Novel methodology comparing two assay formats for the assessment of immunogenicity from clinical trial samples

• Published in: Bioanalysis 2021-07, Vol.13 (14), p.1113-1121
• Main Authors: Peterson, Daniel A, Pottanat, Thomas G, Denning, Heather, Bivi, Nicoletta, Sloan, John H, Nguyen, Huy T, Hufford, Matthew M, Konrad, Robert J, Hodsdon, Michael E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: assay and laboratory; immunogenicity; methodology
• ISSN: 1757-6180; 1757-6199
• DOI: 10.4155/bio-2021-0087

We present a novel methodology to compare results between distinct immunogenicity assays, performed by two laboratories, for the same biotherapeutic. Human serum pools from clinical trials were generated to provide representative immunogenicity titers. Pools were evaluated at two laboratories in a blinded fashion to assess the effect of assay format and laboratory change on clinical interpretation of immunogenicity results. The laboratories validated two different assay formats and demonstrated comparable sensitivity and drug tolerance. Overall, the comparisons in assay format and laboratory ensured a comparable ability to detect treatment-emergent antidrug antibodies for a biotherapeutic. We have established an approach, using pooling of patient samples, that allows for the interlaboratory comparisons without creating duplicative results. Measuring immunogenicity, an immune response to a drug, is important in understanding the benefits and risks associated with a drug. Immunogenicity is measured by specific tests within a laboratory; however, these tests and laboratories may change over time. This paper proposes a method to determine if a change in test and laboratory will impact the interpretation of immunogenicity for a drug. Blood samples from clinical trial patients were combined in order to provide representative samples for the immunogenicity tests. The samples were tested at two laboratories with two tests to measure if any interpretation of immunogenicity results would change due to the different tests and laboratories. Laboratories and tests demonstrated similar and reliable results of the samples. This study has established a method which allows for the comparison of immunogenicity results when tests and/or laboratories are changed.