Darbepoetin (SEQ. ID NO.: 1) or erythropoietin (SEQ. ID NO.: 2) or an erythropoietin analog with at least 90% homology to SEQ. ID NO.: 2 at a concentration of up to about 15 mg/ml; (b) a destabilizing concentration of benzyl alcohol at a concentration of at least about 0.065 M or benzalkonium chloride at a concentration of up to about 0.1 M; and (c) glycerol at a concentration of up to about 5 M or trimethylamine N-oxide at a concentration of up to about 2 M or proline at a concentration of up to about 2 M.